Emergence Capital Offices – San Francisco
Fennie + Mehl designed a flagship office for venture capital firm Emergence in San Francisco's Pier 5 building, incorporating natural elements and optimizing functionality for a residential yet professional environment.
Fennie + Mehl was engaged by venture capital firm, Emergence, to design a flagship office where they could seek out, win over, and propel forward their chosen companies in San Francisco, California.
Having fallen in love with an 8,500-sq.ft. suite in San Francisco’s historic waterfront Pier 5 building, the Design Team opened the space to let in both more light and jaw-dropping views. Exposing previously hidden timbers and incorporating earth tones, organic materials, and pops of color gives the office the distinguished quality of an elegant vessel on the Bay. Indeed, in the 2nd floor boardroom, one feels serenely afloat.
In the main salon, an up-lit wall highlights an Emergence “E” logo pattern that emerges out of raked monochromatic plaster. The new branded wall feels like a relic from the building’s construction in 1916.
The designers relocated and rotated the previous stair to open up water and office views upon entering the space. The stairs bronze rods make the structure seem either transparent or opaque depending on where one stands.
This boutique firm sees colleagues as friends, and business often mixes with pleasure. Though the space feels more residential than corporate, the goal was not to make one feel as if they were at home. Rather, the environment was tailored to optimize functions that aren’t possible to duplicate at home.
Meaningful connections happen throughout the main floor salon, open kitchen, and dining area. The tucked-away coffee-bar and library on the upper floors support more focused work. Flex offices allow for single-use private office functionality and multi-use collaborative meetings. The whole-office integration of Zoom technology – one of their primary portfolio companies – allows teams not on-site to always be part of the conversation.
Emergence is committed to a journey of long-term success. The Design Team has provided the perfect vessel for these trips.
Design: Fennie + Mehl
Design Team: Doug Mehl, Jenna Ruth, Omied Arvin, James Ibali, Vismaya Koni
Contractor: Principal Builders
Furniture: MG West
Photography: Matthew Millman
