Responding to user needs and organizational objectives, MBB worked with Success Academy Charter Schools to renovate 70,000 square feet of office space into a collaborative workplace optimized for flexible teaming. Our research-driven approach included an analysis of how teams use the workspace, enabling us to provide design solutions for individual focus, small-group collaboration and team impact.
The centerpiece of our design is the ‘network spine,’ a sequence of informal breakout spaces built around a row of structural columns. Lounges, banquette nooks, whiteboards, two- and four-seat tables, and soundproof phone/teleconference booths unfurl in a continuous band running between the daylit workstations on one side, and glass-enclosed private offices on the other. Serving 150 to 200 employees on each floor, these multi-faceted hubs feature acoustically treated wood and lighting controls to suit individual sensory preferences.
A flexible open space on the fourth floor accommodates up to 240 people for gatherings. Equipped with movable furniture, an acoustic wood ceiling, and audio/video infrastructure to support digital presentations and hybrid meetings, it serves on most days as a ‘touch down’ space suited to impromptu meetings or presentations for 30 to 60 people. Custom-designed, tiered bench seating units on casters can be rolled to different positions. Prioritizing flexibility and variety, this transformative workplace design responds to dynamic team needs.
Status: Built
Location: New York, NY, US
Firm Role: Architect, Interior Designer
Additional Credits: Zubatkin Owner Representation
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