San Francisco design firm Studio O+A has won Best of Category in I.D. Magazine's Annual Design Review for its Aol West Coast Headquarters in Palo Alto. The award caps a season of recoginition for the firm which was recently featured on the cover of Metropolis Magazine.
"They took a few risks that a lot of people wouldn't have done, but they really pulled them off," said Cilve Wilkinson, President and Design Director of Clive Wilkinson Architects, who was one of the judges in the Environments category. I.D.'s panel of judges also awarded O+A an Honorable Mention for its Quid Inc. Headquarters in San Francisco.
Both projects feature expansive designs with bold finishes and common areas that encourage collaboration and creative cross-pollination. Both were developed to reflect the specific narratives of their companies - in Aol's case, an online veteran looking to hit the "refresh" button, in Quid's a young data analysis firm bringing a distincly British feel to its California HQ.