Our client, the sixth largest software company in the world, wanted to create a new US headquarters that would consolidate the company’s various New York City offices in one location characterized by an open office environment conducive to collaboration and interaction between different departments.

Starting with raw, open floor plate over three floors, our design challenge was to provide the employees with a sense of place. We responded by creating a series of major “roads” that divided each floor into “neighborhoods” with distinct identities. We connected the sixth, seventh and eighth floors with a large, open central staircase featuring extra-wide treads that functioned as open seating for casual meetings.

Numerous small conference rooms and casual furniture located throughout the floors promote informal interaction between employees. Each floor has a “library,” or quiet room, where employees can work without the interruption of phones.