Creating a Balance Between Design and Culture with Primo Orpilla, Principal and Co-Founder of Studio O+A

Watching Paint Dry

Primo Orpilla is the Principal and Co-Founder of Studio O+A, a San Francisco design firm that strives to create an environment that translates any company's culture into a tactile experience. Primo has worked in workplace strategy and design for more than 30 years, becoming a thought leader on what it means to translate culture and innovation. He has worked with countless companies like Facebook, Microsoft, Slack, Nike, and many more to bring innovation and seamless design to their offices.

After his years of teaching design education, Primo is convinced that the next generation of designers will influence politics, the arts, and social justice.

In this episode…

When you walk into an office space, what is the first thing that comes to mind?

Primo Orpilla is redesigning how we think about our work environment and what it means to innovate while reflectively analyzing our core values and culture. Creating an atmosphere that lends itself to its occupants is the basis of a balance between form and function in workplace planning—and it’s more important than you might think.

In this week's episode of Watching Paint Dry, host Greg Owens sits down with Principal and Co-Founder of Studio O+A, Primo Orpilla. They discuss what it means to create a space that reflects a company's vision, what defines a space, and the future of workplace planning. Primo reveals what it means to blend the old and new of a company and why leaving a part of the past untouched is imperative for creating a strong culture. Stay tuned.