Santa Clara Family Health Plan Offices – San Jose
Studio G Architects delivered a restorative and uplifting atmosphere for the offices of Santa Clara Family Health Plan in San Jose, California.
When envisioning its future headquarters, Santa Clara Family Health Plan sought a workplace with a restorative and uplifting atmosphere. SCFHP found an empathetic partner in Studio G Architects. The recently-completed, 50,000-s.f. offices in San Jose, California are in an existing, one-story SCFHP-owned building. Studio G led a comprehensive interior and exterior transformation, guided by the client’s humane mission of providing affordable health insurance to Santa Clara County’s disadvantaged residents.
Within a modest budget for this public agency, the client and Studio G utilized nature, light, color and environmental graphics to establish a welcoming, calming, and humanistic workplace infused with the spirit of wellness. Design direction originated outside, where billowing Chinese Tallow trees cast shadows on the building, inspiring organic patterning on a new lobby façade of laser-cut aluminum panels.
From there, nature flows inside. Across the double-height lobby wall, an abstracted wood tree in bas relief metaphorically shelters visitors. The walls of the large cafe, meeting and breakout areas feature bright floor-to-ceiling flower and plant photo closeups, bringing even more landscape indoors. The biophilic design direction is also reflected in wood furniture pieces and a vibrant color palette that infuses open and private offices, a gym, mother’s room and other amenities.
To increase natural light for employees and visitors, Studio G cut 13 skylights into the 1980s building, used glass for interior office walls, and redesigned the lobby with full-height windows. SCFHP employees are invited back into the outdoors at the rear of the building , where Studio G designed a wide outdoor wood terrace that offers comfortable seating and shaded tables. This recharge space promotes employee safety in the post pandemic era.
Collaborating with an engaged client, Studio G created an elevating space that honors plan members and staff, and welcomes all to SCFHP’s important work of ensuring care for the county’s community.
Design: Studio G Architects
Design Team: Kelly Simcox, Tim Barnes, Negar Kouchaki
Photography: Emily Hagopian
