In Los Angeles, local firm FreelandBuck constructs a media production studio centered around a village-like arrangement.
On the outskirts of Culver City, the Blackwelder Campus stands as a notable collection of 25 iconic light-industrial manufacturing warehouses, now evolving into office spaces. This is where Hungry Man Productions operates. When the production company—renowned for its sharp Super Bowl commercials and campaigns for Geico and Microsoft—decided to revamp its current headquarters within a 743-square-meter warehouse there, it made sense to blend the building’s rich industrial heritage (original concrete floors, high-bay lighting, and ribbed metal ceilings) with Hungry Man’s relaxed yet energetic character.
Local design firm FreelandBuck was tasked with shaping a flexible, modern office that mirrored Hungry Man’s working philosophy: a highly collaborative process involving teams of varying sizes and a staff count that shifts depending on the project. The firm concentrated on creating a fluid layout that would inspire creativity and balance public and private production needs, avoiding the sensory overload often found in open-plan spaces.
A scale model of the MDF-paneled cubes illustrates the main street arrangement.
To achieve this goal, they began with a central “public zone”—a smooth pathway running from the entrance to the rear kitchen and bar, defining the interior. This open corridor acts like a main street in a small town, while loosely arranged offices and team areas (built as stacked cubes and partial volumes along both sides) resemble community buildings and storefronts.
The interior’s identity was inspired by a fitting desire to rethink the outdated concept of the cubicle. “Instead of placing cubicles side by side, we aimed to preserve visual connections and interactions,” explains David Freeland, who collaborated with partner Brennan Buck on the project. A collection of cubes, each roughly three meters square and resembling children’s building blocks, is arranged in fixed clusters that initially seem chaotic. Yet, these configurations strategically maximize space to create a functional production company office.
FreelandBuck employed computer cutting techniques and MDF-paneled exteriors to build nearly identical white cubes, showcasing the firm’s talent for crafting compelling visual effects with simple forms. The cubes are positioned to explore ideas of perspective and generate optical illusions. Textured linear patterns on each cube’s exterior play with geometry and layering, adding depth, dimension, and fluidity; depending on the viewer’s perspective, the line work creates a kinetic effect, making the cubes appear to rotate, tilt, or rise from the floor.
Displayed in an upper cube, FreelandBuck’s prototype furniture made from foam core offers a playful visual interplay between the real and the virtual.
Open cubes at the top can remain empty or host art exhibits, props, or Hungry Man’s own works. Currently, an art installation of conceptual furniture pieces by FreelandBuck sparks a playful conversation about the virtual and the real; faux chairs and tables crafted from foam core are adorned with bold graphics in bright primary colors.
The original warehouse remains a key element of the final design, and by weaving unexpected creative solutions and aesthetics into its office, Hungry Man can take more risks than a larger studio or production company might. An office with a fresh perspective and architecture that encourages collaboration and communication is the true reward.
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