SF Marin Food Bank wanted to tell a story: Anyone can face food insecurity, so what exactly does that look like? Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM) collaborated with One Hat One Hand to design and fabricate concepts, speaking toward the idea of not only who relies on foodbanks, but how much community support and positivity these centers provide. A key focus was also on the volunteers: We wanted to give them a tangible feel for what they are doing and how they are helping, showcasing the amount of food delivered over time. This way, the space could transcend from a warehouse to a true community space.

SOM wanted to expose material rather than hide or disguise, so that it felt on-brand and hands on. We created multifunctional stools for sitting, or flipping for storage; and then also constructed them to be stackable so they could interlock easily into a wall. We also pushed ourselves on materials, working with eco-friendly products like Koskisen birch plywood; using gate hinges for connecting partitions of a freestanding wall; and painting both oversized stencils and murals throughout.