Howard Building Corporation our-work
BCG Digital Ventures
Manhattan Beach
27,000 Sq.ft.
R&A Architecture + Design
Project Description
BCG Digital Ventures, a digital innovation, product development, and commercialization firm, was launched by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) to create and grow transformational digital products and platforms. Already known for consulting, design and technology services, BCG is looking to extend beyond its established services through this unique business unit to form strategic venture teams with its clients in order to rapidly develop, launch and grow new and disruptive digital solutions. The new BCG Digital Ventures space, located in Manhattan Beach, California, acts as a prototype and future headquarters with plans for the group to expand to Sydney, Berlin and London.
Architects at R&A approached the design of the 27,000 square foot space with their own innovative perspective. Because the BCG Digital Ventures group integrates business strategy experts with user experience designers and engineering disciplines, the space reflects a collaborative “hive” approach with hexagonal meeting rooms, known as “Venture” rooms, at the core of each multi-disciplined team’s area. Each area is defined through carpet color and finishes, providing the teams with identity and focus yet maintaining an openness in the overall office environment.
Setting the tone for an innovative and collaborative culture, the office’s design utilizes technology, lighting and audio visual displays to change the office environment to coincide with each client’s project. LED lights in the lobby change color to match the brand of a product in development, while video monitors throughout the space display graphics associated with each client’s specific venture. The main conference room, called the “Large Immersion Room,” utilizes multiple large screens that interact with sensors located in the ceiling to allow people to virtually edit what appears on screen from their seats using specially designed wands. Another room features eight large touch screen monitors with coordinated digital display across all of the screens, essentially creating a huge interactive digital display board.
Conference rooms offer complete flexibility for collaborative meetings, each with advanced display monitors, writable walls and fabric wrapped pin up boards installed. Stadium seating was built in the kitchen and lounge area with a defining architectural ceiling feature above to also encourage collaboration. A wood flooring “path” winds through the space connecting the various “hive” areas, and wood slat screens provide a delineation between spaces while allowing visibility and openness. Sealed concrete floors indicate the locations of private offices.
Because the space is located on the top floor of the building, extensive work went into insulating and covering the deck above to allow for an exposed ceiling. The ceiling was painted, and scrim was hung to provide a clean appearance. Light fixtures were hung in asymmetrical patterns throughout the space, and audio visual racks were used to support many of the light fixtures from above.
A special decorative glass installation was designed and installed on the barn doors at the main conference room, and the glass wall front of the adjacent server room echoes the pattern with special lights embedded in the pattern on the glazing. Wall graphics throughout the space further define the company’s brand and delineate various areas in the space.