Founder’s Inc.

When we first met Founder’s Inc founder, they said after their successes as a tech entrepreneur, they can live and work anywhere in the world. When faced with the question of where–on the water in Fort Mason was the response.

The National Historic Landmark of Fort Mason serves as a community cultural center and office space for non-profit organizations ranging from theaters and art galleries to environmental advocacy groups. While not technically a non-profit, Founder’s Inc is a tech incubator space that shares a non-profit equivalent agenda. They are committed to education and training, providing scholarships, mentorship, and a robust lecture series to supporting people to launch startups in the hardware and product space.

Working inside a National Historic Landmark, Studio BBA had to use a delicate touch with design insertions to respect the historic building. The vaulted ceilings on the top floor lends itself to the public facing uses, but provided equal challenges to provide acoustic comfort for day-to-day and large events. Working closely with Founder’s, Studio BBA established a program anticipating the needs of the incubator and future proofing while ensuring the space feels great for 2 or 100+ people. The incubator includes a variety of makerspaces including a machine and electronics shop, a library for quiet heads down research, and a podcast studio.