From the outset we knew partnering with Chobani in the creation of their new workplace was an amazing opportunity. Creating a space for a brand with such a well-respected product and culture gave us a solid foundation from which to create an amazing workspace.
As we love to do, we partnered with Chobani very early on, at a strategy level to dig deep & discover what their new space meant on a physical & cultural level.
One of the first steps which guided the vibe of the space was our mood board sessions with the Chobani team. During this process we developed our core design principles. The key design drivers were to firstly, create a base palette which represented the origins & creation of Chobani’s products. This being the farm & the factory. This has been beautifully & seamlessly represented in the space via elements such as the rammed earth wall which is the spine of the visitor/cafe & staff breakout/BBQ space and the steel frame structures of the workstations.
On arrival to the Chobani greeting space the rammed earth wall hugs the entire area & accentuates the down to earth nature of the Chobani brand and its origins, referencing back to the farm & the origins of the product.
To tie in the reference to the next step of the creation process, the factory, stainless steel & glass elements were incorporated. The recycled timber doors with the stainless-steel handles are one example of the merging of the farm & factory. Furthermore, the workstations with their raw steel frame & blonde timber tops are a marriage of the 2 distinct references.
Another key challenge of the spatial solution was the integration of the Chobani brand & product into the visitor/arrival zone. Knowing that the Chobani product offering is fluid & ever evolving, our solution was to integrate a large LED mega wall into the arrival space. This means it can be constantly and easily changed to represent the latest Chobani products. The screen is also visible at a high level from the street, capturing passing traffic.
From our discovery workshops with the Chobani teams, one of the standout characteristics of their staff was their warm, dynamic & inviting nature, not only to their own people, yet also to visitors & suppliers. As such we made the decision to link the visitor space with the staff breakout via a mid-way point, the Chobani cafe. The three spaces effortlessly link to one another & blur the lines between staff & visitor spaces. Visitors & collaborators can feel like they have truly been invited into the Chobani home.
One of our core design principles at CIA is flexibility in the use of spaces & creating spaces that can perform multiple functions & uses. This is evident the Chobani environment in the inter-connected arrival, cafe, breakout & boardroom spaces. All individual spaces can be broken down into their individual functions then linked (operable walls) to create 1 large events space for both internal & external events.
One of the spatial surprises we developed with Chobani was the creation of their own laneway. The Chobani laneway is the connecting zone between the workspace in the greater warehouse & factory spaces beyond. The zone is styled in the true laneway vibe with a Chobani flavour. Local graffiti artists were engaged to create a piece which represented the Chobani brand & outdoor collaboration spaces were integrated to give the staff even more opportunities to come together away from the workspace. The laneway is linked to the main client facing/ staff breakout environment via the outdoor BBQ area, which utilises the external side of the rammed earth ‘spine’. The BBQ space is yet another way to facilitate incidental interactions, knowledge sharing & connection.
To bring the outside in and to overlay the feeling of home in the internal working environments multiple layers of collaboration, work and interaction spaces have been incorporated. The mix of standing, seated booths, and height adjustable work environments promote staff to take ownership of the entire office & work from wherever they please, depending on their mood or style of working for that day. The finishes and textures of the interior spaces reflects on the natural elements and of the Chobani brand & the down-to-earth nature of their talent. The organic nature of the materials automatically makes the staff feel relaxed and at-home in their new collaboration zones & quiet step away spaces.
At CIA we are well-tended to the selection of materials and creation of spaces that strongly consider their sustainable responsibility. The Chobani brand also has a strong Environmentally responsible ethos. Key elements that consider this are the Rammed earth wall which is sustainably sourced and created from locally sourced earth. Furthermore, the carpet tiles used throughout come from Shaw Contract Group who have achieved a carbon neutrality and a ‘Level A’ rating, under the Green Building Council of Australia’s (GBCA’s) Assessment Framework. The incorporation of recycled timber in a majority of the tables & doors throughout.