Located in the revitalized R Street Corridor of Midtown Sacramento known for its mix of live, work, and play urban amenities, the Cordano Capital tenant improvement is part of an adaptive reuse by developer James J. Cordano.

This century-old brick building was originally the town’s stone-cutting shop and has had several transformations since, including housing the Helvetia Theatre. The adaptive reuse transformed the building into a mixed-use development with ground-level commercial space and a two-story addition with 26 luxury apartments. The street front office space adds to the neighborhood’s urban energy with its expansive windows visually connecting with the neighborhood.

There is serendipity in the juxtaposition of the design elements, bridging old with new to reflect Cordano’s prominent history as a developer since 1922 and its bright future.

The office space integrates the building’s existing historic features—brick walls, exposed 15-foot-high concrete ceilings, concrete columns, and industrial-style windows—into a modern workplace. The open plan features a mix of open workstations, private offices, conference room, and support spaces. A sophisticated earth-toned color palette contrasting with the industrial brick and concrete architecture established the aesthetic language. Additional features include wood paneling and angled recessed lighting in the public spaces, and a movable glass wall in the conference room.

Scheduled to open shortly after the pandemic stay-at-home guidelines were implemented, our team pulled resources from the WELL Building Standard® and the AIA Re-occupancy Assessment Tool to identify ways to increase the sustainability of the office environment. This included integrating health and safety measures, such as creating more open office space, extending physical distancing, adding new technology for flexibility and mobility, and increasing air filtration and hands-free plumbing fixtures.

Photography: Chad Davies