Transparent House's principals Denis Krylov and Krista Mollion have recently took on the challenge of redesigning one of the Bay Area's oldest buildings for TH's own new corporate headquarters. The results of their development efforts at 472 Jackson Street are now attracting new attention for the seven-year-old firm while also adding some exciting new dimensions to the international business that also operates studios in Moscow and Berlin.
To design the interior of his new corporate headquarters, the self-trained Krylov served as lead architect, and he, Mollion and their TH colleagues also called upon the talents of Argo Construction, StoneSculpt and many other local craftsmen and artisans.
"We were very excited when we discovered that the whole building at 472 Jackson Street was available," Krylov commented. "It was built by a French wine merchant in 1852, and when we first visited the space, there was this heavy, dark aesthetic. Our intent was to transform it into an airy, clean gallery and creative work space where people could feel at home, collaborate, enjoy work, and produce creative content every day."
"We wanted a large common area, a place where we could meet with clients and have privacy, and our own photo studio," Mollion added. "With this new space we were hoping to meet several needs."
Beginning by gutting the space, stripping the floors down to their original boards and bringing in as much light as possible, the TH team set out to restore the building's original design elements in the course of meeting their other goals for the space. Along the way, one old storage "cave" became a modern kitchen, and the dated bathroom was completely updated, including the addition of a custom graffiti wall designed by artist Alex Suelto. More aspects of TH's personality were infused by adding hi-fi sound throughout the building, and designing and constructing a huge digital wall with its own name, thanks to local architect Andrei Hakhovich: Vorticity. Transparent Space was outfitted with projectors, a giant green screen, and professional lighting. Finally, to foster collaboration and flexibility, the main work space was configured with countless high-tech options.
Another practical design touch is a homage to architect Tina Manis Associates and their work for the TED Conferences offices in Manhattan. There, Manis designed a colorful system for distributing data, media, lighting and communications infrastructure in the ceiling. With encouragement from Manis herself, Krylov used a similar approach as a key design element for the TH offices and as a clever way to distribute cables throughout the upper floor.
All told, from start to finish, TH completed the project in less than two months, at a total cost below $100,000 including furnishings.
"Using our visualization skills - the ones our clients rely on us for - helped out enormously with this project," Krylov said. "In a short time we were able to view our design ideas coming to life in 3D and make quick decisions we knew would stand the test of time."