Awesomeness is a global media company with its headquarters at Pen Factory, a former manufacturing facility in Santa Monica, California. SOM transformed the building into a multi-tenant creative office, and also designed the interiors. Awesomeness occupies the entire east building of the Pen Factory site, comprising 78,000 square feet on two levels, and accommodating more than 500 employees.
The design team created a campus-like environment, with interconnected public and private spaces. A”Main Street” corridor connects two large daylit areas at each end of the building. The west end houses the entry lobby, a large circular pantry for daily catered lunches, and collaborative areas, with colorful mobile pods that function as private workspaces. The east end contains open meeting areas, gaming installations, and seating for large assemblies and screenings. Along Main Street, assorted “work hives” provide a range of choices for collaborative and individual work. These include open and closed workspaces, meeting rooms, a screening room, and production and post-production areas, with two filming stages, a green room, and edit bays.
The design aesthetic is relevant to the company’s youthful and energetic staff, as well as its Generation Z core audience. In a nod to this key demographic, many details, such as bleacher seating and locker-lined corridors, evoke the feel of a high school. Artwork and graphics throughout the space promote the Awesomeness brand and culture.
Exposed concrete flooring and exposed building systems celebrate the building’s original, industrial character. Conference rooms and offices feature exposed wood ceilings, sheer drapes, and globe lights that help soften the industrial aesthetic. Polychromatic LEDs illuminate Main Street, and skylights and industrial-grade fixtures throughout contribute to a bright, vibrant workspace.
