The design for the new corporate headquarters for Sweet Leaf Tea embraces the product’s brand and graphic identity as well as its funky office culture. After gutting the previous tenant’s boxy remnants in the 1918-vintage building, the architects used the newly exposed materials and structure as inspiration for the open grid interior that balances the space’s historical quality with its modern requirements. An intentionally restrained material palette allows the rhythm of the lines and forms to be the design’s focus. Knotty cedar was introduced to complement existing wood and add texture to three interior “buildings” that define a conference room and offices. A kitchen/multi-use area accommodates employees as well as public functions. New skylights balance the interior daylighting, which comes predominantly from east-facing windows but is partially blocked by the large unmovable air conditioning plenum. Dry-walled partitions and MDF counters add durable, low-cost accents to high-use areas while hand-painted company graphics provide the finishing touch.
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