Once indistinguishable from the humdrum office towers en route to Oakland Airport, 333 and 303 Hegenberger are shaking up the airport sub-market with a novel paint scheme and class-A interior finishes.
Smart startups need an alternative to the $5-per-square-foot rents in downtown Oakland, but until recently there hasn’t been much to recommend along the Hegenberger corridor, which is peppered with aging office complexes in need of a makeover.
Brick designed a soaring paint scheme for the buildings’ exteriors and upgraded both building lobbies with natural materials, warm colors, varied textures and contemporary lighting. We helped the client invest wisely, re-using surfaces and ceilings where possible and making the strongest visual impact where it matters most: the shared spaces.
before
after
The elevators become a focal point with a unique wood slat treatment and dramatic lighting. A cafe is planned for the ground floor. The result? Even before the interiors were complete, the client was signing longer leases for larger spaces and big increases from historic rents.
The result? Even before the interiors were complete, the client was signing longer leases for larger spaces and big increases from historic rents.
Felt acoustic panels play with the linear wood slats and slivers of light on the ceilings. In the 303 Hegenberger Lobby, a dramatic metal panel wall designed by Annie Kantor acts as a privacy screen and allows seeds of light to peek through.
The graphic paint scheme transformed both buildings and has been a topic of conversation from day one. SF Chronicle Architecture critic John King wrote in an instagram post: “Full disclosure: I have a grudging admiration for this paint job near the Oakland Airport.”
The themes of natural materials, visual texture and sleek lighting is consistent in the lobbies and elevator landings on all floors with a subtle painted graphic that is unique to each floor.
back to work.
