Urban Box

Copeland Park Properties, a family owned, full-service Property Investment and Management Company, approached our team looking to breathe new life into a 1950’s building that once housed an auto shop and commercial printer. Located within walking distance of Downtown Burlingame, the project aspires to transform the structure into a light-filled modern office building in an up-and-coming mixed-use neighborhood. 

The team focused on working within the constraints of the existing building structure and perimeter. The design is a direct response to the client’s desired program – private offices nestled around a spacious, public core that facilitates open and effective communication. Spaces flow seamlessly from public to private – fostering opportunities for collaboration and staff interaction. The design perches an added second level on top of the original box, housing a conference room and a communal workspace, as well as an intimate roof deck set amidst planters- offering visual and acoustic protection from the bustling street corner below. An open stairwell topped by a central skylight establishes a strong visual and spatial connection between the two levels, bringing natural light to the heart of the building.

The original structure is a nondescript cube with little connection to the surrounding neighborhood. The proposed design connects the Urban Box to its surroundings – most immediately the street corner – lowering the sills of existing windows that will now look onto newly planted trees that also offer much needed shade. A shroud of vertical wooden slats wraps around the entire building giving the family’s home-away-from home a fresh, modern face.