GOODWATER COLLECTIVE
Client: Goodwater Capital
Services: Architecture, Interiors, Environmental Graphics
Awards: Finalist in the 2024 IIDA Nor-Cal Work-Small Category, Special Mention in the Architizer A+ Awards for Remote Work & Co-Working Spaces
Third Place: The New Workspace
Goodwater Collective is the visionary brainchild of Goodwater Capital. It is a space which reflects the post-pandemic phenomenon of the fastest-growing place to work being “third spaces.” This project combines aspects of coffee shops, lobbies, and social clubs, acknowledging that people want to be in community, building social networks and in spaces that are flexible, comfortable, and offering moments of privacy. The design contains a mixture of spaces for private conversations and social areas for serendipitous interactions. Goodwater recognized that hybrid work had transformed the purpose of the office, and the “office” must now create ideal spaces for socialization, team building, and collaboration while also ensuring spaces for privacy and quiet heads-down work.
Goodwater Collective is a space for the VC firm’s portfolio company leaders to gather and learn from each other but also to serve as an amenity for the surrounding community and outside companies. Companies often borrow the space for all-hands meetings, events, and team building. Its ground-floor location is intentional as its expansive windows and hospitality-like design is meant to feel inviting to those in the community. A library wall anchors the ground floor as a place to feature products of the portfolio companies but also to house board games, acknowledging that relationships and ideas often form during recreational, extracurricular activities.
By building spaces for community, dining, events, teambuilding, and networking, Goodwater has hybridized the professional, social club and a coworking space that includes a café and work areas with comfortable seating and elevated tables. This forward-looking project acknowledges that work, wellness, community, and culture are inextricably intertwined and integral to the workplace if wanting to stay relevant in today’s world.
Photos by Bess Friday.
