Cammisa & Wipf Consulting Engineers has been a leading engineering firm in San Francisco for over 50 years.  Prior to engaging Brereton to design their new San Francisco Headquarters, the firm maintained offices on two floors in a wood frame building with a single conference room providing the only public and collaborative space.  The space had not evolved with the changes in workplace and technology and did not reflect the firm's solid reputation and evolving culture.

​

The design team's first order of business was to create an environment that supported collaboration between studio teams within the firm.  The approach was to maintain the traditional drafting height work surfaces preferred by the staff but lower the heights of the panels between workstations wherever possible for ease of communications and increased visibility.  Adequate storage below the work surfaces was provided to reduce clutter.  Layout surfaces for large documents were provided throughout the space for impromptu meetings and secondary workspaces.  The comfortable and relaxed  break room is a hub for staff interaction, casual meetings and social space.

​

Fundamental to the success of the project was providing spaces appropriate for receiving clients and colleagues that reflected the firms 50 year history, esteemed reputation, and caliber of work. 

The formal arrangement of space and emphasis on scale reinforce the notion of strength, sense of place and identity.  Materials convey endurance and quality.  The classic, timeless, and confident approach to the design of Cammisa & Wipf capture the integrity and quality of the firms work and its people.

​