Turn / River Capital Headquarters

San Francisco, CA

The Turn/River Capital headquarters transforms a generic tenant space on the 17th floor of a San Francisco high-rise into a calm and collaborative workplace. The company’s growth and success necessitated the need for a signature office space. The managing partner envisioned an environment reminiscent of his home, also designed by Studio Sarah Willmer, harmoniously blending precise design with a warm and natural material palette.

This 7,000 sq.ft. office contains 50 workstations, multiple-sized conference rooms, Zoom rooms, an abundance of shared spaces and lounge areas as well as a  breakroom.

The concept revolves around three main design elements:

• A “wood liner” on the exterior is both low wall and bench, intentionally reducing the amount of glazing while linking different uses. At the boardroom, this feature offers additional seating and serves as an extended dining area and lounge. This primary wood feature terminates at the workstations where it reveals stunning views of the bay.

• Meeting and Zoom rooms are collected in a central volume creating a loop path around these rooms for informal “walk and talk” encouraged by the managing partner for brainstorming.

• The staff lounge, dining area, and boardroom are designed for flexibility. A panel stacking glass wall opens the boardroom to the lounge and dining, creating a large all-hands event space.

Carefully crafted interior elements merge architectural millwork with custom furniture and timeless designer pieces. It creates a casual yet sophisticated atmosphere. The stained oak veneer of the millwork and custom furniture (designed by Studio Sarah Willmer) was painstakingly tested to blend seamlessly with the wood flooring and designer furniture.

After five years in WeWork and almost 2 years of remote work during covid, Turn/River Capital staff enjoy a peaceful, home-like, and comfortable environment fostering productivity and connection in a post-pandemic world.

Design Team:
Sarah Willmer
Julia Schuetz
Britta Tuschhoff
Khulan Batsaikhan

Photography by Jasper Sanidad