The opportunity for AppFolio to take over the second floor of their office building in Richardson, Texas, meant the company could consolidate its Dallas-area-workforce into a single, two-story, 48,000-square-foot Texas headquarters. With a commitment to purposely support team members, AppFolio’s goal was to create a place where employees want to be — a place that would facilitate collaboration and teamwork while making life a little easier through amenities that help maintain work-life balance.

To create a workplace where camaraderie and culture are celebrated, the team anchored the design on breakrooms called “watercoolers.” The nucleus of the first floor is a large community gathering space that starts at the front door and flows through collaboration areas to the watercooler space. The centrally located reception and work-lounge area serves as both an internal and client-facing meeting and event space. On the second floor, work and collaboration areas also center on the watercooler.

The design team did a lot of research, including interviewing staff about what they love most about the Dallas area, to convey the aesthetics of the AppFolio culture and create a vibrant, inspiring environment. The resulting look and feel of the office interiors blend the romance of rustic Texas with the modern vibe of a tech hub. Inspiration came from the Visit Dallas mural in Deep Ellum created by artist Brynner Aldrich (who was hired to create custom graphics for the AppFolio workplace) and the geography of Texas and the north central plains.

For example, the light fixtures and acoustic baffles reflect the shapes and colors of wildflowers, including bluebonnets, the Texas state flower. Other Dallas and Texas-specific symbols are incorporated throughout, such as the Pegasus Mobil Oil icon in the game room, copper ceiling tiles decorated with longhorns, and colorful graffiti art.

With shared meeting rooms, support spaces, and employee amenities (game room, fitness room and showers, additional break areas) to promote collaboration and fun between teams, the cohesive workspace celebrates the AppFolio brand and culture, enhances productivity, facilitates recruitment and employee satisfaction, and supports long-term growth.

Cushing Terrell design team
Jill Lee | Senior Interior Designer
Kyle Johnson | Architect
Dylan Davies | Design Professional
Laura Dougherty | Associate Principal - Architect
Greg Gedney | Executive Director of Educational Development
Patrick Moranville | Electrical Engineer
Lance Faulkner | Electrical Engineer
Sarah Dykes | Design Technician
Priscilla Sager | Mechanical Engineer
Madlin Miller | Interior Design Professional
Jacob Mortensen | Mechanical Engineer
Brandon Besser | Structural Engineer
Megan Cranston | Design Professional
Mike Nitschke | Mechanical Engineer
Ross Hamand | Design Technician