Howard Building Corporation

Project Description

Pivot Interiors has been a distributor of commercial furniture for over 30 years in the California market.  With seven locations througout the state, the company serves the commercial interior design community and its clients as a resource for a wide variety of furniture lines and a primary distribution contract with the iconic Herman Miller furniture design group.  To better serve the design community in Orange County, Pivot teamed with RAPT Studio and Howard Building Corporation to design and build a working showroom that embraces the future of workspace and showcases products that support the inovative possibilties of their furniture solutions.

Located on the first floor of a premier office building, the showroom boasts floor to ceiling exterior glass walls that look out at a Noguchi Garden outside, an elegant nod to the furniture featured in the showroom designed by the famous sculptor and designer.  The 8,500 square foot space includes a glass front VIP meeting room and a separate team conference room, an executive private office, and a central gathering space that converts from a meeting room to a common social area at the heart of the showroom.  Retractable glass walls slide to either open the space or create a closed training or meeting room environment.  Advanced audio visual capabilities allow for real time video conferencing and interactive training.

The vast majority of the space is furnished with Herman Miller furniture and allows Pivot employees to travel throughout the space during the day to various work environments, depending on the type of work they are doing.  Graphic wall vinyl tells the story of this “Living Office” philosophy.  A large communal table, informal seating area and an open kitchen and bar greet visitors as they enter the space, immediately establishing a welcoming atmosphere.  More traditional work stations and individual touch down stations allow for more concentrated work.  

Fine wood millwork and wall panels define the kitchen, bar and adjacent display areas, and floor finishes vary between polished concrete , wood and patches of vibrant, patterened carpet.  Exposed ceilings allow for height in the space, and the use of glass at conference rooms, meeting areas and in the central common area allows for transparency through the entire space. 

Honors