Human-centric design and scale is vital to this industrial design company’s ethos and product development process, making them a great match for BBA and the fundamental importance that human experience plays in our studio’s design approach. For their HQ we created a place where their values, production and office culture coexist as one—with a deliberately laid back, collaborative, welcoming and industrial vibe.

Humangear’s historic brick and concrete building was originally built as an auto-body shop, and had gone through many iterations over the years. Our mission was to uphold its original character and authenticity of use while modernizing it for 21st century business, so we started by polishing the concrete slab, refurbishing wood trusses, sandblasting the walls.

The workshop is front and center to highlight their design development practices; where they prototype, problem-solve and refine their products. Beyond that a large open office area occupies the heart of the interior, where custom-built ‘desking islands’, clad in reclaimed douglas fir, provide hubs for staff collaboration. The main ‘desking island’ enjoys a natural canopy—a nucleus of large planters that support an indoor tree and greenery…and hints at the building’s most unique asset, the rear courtyard.

An oversized roll-up garage door in the back wall, framed by a vibrant blue staff lounge and kitchenette, leads to a connected open air space that we transformed into a truly magical modern oasis. The light-filled, private park-like setting features varied areas of landscaping and casual work spaces, including a custom banquette and firepit.