DISPLAY OFFICE

east harlem , NY

SITUATION: fit a pop-up legal office into a harlem storefront

IDEA: slope a ceiling to display the office to the neighborhood

1.background

The project is a small satellite office for Manhattan Legal Services. Located in East Harlem NY, it houses offices for 10 attorneys, with waiting and meeting areas for visiting clients. Its former deli-grocery space was very chopped up - high at the front, low in the back, and oddly shaped in plan. The new office was being shoehorned to fit into the space.

2. strategy and layout

The former deli-grocery space was very chopped up - high at the front, low in the back, and oddly shaped in plan. The new office had to be shoehorned into the space - its waiting and meeting areas pushed toward the taller front space and staff offices towards the lower rear area.

3. waiting and reception

The blue color of the waiting area continues above the sloping office ceiling. The idea was to set the offices back from the storefront so they appear like a window display from the street. An ADA restroom for visitors is located behind the reception desk.

4. SEPARATION

Plywood and storefront partitions slide under the sloped ceiling to create a separation between visitor and office spaces. Suspended light fixtures float through these spaces, independent of the office and its ceiling construction.

5. Exposed

Building services, piping and ventilation ductwork are left exposed in contrast with the simple corporate office construction.

information

Project completion: 2018

Gross floor area": 2,302 ft²

Client: Manhattan Legal Services

Project architect: RESITUATED Architecture

Mechanical engineer: ATOZ Consulting Engineers

General Contractor: Elite Express Construction Inc.

Photographer: Chris Mottalini

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