Here's how a relatively small revamp helped make HPE 's former Palo Alto HQ more marketable. CRE SiliconValley StructuresAwards
Form4 Architecture took what was a simple, nondescript back door at HPE’s old Palo Alto headquarters and transformed it into an entirely new entry point for Guardant Health.n early 2019, Sand Hill Property Co.
purchased the former corporate headquarters of Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co., a 500,000-square-foot structure in Stanford Research Park. The intent was to retrofit the space for a new commercial office tenant. Then the pandemic hit, shuttering office buildings and sending employees home to work. The demand for commercial office space quickly plummeted. The developer looked to San Francisco-based architect Form4 Architecture to help devise a solution to accommodate two smaller, life science clients: instead of a single 500,000-square-feet space, the building would be bisected into two separate 250,000-square-foot spaces. “We worked with the client to determine how best to divide a large piece of real estate to meet what the market needed,” said James Tefend, Form4 Architecture’s principal and chief production officer. The two-story building is set into the hillside and steps down in the rear, presenting an opportunity for the south side to function as a standalone space. “The north and south sides had a completely different look and feel,” Tefend said. “The back of the building had no identity.” The main entry on the north side had been redesigned years earlier with a grand, modern lobby that served as HPE’s primary entrance. The rear of the building on the south side was a plain, drab façade with no connection to the street. Its unremarkable design didn’t deliver an ideal experience for visitors and occupants, something the architect wanted to change. First and foremost was creating a separate entry façade and lobby to accommodate and entice a second client. Using a trio of durable materials – recyclable aluminum panels, high-energy performing glass and synthetically-manufactured wood panels – Form4 Architecture transformed the tired and non-descript rear space into a welcome and inviting entry. The new two-story light-filled lobby is anchored by an 80-foot exterior façade clad in bright composite aluminum panels and skinned with warm wood-like panels. A wide meandering drive finished in colored concrete was added, creating a connection to the street and a separate identity for new tenant Guardant Health. The architects worked with The Guzzardo Partnership, a San Francisco-based landscape architecture firm, to add some additional plantings, including native ground cover, feature trees and a bioswale for stormwater runoff at the front of the building. “This project was an exercise in repositioning and altering the building to create a new identity and connection to the street,” Tefend said. The second half of the building is still available for lease, and Sand Hill is currently working with Form4 Architecture to consider further subdividing the remaining 250,000-square-feet of space. 500-square-foot lobby addition and façade renovation
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Bronx student honored alongside other young poets at the White HouseFirst Lady Dr. Jill Biden honored young poets, including a Bronx student, in a ceremony at the White House on Tuesday.
Read more »
Enterprise soap company earns ‘unboll-weevable' honorAn Enterprise family-owned business named Alabama Retail Association’s 2022 Gold Retailer of the Year received the award at a ceremony held at their Main Street store Wednesday.
Read more »
Eataly Silicon Valley is the 2022 Structures honoree for Retail Project - Silicon Valley Business JournalThis unique food market/wine store/cooking school with two on-site restaurants and a cafe made a big debut as part of Westfield Valley Fair’s expansion.
Read more »
Newsom signs affordable housing bill package - Silicon Valley Business JournalGov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday signed a package of housing bills aimed at tackling the affordable housing crisis, which Newsom called the “original sin” of the state.
Read more »