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