Built in 1981,  this midrise office building is located adjacent to new transit-oriented developments at the Walnut Creek California BART station.  The new development includes retail, office, and high density multi-family housing.  The uptick in new construction quickly transformed this part of the city as more people and businesses relocated to the neighborhood.  The owners of 100 Pringle sought to capitalize on the buildings excellent location and hired Brereton to redesign the building's main lobby and exterior plaza to appeal to new tenants and provide a competitive edge over the properties that were recently completed.

 

The main lobby had not been renovated since the building opened 38 years prior. The existing finishes were dark and outdated, the reception desk was under scaled, lighting was inadequate, and the large 3-story space was extremely underutilized.

 

The two primary design drivers were first to take advantage of the three story height volume in the space and second, to activate the lobby by providing an amenity available to the tenants in the building. Ultimately, these two design drivers influenced the other.

 

The property management team determined that the building amenity that would best serve all the tenants should be a multi-purpose room that could be used for training, events, and informal and formal meetings.  This new space was built directly above the main reception desk on the second floor where previously it had been open to the 3rd floor ceiling above and the ground floor below. The new floating room was located at the center of the 3-story volume space with the intent to connect and activate all three floors with a central main gathering space.  In doing this, additional square footage was added to the building.

 

The juxtaposition of the stone and wood clad landings, portals and reception desk stacked throughout the 3-story atrium space creates a dynamic contemporary architectural language that takes advantage of the volume and scale of the lobby and serves as a counterpoint to the softer interior landscaping and minimalist approach to the finishes.

 

The new lobby serves as not only a warm and inviting first experience to the building but also a purposeful and useful space for the tenants and visitors alike.

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Awards and Honors:

IIDA NC Honor Awards 2020:  Finalist | Serve

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