In 2008, George Hershman had a vision to bring better energy solutions to the world using the power of the sun. Starting as a small division within Swinerton Builders, he grew that renewable energy dream into a company employing more than 800 people. As the division grew, it evolved into three departments and then recently branched out into a standalone organization, SOLV Energy, encompassing design, installation, maintenance, and monitoring of solar energy arrays all over the United States.
Recently, they were given an opportunity they couldn’t pass up; when the balance of the 24,000 s.f. building where their 5,000 s.f. Operations Control Center (OCC) was located, became available they could finally bring together the departments that had developed in two locations, under one roof.
When the decision-makers at SOLV Energy sat down with the interior designers at ID Studios to dream about what they could accomplish in their new office, they envisioned a place that embodied the warm, cooperative culture they had nurtured over the previous decade. They also wanted to encourage collaboration amongst their employees by providing a variety of seating and meeting options spread throughout the office.
A connection to the outdoors and access to natural daylight was realized using a variety of techniques. At the front of the building, the large amount of glazing, was assigned to public spaces for everyone to enjoy. At the rear of the building, a large opening originally intended as a delivery bay was utilized as a connection to a newly developed outdoor patio area that allows employees to take advantage of the Southern California sunshine through a new, glass, overhead door. And to bring daylight to the rest of the building, dozens of sun-tracking skylights were strategically located throughout the 18’-tall interior ceilings.
To build on the active and vibrant environment already in effect in the bustling OCC, the dynamic design language of facets and angles was expanded upon throughout the entire office. Not only is this apparent when viewing the plan, but also in the architectural details and in the flooring, finishes, and lighting.As the project finally came to life, the consensus was that the final product was a complete success. For the entire team, “it’s all about making the world better, about enriching people’s lives and trying to leave it better than we found it. So, it’s really easy to be passionate about what we do.”
