Tipalti

Tipalti’s new 53,000 square-foot Bay-Area Headquarters is a healthy, inclusive and sustainable workplace that embraces the Danish notion of “Hygge” and Scandinavian-styled environments that prioritize employees’ comfort, wellness and diverse workstyles. Tipalti, a Hebrew word meaning “I handled it,” is a nascent fintech start-up and was in mid-stride during Covid-19, making remote work its new reality. The design team behind their new headquarters applied extensive published research (conducted by the design firm’s in-house research team) surrounding effective work ecosystems and brain-healthy workspaces to create a warm environment that also expresses Tipalti’s brand and youthful, energetic culture. The office reflects the arrangement of intimately scaled groupings within neighborhoods that offer the company flexibility and amenities to enhance brain health and workflow for a variety of individual work modes, whether collaborative or focused. Just as one’s brain is a complex series of regions that are each responsible for diverse functions, the office’s varied workspaces engage with brains’ zones that regulate and stimulate one’s daily life: perception, memory, reasoning, imagination, language, information processing, learning, movement, visual and auditory functions as well as the brain's involuntary functions such as the heartbeat and breathing. Leveraging concepts from the designers’ research to provide workplace choice, an assortment of space types was implemented: to combat fatigue and distraction; to untether employees from their workspaces for interpersonal connection; or to seek quiet zones for focused work. Spaces include an idea theater to brainstorm, game room, library, focus rooms, huddle spaces, lounge, conference/interview spaces and a speakeasy. The coffee bar at the entrance is a whimsical departure from a traditional reception space. Serving as a hub for greeting and gathering, it delivers an instant impression of activity and community engagement that can flex to an all-hands or client-facing activated space. Flexible furniture solutions support evolving programs and occupancy needs. An inclusive all-gender restroom is for everyone. A wellness room is available to all, equipped with a sink, refrigerator, reclining chair and flexible furnishings for private use. All workstations are height adjustable with ergonomic features. Connection to nature is critical to brain health. Designed to maximize the site’s natural light and views to San Francisco Bay, the cityscape and nearby mountains, all occupants have access to natural daylight from their workspace, social zones and conference rooms regardless of their position within the company. The project meets California’s Title 24 energy efficiency standards using day-lighting controls and LED light fixtures. Healthy air quality was an important factor in bringing employees back to a safe shared office environment. In collaboration with the project’s mechanical consultant, indoor air filtration systems were incorporated into enclosed gathering spaces and conference rooms. The design team helped minimize the project’s carbon footprint by working to preserve portions of the existing mechanical system, sourcing sustainable and local materials and furniture, carpeting and repurposed flooring. Tipalti’s Headquarters has become a template for its current and future office locations around the globe, reflecting one of their strategic priorities: investing in the health and well-being of its people.