The Project Directive:
Create a corporate workplace that expresses the energy of this accomplished firm while reflecting the dynamism of the city.
The Design Goal:
The concept was to create a kinetic space that would hold co-operative work areas, private offices and conference rooms of various sizes.
Solutions:
Access the NYC views:
Windows line the outer perimeter wall. Views from the 53rd floor of this midtown location capture views as local as Bryant Park and the NYC Library and as far as the Freedom Towers and Central Park.
The design creates spaces with city views from every area including the corridor. The inner partition of full height glass allows a visual connection by transparency between work areas and the outside. Views are carefully crafted.
Create a clean, bold aesthetic:
There are minimal materials in a limited palette. Planes of full height ultra clear glass carefully alternate with full height wood doors. They sit on a floor of highly polished poured in place concrete.
Simple, sculpted planes create ceilings that float above the corridors. They disguise the air conditioning ductwork and lighting infrastructure. This efficiently serves each area.
Casework are compositions of standard furniture systems with custom transitions. This occurs everywhere from reception to the CEO’s office to the workstations.
The space is open yet private:
Cooperative work areas and private settings:
Conference areas of different sizes are strategically placed for staff and clients to meet and collaborate. A sophisticated audio-visual conferencing system was installed to access conference with clients and staff globally.
Use of light to create atmospheres:
Spectacular light is also available. With so much direct sunlight, the problem was not too little natural light but at times, too much.
Directed views and solar shades allow the users to take advantage of the changes in daily and seasonal natural light.
LED bulbs are used exclusively. They minimize operating cost and heat thus reducing the air conditioning load as well.
Wall sconces in the elevator lobby and each office add an understated yet effective light.
Task lights focus light on work surfaces. Dimmable track fixtures throughout give each space flexibility.
Elegant yet modest:
Fine details conceal how materials meet. The smooth concrete floors and large walls of glass juxtaposed against the dark wood panels construct an image of both simplicity and also the richness of the corporate image from past times.
The elements of the space form a new paradigm for a corporate setting. A moving picture in a refined design that answers the client’s budget and program for a productive working environment; defined by a sense of beauty.
Credits
New York City
USA
Kirk Palmer Associates
02/2015
557.4 mq
Jan Gould and Michele Lewis
Lewis and Gould Architects
The Omara Organization
NY Engineers (Mechanical Engineer), Rethy Associates (Building Department Consultant)
Furnitures by Furniture Consultants, Teknion Office System. Concrete floor by Hudson Concrete. Shades by Clear Design. Carpet by ABC Carpet
Richard Titus
Curriculum
Each member of our team contributes a varied professional and personal experience to our collaborative work as architects. For three decades, the practice includes a wide range of project scales, types and budgets. Our core values remain the same though the profession of architecture has changed considerably. We continue to be problem solvers, committed to the design of innovative and cost-effective solutions that benefit user experiences. Through placemaking, our work crafts unique spaces that respond to program and context. Our clients are diverse. They include families, schools, medical facilities, corporate offices and businesses. Curiosity about cultures inspire a range of building technologies. Interest in respecting the environment and renewal resources has moved us into Net Zero Energy projects.