The RFP was dated 3/18/20 and we were looking forward to two weeks in slippers. At 420,000sf Stripe’s headquarters is gargantuan by any measure, but the way we considered space to collaborate in beyond the dirty laundry evolved significantly during design and construction.

As a team, we imagined how three connected buildings could communicate the egalitarian and growth ideals of the founders. Lighting would support the teams collaboratively building tools that would allow small business owners in Nigeria to accept online payments the same way corporate giants do. But developing these human centered spaces played tug-of-war with the sheer volume of a central five-story atrium and 15’ deck plates, not to mention the challenge of beating energy codes and streamlining maintenance.

Connecting the requirements would take magic. Literally. From an uplit Hogwarts-inspired stair that physically connected people at every level, to tunable white light that matched incoming daylight and flattered different skin-tones in phone booths, to five-story bookcases with accessible lighting elements, the impossible came together.

Behind the elegantly simple lighting control interface, lies a messy pile of coordination meetings, broken agreements, tunable white technology shifts, maximum size capabilities, and equipment compatibility. “Oh My!” is right Dorothy. Ultimately negotiations were reached, equipment delivered, and all is functioning as imagined.

Throughout every space, and there were SO many, great consideration was given to the selection and placement of lighting fixtures at and below eye-level wherever possible to create the illusion of scale. Every decision considered methods to increase the design’s sustainability including cataloging and re-using decorative lighting from the previous office, placing fixtures close to surfaces, and using the lowest wattage options possible.

Together clever design choices and innovative controls became the supporting actors contributing to achieving the function and feel set forth by the founders for their expanding team.