NEW SCHOOL RENOVATION PROPOSAL
This team project was a proposal to renovate the Presidential Suite at the New School.
Sitting between Union Square and both East and West Villages in Manhattan, the upper-floor suite has striking, cityscape views. The scope of work included: three private offices, reception, lobby and a conference room. Currently, all exterior views are positioned in the offices and conference room, while the lobby is centrally located behind frosted glass partitions.
For the renovation, the client expressed a focus on public programming and reallocation of space from private offices. Our team redesigned the suite with a focus to define the space through long views, perceived brightness, and material shifts. We rearranged the lobby and conference room to capitalize on the cityscape views by extending the windows to full height and adding clear glass doors between the two areas. Perimeter linear lighting continues to brighten non-fenestrated vertical surfaces, providing a sense of expansion. Natural materials shift from floor to wall to ceiling as a means of spatial definition and wayfinding.