Project Photos
With the goal of creating a vivid, highly-animated headquarters for RTC-6 Turn 10 Studios, B+H designed an original space for the gaming creators of Forza Motorsport, reflecting an integration of the latest in design technology and authentic automobile culture.
Previously located in a suburban office park, the racing game studio outgrew their physical surroundings and was in need of new space that expressed their creative culture and set the tone for the next generation of racing games, while being flexible enough to allow the team to customize spaces based on the ever-changing product cycle.
Inspired by a Passion for Car Culture
In the world of car culture, cars are built as a reflection of their owners’ personalities – a car represents a blank canvas onto which enthusiasts layer their own perceptions of speed, beauty and power. The interior design is reflective of these ideas, creating a physical expression of the client’s spirit and drive. The brand is immediately recognizable at street level, engaging the community with a lobby that showcases a rotating collection of custom cars. Throughout, the grit and character of a garage or workshop is crossed with a polished sleekness reflective of custom cars themselves. Plywood, raw perforated metal, and exposed structure are punctuated with stitched leather, chrome, tinted glass, and high gloss paint. To further evoke the spirit of a luxury car garage, the design team brought in high end automotive details such as stylized air grilles, quilted upholstery, and knurled control knobs.
High-Performance Design for a High-Performance Team
Designed to foster both recruitment and retention, the new space plays heavily on technology and experience. Designed to optimize flexibility in the workplace, the highly-social space is a framework for creativity and customization. The large, centrally located team space offers staff and visitors the opportunity to lounge, meet, eat, and of course, play video games. Custom communal tables with oversized casters and modular soft seating can be easily reconfigured for different events. A conference room fronted with sliding tinted glass panels can be opened onto the area to expand the space for large gatherings. Very large open workspaces sit adjacent to enclosed audio video suites, providing distinct environments for different types of work.
The street level lobby showcases a rotating collection of custom cars.
A sleek, industrial material palate shapes the space, evoking the creation of the racing automobile.
Enclosed focus rooms allow staff the opportunity for heads down time when needed, while workspaces are open to maximize the collaboration that is critical to video game development.
A quick ride in the elevator brings visitors and staff to the vibrant hub space on the third floor, where they can strap in to a multi-screen gaming sled for a physical and visual simulation of the optimum racing experience, via the client’s latest release.
The lobby reception desk combines live edge walnut slabs with blackened steel and is studded with machined metal tiles, introducing the idea of natural, raw materials crossing with highly polished manmade finishes.
A layered, linear ceiling feature inspired by speed and motion weaves through the common areas, visually connecting key moments in the space.
Highly-flexible communal spaces feature movable furniture for maximum adaptability.
Open workspaces contain living room setups with sofas, lounge chairs and large TVs for game testing.