US architecture firm GoCstudio has created an open office for a growing tech company that features original brick and timber elements, along with new enclosures made of ebony-stained plywood.

The office is located within the upper floor of a 100-year-old building in Seattle's Capitol Hill district. Encompassing 14,000 square feet (1,300 square metres), the space serves as a second office for Substantial, a digital product studio established in 2006.

The company had occupied a portion of the floor since 2013, and decided to take over the full storey when its neighbouring tenant moved out. Local firm GoCstudio was charged with overhauling the entire floor, so it read as one unified space.

 
"The challenge was to create a cohesive open-plan workspace which retained the feel of the original Substantial space and would maximise the existing character of the building ? exposed brick walls, old-growth Douglas Fir beams and roof decking, and warehouse-style window walls," said the studio, which is led by architects Jon Gentry and Aimée O'Carroll.
The architects worked closely with the client to understand day-to-day operations, as well as the company's love of hosting parties. Their research led to the conception of the office's signature element: The Forum, an assembly area for social and business activities.

"A large aspect of Substantial's working practice is the hosting of public and private events," the architects said. "Creating a large s...