Transforming a Historic Space with Coastal Vibes for Flock Freight’s Innovative Encinitas Office

Flock Freight is a FreightTech company revolutionizing the transportation and logistics space by creating a smarter, more sustainable supply chain. The technology they’ve developed and patented makes shipping simpler and more affordable for companies and more profitable for carriers.

Instead of paying for a truckload when shippers don’t actually have enough freight to fill the truck or settling for a less-than-dependable industry option, Flock Freight offers a third way that moves goods terminal-free with more accuracy, more reliability, and fewer emissions: shared truckload. Flock Freight’s patented technology, powered by machine learning, finds and fills trucks’ empty spaces and puts freight on the most efficient routes.

Flock Freight may be turning its industry on its head, but the team was more than happy to adopt the well-established, laid-back, coastal California lifestyle in its new Encinitas, California office. 

To keep its new office space reflective of the firm’s creative, out-of-the-box thinking, Flock Freight selected an iconic space in the city’s coastal village area that intentionally deviates from the traditional corporate office setting.

The new use of this space helps preserve a historic building, formerly a factory, within Encinitas’ The Lumberyard campus. Establishing this new office space to reflect its foundational commitment to environmental sustainability was also essential for Flock Freight. 

Having worked with FS Design Group before, Chamille Lamb, Flock Freight’s manager of operations, knew that we could deliver an interior design that reflects Flock Freight’s vision and values.

Just two blocks from the beach, the 20,000-square-foot Flock Freight building is a two-minute walk from several other buildings the firm already occupied. This additional space was an opportunity to accommodate its growing staff and provide some beachy amenities for its entire Encinitas team.  

Our design incorporated storage space for surf boards and wetsuits. We also provided showers where people can wash off the salt water and sand before returning to work. Special parking spaces accommodate bikes and e-bikes, which are a useful option for those who live nearby or as a last-mile (or less) option from the nearby train station. 

Since Flock Freight’s newest space is designated as historic and can’t undergo structural changes, we let the existing layout guide our inspiration. The new design honors The Lumberyard’s history while making the space comfortable for Flock Freight’s staff.  

“Amy, as opposed to other designers I’ve worked with, looks visually and aesthetically at the space but also functionally,” said Chamille. “She’s considering how the design will impact sound and day-to-day work life. As a facilities manager that resonates with me.” 

Since punching new windows wasn’t an option, we opened the interior space to let light spread unimpeded through the interior. The exposed wood trusses also made the space feel light and bright. It’s a casual, open environment, where some people work full-time in the office and some use hotel desks to accommodate a hybrid schedule.

Meeting rooms can act as collaborative workspaces, and all the interior meeting rooms have windows to the exterior. Outdoor meeting spaces give people the option of working while immersed in the ocean air. 

We specified sustainable materials from environmentally minded companies. We leveraged the naturally patinated concrete floors in key areas and then softened the work area acoustically with a dramatic carpet pattern that visually represents Flock Freight’s technology in motion.  

Where possible, we brought in tawny wood tones to create a contemporary beach-front theme. The tile backsplash is a great example, as it mimics a cut-end wood grain wood and warms the concrete floors and adjacent wall.

Appliances are available to those who want to cook their meals rather than rely on packaged foods or takeout. Flock Freight supplies reusable food storage containers and washable utensils, too. When catering in for meetings or staff events, Flock Freight is careful to use hyper-local restaurants, many of which are located on The Lumberyard property.

To further support Flock Freight’s commitment to employee health and wellness, we created wellness and mother’s rooms, and casual seating areas. 

We had a lot of fun with Flock Freight’s inspired vision, but budget is always important, too. 

“FS Design Group is great at value engineering,” said Chamille. “It’s something I’ve come to love partnering with them on.”

On this account, we rely on our partners, too. We worked closely with the contractor, Lockrul Construction, to navigate the surprises that come with any renovation and develop solutions that work for the project and budget.