Contour

Nestled in a valley carved by the San Diego River, Contour’s two buildings stand in a landscape long shaped by water. Once prone to flooding, the valley is now emerging as a sought-after destination for living and working. HDG repositioned the buildings to embrace their natural surroundings, reconnecting them to the land while attracting forward-thinking tenants in the new economy.

The design reintroduces the natural hillside into and around the buildings, weaving fluvial forms through the architecture. Enclosed entries expand the usable space, yet the two lobbies remain intrinsically connected, both figuratively and literally. Waves of black and white concrete flooring ripple from exterior to interior, blurring the boundary between built and natural environments. Ceilings and a custom folded metal screen extend this fluid movement, guiding circulation and defining dynamic zones for activity and interaction.

At the heart of the project is a striking digital art installation, the Flume project, created in collaboration with a digital artist Daniel Canogar. Here, the valley’s history and energy are reinterpreted, not through water, but through the flow of information. A 60-foot-long graphic spanning both lobbies transforms valley contours, industry, and human activity into liquid-like ribbons of data, a colorful visualization of the evolving relationship between place, technology, and people.

With its seamless integration of nature, movement, and digital storytelling, Contour redefines the workplace as a living, breathing extension of the landscape, one that honors the past while shaping the future.

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This private bank sought a space that seamlessly blended sophistication, warmth, and functionality. Drawn to our work for its refined aesthetic, the client envisioned an environment that would feel both inviting and elegant for staff and customers alike. Our design approach embraced a spectrum of space types, ranging from formal meeting areas to relaxed gathering spaces, creating a balanced atmosphere of professionalism and comfort.

The chosen building, with its striking concrete structure and abundant natural light, provided an ideal foundation for the client’s vision. Rather than treating the exposed concrete as a purely industrial element, we elevated it as a defining luxury feature. The ceilings were carefully cleaned and illuminated to enhance their texture and natural color variation, while utility lines were meticulously curated or concealed to maintain a refined aesthetic.

To contrast the raw beauty of the concrete, we introduced a material palette rich in warmth and texture with luxurious wood veneers, natural stone and an abundance of greenery. The result is a space that feels tactile and inviting, where the interplay of rough and polished materials creates depth and character.

The layout prioritizes both privacy and connectivity. Workspaces along the perimeter benefit from daylight and expansive views, while interior offices provide a sense of privacy without compromising the flow of light. At the heart of the design, an open break area serves as a casual gathering space, fostering interaction between staff and clients in a relaxed, welcoming setting.

This project redefines the conventional open-to-structure approach, elevating raw materials with a curated, sophisticated touch, delivering a private banking experience that is as refined as it is approachable.

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Our global energy client asked us to design a world‑class Customer Experience Center that serves as both a sales environment and an educational destination. The center immerses visitors in the advanced science behind the company’s latest turbine engine technologies, showcasing innovation through dynamic exhibits and interactive displays.

At the heart of the space stands a functional gas turbine model, framed by vivid installation imagery that celebrates engineering excellence and successful, real‑world application. Presentation rooms designed for comfortable, all-day use, flank a central customer lounge, supporting conversations focused on customer needs — from gas compression to power generation. Post sales training rooms demonstrate Solar Turbine’s long-term commitment to customer support. 

Exterior terraces extend the program outdoors inviting global visitors, particularly those from colder regions, to enjoy comfortable breaks, social events, and work sessions in the San Diego sunshine. 

Manufacturing plant tours are an integral part of the sales experience. Required safety equipment and safety is discreetly housed behind a custom laser‑cut reception desk. Safety training videos are presented in a custom environment. Both demonstrate the client’s practicality and design precision. 

Together, these elements create a seamless experience that reflects the client’s commitment to technological leadership and customer engagement.

What began as a modest installation of new workstations has, over five years, evolved into a full-scale transformation of Aya Healthcare’s campus. Spanning three buildings and the outdoor spaces that connect them, the reimagined campus reflects Aya Healthcare’s commitment to fostering a vibrant, people-centric work environment. In a competitive industry where talent is key, their dynamic office and revitalized courtyard provide an inspiring space that supports both productivity and well-being.

Aya Healthcare specializes in recruiting, accrediting, and placing traveling nurses in hospitals across the country. Their recruiters weave complex networks, matching nurses’ skills with the right hospital placements. This intricate process is visually represented through a bold, sculptural installation of orange ropes stretching across walls and ceilings — each rope symbolizing a nurse, and each intersection representing a successful placement. The design captures the energy, dedication, and impact of Aya Healthcare’s work in a striking, immersive way.

Outside, the transformation continues with a courtyard that replaces former parking and roadways with a sculptural green space. Designed for gathering, relaxation, and large-scale presentations, the courtyard offers a healthy, restorative retreat for employees. Inspired by the life cycle of the lotus flower, three shade structures symbolize its stages — bud, bloom, and seed pod — creating dynamic focal points within the landscape. The spaces between are filled with native plants, offering a variety of settings for sun, shade, group collaboration, and quiet reflection.

The new Aya Healthcare campus is more than an office — it’s an ecosystem designed to inspire, connect, and support the people who make their mission possible.

Aya Healthcare asked us to install some new workstations into an existing small suite. Over five years of working together, the project expanded into a full-scale transformation of Aya Healthcare’s campus. Spanning three buildings and the outdoor spaces that connect them, the reimagined campus reflects Aya Healthcare’s commitment to fostering a vibrant, people-centric work environment. In a competitive industry where talent is key, their dynamic office and revitalized courtyard provide an inspiring space that supports both productivity and well-being.

Aya Healthcare specializes in recruiting, accrediting, and placing traveling nurses in hospitals across the country. Their recruiters weave complex networks, matching nurses’ skills with the right hospital placements. This intricate process is visually represented through a bold, sculptural installation of orange ropes stretching across walls and ceilings — each rope symbolizing a nurse, and each intersection representing a successful placement. The design captures the energy, dedication, and impact of Aya’s work in a striking, immersive way.

Outside, the transformation continues with a courtyard that replaces former parking and roadways with a sculptural green space. Designed for gathering, relaxation, and large-scale presentations, the courtyard offers a healthy, restorative retreat for employees. Inspired by the life cycle of the lotus flower, three shade structures symbolize its stages — bud, bloom, and seed pod — creating dynamic focal points within the landscape. The spaces between are filled with native plants, offering a variety of settings for sun, shade, group collaboration, and quiet reflection.

The new Aya Healthcare campus is more than an office — it’s an ecosystem designed to inspire, connect, and support the people who make their mission possible.

NuVasive is the perfect microcosm of what we do: a high-end demonstration area, a super-technical surgery training suite, an operating room, and 100,000 square feet of workstations. The first thing you’ll notice about the demonstration area is how everything revolves around the central hub, all the way down to the circular carpet.

We applied our experience in hospitality to the world of corporate offices to design and custom fabricate 20,000 feet of circular carpet. Without this design decision, the room would not have been as effective or as focused on the central hub.

We also designed a surgery training suite. NuVasive invites surgeons from around the world to visit and train on their products and systems in this space. It is a perfect blend of technology and hospitality. As you can imagine, getting that technology space to work required a tremendous amount of coordination.

For the work area, we were able to redistribute their workstations in such a way that gave them amenity spaces they never had before. We showed them how to get the same number of people into ²⁄₃ the space. That gave them ¹⁄₃ of the area for less programmed space (open meeting areas, lounges, pantries, etc.). We showed them how to do this by making their workspace planning hyper-efficient and then redistributing the leftover space all in one area so they could have a large area we named the ​“central park.”

CV Sciences is a wonderful blend of science and design. In this one space, CBD products are developed, manufactured and marketed. The mix of scientists, artists and sales staff make an interesting mix of function and fun. Teams meet and mingle at the Chicago-style cocktail bar filled with the owner’s collection of rat pack and sports memorabilia. Playful touches abound. Architectural forms float within a large volume to create neighborhoods and separate teams that require quiet from teams that are more energetic.

GreatCall designs and markets the Jitterbug smartphone that allows our aging parents and grandparents to live safely on their own with confidence. This corporate headquarters houses their software and hardware engineering teams as well as general administrative functions and a backup 5‑star emergency customer response center.

During focus groups and on-site observations, it became very clear that GreatCall’s standard office environment was working against the needs of their product teams. By reworking the plan to use semi-enclosed suites rather than rows of workstations, GreatCall became the first of its kind for Agile teams.

Agile teams are able to work more effectively, with frequent quick meetings, progress-sharing and the ability to make space for visitors. The semi-openness fosters a sense of connection between teams and displays their unified mission: Let’s do something meaningful together. The new suites layout has helped GreatCall substantially reduce their product development time.

BKM is a local Steelcase dealer. We designed a map of their customers that we plotted onto the wall and ceiling in which each customer is represented by a chair caster.

The graphic is beautiful and fun, but imagine the interaction with the client. You’re a furniture dealer. You just sold a new client. You hand them a caster and a drill and say, ​“Go put yourself on the map.” Now you’ve created an engagement with that client that’s going to last forever.

After our installation BKM’s business grew by 300%, in part because of their new showroom.

Pirch is a lifestyle retailer that celebrates the joy of family and home. They asked us to express the four pillars of their business: kitchen, bath, outdoor, joy. Three of the four are easily represented in an interior headquarters. The fourth — outdoor — was a little harder.

So, part of our design was to remove 14 parking spaces and open up the side of the building so that they would have an indoor-outdoor workspace that is connected to the ​“outdoor” pillar of their business.

We felt it was incredibly important that they incorporate this into their space because it reflects who they are as a retailer and is integral to their business. The two decision makers went away for the weekend and battled it out. In the end, they came back and said, ​“Okay, we’re going to spend the extra money, but I hope it’s worth it.” We knew it was important, and we knew that it would be game-changing for them.

When it was all said and done, they said it was the best money they had ever spent. They use this space regularly — it became the center of their daily rituals.

We also reconsidered what their reception experience should be and placed a coffee bar where you would expect to see a receptionist’s desk. This turned the whole experience of entering an office on its head. Instead of a receptionist saying, ​“Whoa, whoa, whoa, you’re not allowed past here until you’ve signed in,” you’re offered a cup of coffee. And by the time you are in the space for a few minutes, you are immersed in their culture.

The new headquarters brought the team together in a way that allowed Pirch to build 10 new stores in the first year.

Kidder Mathews didn’t tell us in the design brief that brokers hang out out in the doorways of their offices. But we observed it happening regularly. Someone would stop by, but they wouldn’t quite go in because they didn’t want to interrupt. So they would stand in the doorway for a moment to talk. We asked ourselves, ​“How do you reinforce that behavior in a way that makes the company better?”

Our answer: use glass office fronts and wider door frames to facilitate these casual interactions. Move desks forward and closer to the door so that these discussions can be more direct. And have monitor arms that can spin 180°.

We developed five offices across the Southwest for Kidder Mathews. Each office has its own personality within the larger corporate standard. Featured graphics focus on the brokers’ in-depth knowledge of their market. In the downtown Los Angeles office, a series of street maps visualize the various neighborhoods represented. The brokers don’t need street names to read the maps because of how well they know the area. Colors and finishes are tailored to each location within an overarching color palette — San Diego and Phoenix are brighter; the Los Angeles office is a little deeper.

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