Pipeworks Studios Remodel

Eugene, Oregon

Pipeworks Studios is an innovative, well-established, and respected US video game developer based in Eugene, Oregon. For over 21 years, Pipeworks has been helping define what's next in real-world interactions by providing full development, co-development, and live operations to premier video game publishers and other partners.

The renovation of their 45,000-sf current building involves the radical creation of a new double-height space, the addition of skylights providing daylight to the middle of the almost-windowless building, and the insertion of a feature stair that forms a central mixing zone between the three occupied levels. What once was a dilapidated downtown department store will now be a bustling, light-filled, collaborative workspace with exposed timbers, wood decking, and structural steel columns.

The remodel concept evolved through the lens of the new post-pandemic approach to work. It involved rethinking what it means to collaborate and physically inhabit a space together. The Owner and Design team redesigned the initial more-standard approach under the idea that the office of the future was to function as an amenity to facilitate collaboration and interaction. After the studio began successfully working virtually, all aspects of the design were reconsidered to ensure they were geared towards supporting teams and people working closely together. The remodel adds dedicated team rooms as landing zones for hybrid or remote workers, multiple large team meeting spaces, a Living Room launch party meeting room connected to a full kitchen and bar, a Garage meeting room for public events, a team store, and room to house over 250 employees in downtown Eugene for the growing Pipeworks team.

Working alongside an owner team of creative thinkers created an opportunity for the Rowell Brokaw team to develop an interior that reflects the unique Pipeworks collective identity as a risk-taking and quirky Northwest-based gaming company. This led to moments of cheeky LED “neon” accent lights, bold colors and textures, and unexpected shapes, including the new feature stairs with powder-coated sheet metal panels wrapping glulam treads. We’ve peeled back the layers on the building to expose the original bones and added just enough walls to define spaces and create an industrial, whimsical space that will make the office a true amenity for Pipeworks’ employees.