IDEO Lion Building

Space for Making

At IDEO’s new studio, collaboration and curiosity rule

One Place

Global design firm IDEO came to JENSEN with a vision to gather all of its San Francisco Bay Area teams in one location for the first time. While JENSEN previously has tackled projects large and small for IDEO, integrating their teams of designers, producers, engineers, fabricators, researchers, and more brought the opportunity to further strengthen the company’s collaborations and sense of community. Drawing on the human-centered processes IDEO is known for, JENSEN crafted a consolidated studio that supports and magnifies IDEO’s collective potential.

Organized Creativity

The new studio transforms three floors of the Lion Building, a former factory built in 1926, into a collaborative hub. Spaces for heavy, medium and light making give each floor a distinct focus and personality: Public-facing event spaces and fabrication shops occupy the lowest level; digital media production happens on the cozier mid-level; and project rooms, varied work settings, and makerspaces fill the light-filled top floor. A new open stair, illuminated by a skylight above, links a stack of social quads – welcoming hubs with kitchens, common tables, and lounge seating. Together the stair and quads anchor the studio with a personal and creative connection.

At Home, At Work

The factory building’s heavy concrete walls and towering columns define the space without imposing on it. The building is painted white throughout to soften its robust presence. Against this backdrop, newly built elements are offset in dark hues, adding definition and assisting with wayfinding. Wood, cork, and felt finishes do triple duty, adding warmth, improving acoustics, and providing space for project pin-ups. Furniture by emerging designers, custom millwork, and locally made tile blend with icons of the firm’s history, such as the original office door of IDEO’s founder and first CEO, David Kelley, to conjure a personalized, familiar comfort.

People Powered

People are at the center of any project IDEO undertakes, including their collaborations with JENSEN. Engaging with all of the teams proved especially critical to understanding how to leverage the multi-level space for efficiency and flexibility. The design leaves room for IDEO’s own creative interventions and anticipates continued refinements. Spaces for rotating displays mark stops along the office tour route, while objects, artwork and murals – commissioned, found, and IDEO-made – add to the conversation. Team members also can provide feedback on the space at any time using a QR code, informing future changes.