In the heart of San Francisco, we created an inspiring space that accommodates art display, product
development, and digital content production. Four One Nine is designed to be versatile, able to be used by
artists of all kinds. Its bottom floor features neutral, clean finishes in both the gallery space — made columnless by the installation of a deep steel truss — and in the spaces designed for content production, like the
kitchen, where an angular island and a custom-designed wood shelving system fulfill practical needs while
remaining camera-friendly. Light wood, smooth concrete, and matte-finish paint combine with movable
furnishings to make a space that’s welcoming but also easily adaptable.
Still, we made room for moments of artistic inspiration. Public restrooms on the bottom floor feature colorful
murals by Dave Muller inspired by the landscapes of the Bay Area, and the material textures in the kitchen
— white ash wood, Caesarstone countertops, three-dimensional tile — give a textural, human dimension to
the space.
A dramatic stair, developed in collaboration with steel fabricator Henry DeFauw and concrete fabricator
Concrete Works, plunges into the bottom floor and leads users upward into the more secluded and smaller
upper floor. A smooth-finish wood handrail winds its way up the matte-finish black metal railing that adds a
steady rhythm to the space. Upstairs, the office space serves as a refuge, with a soft, curved sofa by Raphael
Navot and a plush rug by Seraina Lareida lending a relaxed, cozy feel. Built-in furnishings — bookcases, a
desk, floor-to-ceiling cabinets — give the space an air of permanence, and a carefully developed acoustic
plan protects the space from the noise rising up from10th Street. And, a private bathroom with tactile details
like curved hexagonal wall tiles and a pliable, tube-like light fixture gives users a chance to catch their breath
in the middle of a busy workday.
And while the interior of Four One Nine is protected from unwanted noise pollution, it’s also acutely
connected to the world around it. Throughout the interior, carefully placed skylights flood the space with
light and emphasize the link between the space and the changing weather, cloud cover, and sun intensity, all
of which register on the interior walls. On the top floor, a few steps lead out onto a roof deck and allow users
to experience first-hand this inside-outside connection, a green wall designed by Habitat Horticulture and a
well-kept, thriving beehive rounding out the feeling of refuge and creating opportunities for tranquil
moments.
Wallpaper: Four One Nine is a Socially Minded Space for the San Francisco Creative Scene

Year: 2020
Location: San Francisco
Square Footage: 5,973
Typology: Commercial Special Purpose