Deckers is the spirited and independent Californian footwear brand that went global. Although the brand needs to be coherent, it refuses to be corporate. It revels in the rule-breaking unpredictability of the Californian beach community from which it came.
So the brief for the upgrade of Deckers’ London and Amsterdam offices was to create spaces that draw the team closer to the brand’s Californian roots. Our response was to embed Deckers’ West-Coast culture and values in the design, materials, and functionality of the workspace.
The offices we designed are fearlessly productive, endlessly versatile, and invitingly laid-back. A colour scheme of ocean blue and sun-bleached rock combines with visual references to crashing surf and spiky cacti to recreate the Santa Barbara beach-to-mountain vibe.
Feature island workstations reflect the shapes of those distant Santa Ynez Mountains, while voids in the workstations let living plants rise to the ceiling. Elsewhere there are breakout areas, collaboration tables, hot-desking zones, and (in London only) showrooms for the Ugg and Hoka brands. In one small but vital way, the concept diverges from the Californian theme. To keep the London and Amsterdam teams grounded in their European markets, we provided opportunities for local artists to add their own touch of personality and regional individuality.
Our design also incorporates numerous references to the sustainability of the brand. We reused much of the existing office furniture to avoid waste, while many of the new fixtures are made from reclaimed ocean plastics. London’s reception area captures this spirit with its casual tiered seating and simple yet confident, ocean-plastic reception desk.
In these light, airy, connected spaces, teams collaborate and ideas flow; goals are set and targets are hit. Our work provides a series of flexible and adaptable work spaces that suit hybrid working. At the same time, they create a consistent working environment for a global brand that wants to succeed as a single, coherent cultural entity.
