The office design celebrates a deep connection to the Santa Cruz community. The end result was a space that allows staff to gather, share, and connect within a “social” office. Taking inspiration from moon phases and the changing tides pays homage to the Santa Cruz coastline, and the lighting was designed to reflect the rhythms and material of the California Coast. The company also has a history with space exploration as they developed devices used in the historic Apollo 11 mission. Easter eggs throughout the project nod at that history through the texture and material selected for the luminaires. One of the project challenges was providing adequate and controllable light in all meeting and work areas for the staff. Users wanted spaces that were engaging but also allowed them to tailor the light levels to their needs for telecommunication product testing, evaluation, and development. This was achieved through dimmable and accessible controls, layers of both decorative and functional light, and integrating light within architectural materials.
Low-level circulation lighting is detailed to create a “light leak” effect that alludes to how natural light sources peek through landscape elements. In some areas, whimsical wall sconces with smooth texture and color are used in a quiet nook where staff can take a break from work. The iconic moon lobby has concealed flexible light sources to emphasize the texture of the moon detail and create an appearance of brightness without direct lighting.
