Workplace Design Portfolio: 2010—2022
Airbnb, San Francisco, 2010
Airbnb’s first office manager, Kelly established the company’s office culture and design, which have stood the test of time. Airbnb’s modest 4,500 square foot office space came first, but fast growth meant that it was soon outgrown. Next up, Kelly lead the design of 25,000 square feet in San Francisco’s design district.
SoundCloud, Berlin, 2013
Kelly joined SoundCloud when the company’s 80 employees were spread across four offices in Berlin’s Mitte district. SoundCloud’s mission was “to enrich lives through the shared love of sound”, and SoundCloud’s founders Alex Ljung and Eric Wahlforss gave Kelly the mission to create the company’s first intentionally-designed headquarters, where the entire growing team — 230 by the completion of the project — could sit together in one space.
Headspace, Santa Monica, 2015
Headspace’s vision to improve the health and happiness of the world immediately resonated with Kelly. When founders Andy Puddicombe and Rich Pierson asked for an environment where employees could be their their happiest, healthiest selves, it was perfectly aligned.
Island Yoga, Aruba, 2016
After 6 years in tech, Kelly dreamt of the opportunity to design spaces closer to her passions of wellness, yoga, and the natural world. When tapped by friend and internationally acclaimed yoga teacher Rachel Brathen to design the largest yoga center in the Caribbean, Kelly knew it was a match made in heaven.
Joany, Los Angeles, 2017
Fueled by their belief that all people deserve quality healthcare, Christine Carrillo and Helen Lee founded health startup, JOANY, formally known as Impact Health, in 2015. Two years later they moved onto the 26th floor of The Bloc's office tower in downtown Los Angeles, and tapped Kelly to make it feel like home. From the first phone call, creating an environment that felt healthy and full of vitality became the core of the project, which aligned well with Kelly's belief that our external environment has the potential to greatly enhance the quality of our life and inner world.
Branch International, San Francisco, 2018
On a mission to deliver world-class financial services to the mobile generation in Kenya, Nigeria, India and beyond, former Kiva.org co-founder Matt Flannery launched Branch to empower customers in such countries to realize their dreams. This company’s growing presence in Kenya struck a heart chord with Kelly, as she had volunteered in Nairobi with the Africa Yoga Project back in 2014.
Bühler’s LEED Certified CUBIC Innovation Center, Switzerland, 2019
Every day, billions of people come into contact with Bühler technologies to cover their basic needs. Their technologies are in smartphones, solar panels, diapers, lipstick, banknotes, and vehicles. Most importantly to Kelly, they are one of the largest global food players in the world, with two billion people consuming food produced from Bühler machines every single day. The ability to impact the design of the company’s brand new innovation center, an icon for the company’s commitment to the future, felt like an opportunity that shouldn’t be missed.
Lob, San Francisco, 2020
San Francisco based Lob was faced with the challenge of how to move forward with the design of their new Headquarters amidst a global pandemic. They tapped Kelly to support them as they navigated the uncertain time, as she attempted to design a space totally remotely for the very first time. In getting to know the company, Kelly wanted to reflect their priorities of diversity and inclusion in the design of the space. She chose a circular boardroom table to foster equality vs. hierarchy and Lob rainbow hued chairs and Railway Carriages to help employees of all orientations feel welcome.
Spring Discovery, California, 2021
Biotech company Spring Discovery is on a mission to accelerate therapies for aging and late life stage diseases. Passionate about the intersection of technology and medicine, they reached out to Kelly to support them in designing a space that represents longevity and vitality without the typical cold feel of a medical lab. Kelly uplifted their grey, concrete space with colorful materials, plenty of plants, and modern furnishings where the team could settle into the next phase of their becoming.
Celo, San Francisco, 2022
On a mission to build a financial system that creates the conditions for prosperity for everyone, Celo envisioned an inclusive space that could host not only their own companies, but anyone supporting the growth and development of the open-source Celo Platform. With the company philosophy grounded in Charles Einstein’s Sacred Economics, Kelly felt an immediate draw to creating a beautiful, open space featuring custom furniture by Emblem, carriages by Spacestor, and artwork by Kim Seungwoo. In creative collaboration with Megan Sosik of Pferred, with photography by Thibault Cartier.
