Our firm's previous studio was designed for hand drafting of architectural drawings following the well-established precedent of studios since the nineteenth century: Large drafting tables for individual architects in fixed locations organized in a regular grid pattern. In designing our new studio, we sought to understand and design for current architectural practice where computers are the primary tool and collaboration is essential. We sought to create a highly flexible studio, where furniture is modular and movable and spaces to allow meetings-both formal and informal-are provided in quantity.
Our firm's previous studio was designed for hand drafting of architectural drawings following the well-established precedent of studios since the nineteenth century: Large drafting tables for individual architects in fixed locations organized in a regular grid pattern. In designing our new studio, we sought to understand and design for current architectural practice where computers are the primary tool and collaboration is essential. We sought to create a highly flexible studio, where furniture is modular and movable and spaces to allow meetings-both formal and informal-are provided in quantity.
420 North 20th Street was originally built as a plumbing warehouse with widely spaced structural bays and a ceiling height of 22 feet. Most recently the space was used as a television station office and studio, with numerous partitions and ceilings dropped to 10 feet. As plans were developed for the new architecture studio, the notion of stripping the space back to the original warehouse emerged as the ideal strategy.
The program requirements for the new office included the following:
- A floor plate large enough to accommodate a staff of sixty at movable desks in a single studio space;
- A "research lab" or workshop where full scale mockups could be constructed;
- A power, voice and data infrastructure which would allow easy re-configuration of project teams in an open floor plan;
- Meeting space in the form of flexible conference rooms as well as casual tables set amidst the workspace.
The resulting plan required demolition of all perimeter offices, removal of drop ceiling, and years of electrical and telecommunications wiring strewn above it. The new office infrastructure runs in trays and raceways, exposed at 14 feet above the floor, with periodic drops connecting moveable furniture on the floor. Engineers, manufacturers' representatives and telecommunication contractors were consulted to develop an overhead system which allowed flexibility, was aesthetically acceptable and was within tight budget constraints. The studio furniture is designed to be moveable and durable, with an essential lab-like aesthetic. The computer carts are made of parts from four different manufacturers and were assembled on site. The furniture was placed in a rectilinear pattern for the move-in period, but is currently in the process of being re-ordered and rearranged to allow individuals to optimize physical relationships with other project team members as well as with regard to natural light.
A more refined furniture idiom was developed for the reception area. The reception space is defined by cold-rolled steel-framed partitions faced with hot-rolled steel panels. Steel sheet was also used to fabricate the railing and reception desk. All of these elements were given a chemically blackened finish. Movable partitions were designed for the conference spaces as a variation on the front entry panels. Steel-framed partitions are equipped with casters and are faced with homasote to provide a tackable surface. The partitions allow varying sized conference spaces to accommodate different types of meetings.
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