08 Apr
The House Receives IIDA Award
The House Receives IIDA Award
On March 23 at the Fox Theater in Oakland, FENNIE+MEHL proudly received the Against the Odds Award from the Northern California chapter of the IIDA for their leadership and design work done on The House, a workspace in downtown Berkeley created for budding Cal entrepreneurs. The judges picked just one project from all the entries that best exemplified award-winning design “despite budgets, schedule or other extraordinary challenges or constraints.”
“We knew there was an acute need to develop a new infrastructure – really a dedicated home – where Berkeley students, alums, researchers and professors could come together to actively bring innovation to the market,” explained Cameron Baradar, Founder and Managing Director of The House and 2015 UC Berkeley graduate.
He went on to say, “We had plenty of enthusiasm and ideas, but little money, less time and zero experience in this kind of endeavor. It is only because F+M Architects and their design team stepped in that The House exists today. They embraced our concept, offered their design and project management expertise pro bono, and then took the extra step to reach out to two additional firms to bring them into the project pro bono as well. They directed this entire project from start to finish with patience and skill. Their level of professionalism and willingness to work with student representatives meant we got exactly what we needed – a “house” that we can constantly manipulate to accommodate the unusual needs of our entrepreneurs and show off our efforts. Thanks to F+M, Principal Builders and furniture manufacturer Haworth, The House is the most impactful development for Berkeley entrepreneurship in a very long time.”
F+M envisioned The House’s space not as a literal home but as a metaphorical garage. Whether the garage is where you start a business, practice with your band, or are consumed by hobbies, for creative minds it’s a place to have the ultimate freedom to break away from reality, from norms, from the office and truly ideate. Learn more about the design at the IIDA Honor Awards website.
