Excerpt:

Furniture designer Florian Roeper is one of a group of design crafters who work out of the decommissioned Alameda, Calif., Naval Station where World War II airmen once tested and repaired jet engines.

“The Naval Station’s been a wonderful place for artisans like me. It gives me a lot of actual and mental space,” Roeper says. “It’s peaceful and inspiring to look out over San Francisco Bay, and we don’t have any of the city hustle and bustle. I’ve always had a physical and cultural interest in landscapes, especially because of my background.”