Califia Farms HQ | Rachel Allen Architecture

Califia Farms is the fastest-growing beverage company in the USA, committed to bringing plant-based products to the mainstream. Their almond milks, citrus juices and cold brew coffees have quickly built up a cult following.

Set amidst an industrial warehouse buildout, the interior space is composed of private offices lining the perimeter of the space, and an elevated open office area on the central mezzanine. The place speaks of a Paris street corner or an outdoor market, lit gently as the sunlight tapers and reflects during the hours of a late afternoon.

The volumes of space are vast yet graceful, intersecting one another as they meet in the central double-height open area, softly and evenly lit by numerous skylights that rhythmically punctuate the hyperbolic ceiling. The spaces themselves are composed of stern verticals truncated by soft horizontals, resulting in increased natural light reflectivity and outdoor-like acoustics. The perimeter compositions of private offices are strong and singular, their details subtle and beautiful. The necessary yet mundane aspects of the building, such as electrical conduit or HVAC ductwork, are elegantly pushed to the space’s perimeter to maintain an aesthetically uninterrupted flow of space.

Tonally and texturally reminiscent of the occupant’s famous almondmilk, the off-white walls atop the heavy grey concrete slab give an impression of a newly added lightweight structure, tonally separated by a dark grey perimeter baseboard, akin to Mallet-Stevens’ ruffled ground condition, suggesting potential for movement and expansion.

Photography by Jansen Teo.