The Oakley Plant in Foothill Ranch, California, serves as the global headquarters and research and development facility for Oakley, Inc. This massive 40-acre compound functions as a centralized hub for design, prototyping, manufacturing, and distribution. Its deliberately imposing and unconventional appearance establishes the brand’s identity, reflecting a commitment to technological innovation and a guarded design process.
The Architecture and Design Philosophy
The building’s unusual aesthetic reflects the brand’s nonconformity, earning it the nickname “The Bunker” or the “Technical Center.” Founder Jim Jannard and then-Director of Design Colin Baden created the concept to deliberately resemble a “post-industrial age gone awry,” drawing inspiration from films like Blade Runner and Metropolis. The structure was intended to look like the sole survivor in a “post-nuclear kill zone,” emphasizing durability and resilience.
The 413,000-square-foot structure utilizes industrial materials to achieve its fortress-like presence. Its exterior features galvanized metallic surfaces, oversized rivets, and custom-fabricated metal cladding made from cold-rolled steel plates and cast steel ‘bolt heads.’ Inside, the design continues with blackened steel metalwork and a cathedral-ceilinged chamber of riveted steel, creating an atmosphere that feels less like an office and more like a high-security airlock. This architectural choice embodies the company’s philosophy of “inventions wrapped in art.”
Manufacturing and Innovation Hub
Inside the facility, the plant houses the entire product lifecycle from initial sketch to final assembly. A primary focus is on advanced lens technology, centering on Oakley’s proprietary materials like Plutonite, a high-grade, purified polycarbonate. This material is formulated to filter out 100% of all UVA, UVB, and UVC light up to 400 nanometers. This protection is inherent to the lens material itself, not a coating.
The development of Prizm lens technology showcases the facility’s manufacturing process. It begins with extensive field research using hyperspectral cameras to identify and measure the specific color wavelengths that need enhancement or filtering for a given environment. The resulting Prizm dyes are then molecularly bonded with clear Plutonite pellets in a high-heat extruder, ensuring the color-tuning properties are infused uniformly throughout the entire lens, rather than being applied to the surface. This integrated process maintains consistent optical clarity and performance, even if the lens surface is scratched. Finished products are subjected to rigorous testing, including the High Velocity test, where a quarter-inch steel ball is fired at over 100 miles per hour at the lens to ensure impact protection.
The History of the Oakley Campus
The necessity for such an integrated facility tracks the evolution of Oakley from its beginnings in the mid-1970s. Jim Jannard founded the company in 1975, initially selling specialty motorcycle grips out of his car. The company’s focus quickly expanded to goggles and sunglasses, driven by a commitment to unconventional design and performance-enhancing technology.
The rapid growth and the decision to keep research, development, and manufacturing under one roof necessitated a purpose-built campus. Plans for the new corporate headquarters were unveiled in January 1996. The $35 million facility in Foothill Ranch was completed and occupied in early 1997. This move marked a shift from small-scale operations to a 40-acre, vertically integrated campus, providing the space and security required to consolidate all phases of product creation and distribution.
Public Access and Visitor Experience
While the core of the Oakley Plant operates as a technical and R&D zone, the facility offers limited public access for consumers. The main lobby area features a dedicated retail store, which sells the current range of eyewear, apparel, and accessories. This area allows the public to engage directly with the brand’s products in the environment where they were conceived.
Adjacent to the retail space, an in-house display area functions as a museum, showcasing the company’s history and technological milestones. Visitors can view historical products, early prototypes, and displays detailing the evolution of materials and design philosophy. This public-facing section provides a controlled glance into the brand’s heritage, contrasting sharply with the unmarked doors that lead to the manufacturing lines, design studios, and product testing labs that remain off-limits.