Designed as a kind of design laboratory, the campus for MASH Studios interfaces between interior and exterior, old construction and new, rough-hewn and refined sleekness, warm materials and cool, are all meant to continuously challenge and inform the work of the studio.

The project consists of the rehabilitation of three existing light manufacturing buildings built in 1951 and, just as importantly, the exterior spaces in between them.  Much care was given to not change the nature of the existing structures.  Wooden structures and poured concrete were sandblasted, the concrete slab floors were polished and minimally repair, allowing all of the imperfections to remain. A new entry structure at the entry of the campus was built as an extension of the existing buildings. It’s modern form, housed in dark standing seam cladding and austere skylight details provides a very direct connection to the new exterior garden through it’s minimalist steel framed windows.

For the past 15 years, Mash Studios has been a pioneer in the invention of a uniquely Southern Californian brand of semi-custom workplace furniture. Having a strong influence on the behaviors and trends of modern workplaces, Mash was looking to apply their insider know-how into a new office-home for themselves.  Partnering with ShubinDonaldson on the architecture of the space, the task set forth was to tease out the hidden beauty of the existing 1951 structures. Ultimately creating an inspiring and high performance shell wherein a well-crafted and modern office would exist for people who design and make furniture.