Maximus Real Estate Partners is a developer of primarily multi family residential properties. They have a collegiate, energetic working culture that is lead by a founder and a team of partners. For their new headquarters, Maximus selected a whole upper floor in the Maritime Building, an iconoclastic building located in San Francisco’s Northern Waterfront. The location affords wonderful unobstructed views of the Golden Gate, the Bay, and Coit Tower, as well as downtown. This factor was important in how the organization of the plan developed. Although leadership offices and conference rooms ended up in many of the corners of the plan, the decision early on was to place primary circulation around the perimeter so that everyone could enjoy the fantastic 360 degree views in their daily lives. The center core also formed a floor plate where no one is ever far away from a window.

Entry to the headquarters is immediately to the north from the elevators, towards a large lobby facing Telegraph Hill and Coit tower. This space greets customers with numerous conference spaces that are open to the lobby and to the views, internal and external. A large conference room is separated from the lobby with a operable glass Nana wall, allowing the space to be further opened up for all-hands meetings.

The open office has a custom furniture system from Mash Studios, designed to be open and collaborative, reinforcing the culture and the impression of the office as a perch in the sky. A central break area brings all the communal elements together with a warm wood backdrop.

Specialty furniture is featured in the lobby and founder’s office, including original pieces by early masters of the 20th century: Gio Ponti, Hans Wegner, Eero Saarinen, Milo Baughman, Federico, Funari, Osvaldo Borsani, Paul Evans and Harvey Probber.

Photography: Jasper Sanidad