Risewell Homes

Overview

Risewell Homes’ Irvine headquarters translates residential warmth into a refined workplace grounded in craft, connection, and high-performance functionality for a premier homebuilder.

Location

Irvine, California

Client

Risewell Homes

Expertise

Professional Services Building Transformation & Adaptive Reuse Office Developers Residential

Opportunity

As workplace expectations evolve, Risewell Homes saw an opportunity to create a headquarters that balances residential warmth with high-performance functionality.

In a competitive talent market, workplaces must do more than support daily operations. They must create experiences that attract, engage, and retain employees. Risewell Homes sought a new Irvine headquarters that reflected the craftsmanship, warmth, and authenticity found in its homes while meeting the demands of a modern workplace. The design needed to balance privacy, flexibility, and durability with equitable access to daylight and strong acoustic performance. This challenge presented an opportunity to translate residential qualities into a sophisticated workplace environment that supports both culture and productivity.

Why This Matters

01
Residential Warmth at Work
Risewell Homes needed a workplace that reflected the warmth, intimacy, and craft of its homes while supporting the durability of headquarters operations.
02
Daylight and Acoustic Equity
The design needed to balance open work areas and social hubs with inward enclosed rooms, supporting daylight access while maintaining acoustic privacy.
03
Connection Across Floors
A fragmented multi-floor layout hindered connectivity, creating an opportunity to transform an undersized stair into a grand architectural centerpiece that strengthens collaboration and cultural cohesion.

FPO Quote

Solution

A bold architectural intervention transformed a fragmented workplace into a connected experience, turning vertical circulation into the heart of company culture.

To unify the multi-floor workplace, Gensler reimagined the building’s core infrastructure through a significant structural intervention. An undersized stair was replaced with a sculptural straight-run connection, creating the “Vertical Hearth,” a central feature that encourages movement, visibility, and interaction across both levels. Framing views to the outdoors and culminating at “The Park,” the office’s primary gathering space, the stair transforms circulation into an opportunity for connection. Residentially inspired details, including crafted millwork, beverage stations, and warm material palettes, reinforce a sense of comfort and belonging.

From brief to build: how a central stair transformed a fragmented headquarters into a hospitality-inspired workplace grounded in craft and connection.

The defining process centered on reworking existing infrastructure within a post-tension slab building. The team replaced an under scaled stair with a grand straight-run connection that aligned arrival sightlines, framed exterior views, and improved vertical circulation. The intervention required precise coordination of geometry, landings, and circulation, turning a practical connection challenge into the organizing element for a warmer, more cohesive
workplace experience.

Planning the Connection

The floor plan supports the two-level strategy and highlights the central stair as a key organizing element of the workplace.

Impact

Risewell Homes headquarters transform everyday work into a connected, hospitality-inspired experience, reinforcing the company’s culture of craftsmanship, well-being, and belonging.

Through adaptive reuse, durable materials, and a cohesive design language, the workplace balances performance and comfort while reducing environmental impact.

What Changed Because of This

01
Workplace Connection
The central stair and The Park create a more connected workplace experience across the project’s two-level floorplate.
02
Environmental Stewardship
Adaptive reuse preserves the existing building shell, reducing material waste and embodied carbon while prioritizing durable, timeless materials.
03
Crafted Comfort
Residential warmth, crafted details, and human-scaled moments reflect Risewell Homes homebuilding ethos within a modern workplace environment.

Team

Project Leadership

James Young

As Managing Director of Gensler’s Newport Beach office and a Design Principal, James Young leads the design of award-winning campus workplace environments that enhance performance and elevate the human experience. Known for balancing creative vision with strategic leadership, he helps organizations navigate complex design challenges with clarity and purpose.

[FPO] Ashley Brewer

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[FPO] Tricia York

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FAQ

Where is Risewell Homes located?

Risewell Homes’ headquarters project is located in Irvine, California.

What type of project is Risewell Homes?

Risewell Homes is a corporate headquarters and workplace interior project for a residential housing developer and builder.

What was the main design opportunity?

The opportunity was to translate residential warmth and craftsmanship into a durable, flexible, high-performance workplace environment.

What was the core design solution?

The design replaced an under scaled stair with a sculptural straight-run connection that organizes circulation and workplace experience.

How does the project support sustainability?

The adaptive reuse strategy preserves the existing building shell, reducing material waste and embodied carbon.

When was Risewell Homes completed?

The project was completed in 2025.