EAST VILLAGE OFFICES
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
SLEEPING GIANT OFFICES | COMMERCIAL
New york, ny (east village)
1,600 sf | interior fit-out
Repeat clients are always some of the best clients, but it is rare that we are able to help familiar clients with new programmatic design challenges. Though DCP had helped this NYC hospitality client with a number of bar spaces around Manhattan and Queens, the acquisition of a core space designated for company office work was a new but welcomed opportunity for us to help the staff with a permanent home.
Located on the edge of the New York’s East Village and Soho, the space provided a central access to a number of the company’s bar establishments within a small radius. The historic structure, likely constructed as warehouse or small-scale manufacturing square footage, provided its series of spatial challenges including ceiling height, natural light and exposed infrastructure. Utilizing precious floor area and harvesting space for storage where possible were key, but familiar, goals of the client for the project.
Many older buildings contain spaces not originally intended for office work. The result can be an irregular shape to be fashioned for client uses. In this case, the isolation of key enclosed spaces including the conference room, bathroom, mechanical and service core left behind the remainder for public usage.
Amidst the larger main space, smaller spaces were defined to support a series of different functions including reception of guests, flexible office space for temporary workers, permanent desks for core staff and a kichenette.
The surrounding enclosed spaces provided more specific support to the function of the larger office area.
The creative use of built-in millwork and glassed walls help create a single private office for management, a cozy conference room and making the most of a small existing bathroom.
The service core became a central component, accessible from three sides, that the office revolved around. Different points allowed for different types of access, occupation or interface with support functions.
The use of color and natural material aided in the ability for the space to be quickly decoded by occupants, creating pockets of warmth within the broader space. With simpler material stretched out over the larger expanses that were available for public circulation, care in details were saved as surprises for smaller, more intimate experiences in the office.
While there may seem to be no limits to how small of a bathroom one can find in NYC, that doesnt mean they can’t be fun.
