In the first conversations we had with our client, we learned that while people typically associate The Nature Conservancy with preserving large tracts of wilderness, their NY office in particular was also very urban, equally focused on strategies to support healthy ecosystems in cities. This insight became the basis for our design.

The building TNC chose for their new home is a classic 1920’s industrial loft. Our design took this industrial history as a backdrop, and we then introduced a closer and more explicit relationship with the natural world and adapting it to TNCs needs. We started by removing the interior partitions and exposing the ceilings end exterior walls throughout to create a raw loft with wide open floors, and then condensed all shared work functions, including conference rooms and phone booths, into three plywood-clad “boxes” that float as objects within this loft. By carefully placing the boxes and cladding each with a subtly different plywood, we created a range of spaces for TNC’s many teams, further divided with frameless and nearly invisible glass walls to control sound transmission, while still maintaining the overall experience of one large shared space.

The design literally centers on a two-story tall Ficus Amstel King tree that grows out of a massive custom-designed planter that morphs into the reception desk. The tree’s crown opens through a large opening we cut through the upper level’s concrete floor, with an even larger second hole cut a few feet to the north for the grand floating staircase that links the two levels. Bathed in two stories of southern light and supplemented by full-spectrum UV grow lights, the tree is both the heart and symbol of the office, reflecting the important work TNC is doing with urban trees. Additionally, forty-three mobile planters hold a variety of tall indoor plants which serve as screening for open work areas, filters for cleaning the air, sound absorbers, while adding visual richness to the space.

The south-facing terrace at the top of the stairs is directly off the café and also has several large outdoor planters that, during the growing season, will support an herb garden. Composting bins in the Kitchen manage organic waste which are returned to the outdoor planters to serve as fertilizer, thus completing the nutrient cycle.

Carpets are adhesive-free recyclable Interface floor tiles, all paint is low VOC, and all wall & ceiling acoustic treatments are EzoBord products made from recycled plastic bottles. All plywood used for cladding the boxes is FSC-certified to be from sustainably-managed forests. The desking systems are modular sit/stand units that can be easily reconfigured.

The HVAC system is a multi-zone heat pump split system with a supplemental Energy Recovery Ventilation component that can adjust its energy use depending on the independent needs of nineteen different zones. This increases occupant comfort, minimizes energy usage, allows for simultaneous heating & cooling as needed, and saves space by eliminating both large runs of bulky traditional ductwork and a mechanical room.

Team: Ate Atema, principal; Chris Alker, senior architect; Kristen Turner, strategist; Eugene Tan, senior designer; Mark Fagan, designer

Consultant 01: MEP Engineer: ABS Engineering

Consultant 02: Structural Engineer: Murray Engineering

Consultant 03: Audio/Visual: Cloud 9 Smart

Furniture: Vitra, Halcon, Blu Dot, Knoll, Davis, Herman Miller, Mater, CB2, & Steelcase

General Contractor: Phase 3 Interiors

Our client is a global non-profit venture capital firm who came to us looking for a work environment that supported their horizontal, collaborative organizational structure, but had a more focused, relevant identity, all the while keeping costs modest, focusing on sustainable design principles, and allowing them to take much of their brand-specific elements with them in the future.

The space we worked with was provided to Acumen by one of their investors on very favorable terms, but with two caveats: 1) that the investor could repossess the space in a few years with relatively short notice, and 2) that we use their construction specifications wherever possible on built-in, non-movable items.  Since we were developing a brand ID specific to Acumen, this became the inspiration for what we would term the Nomadic Project, whose Nomadic Elements would provide high visual richness and specific branding impact for relatively low cost, designed so they could be easily removed and reused in new future locations.  These elements ended up including: the "Saffron Wave" backlit ceiling canopy, whose main components were cut off-site by a CNC mill, then painted, assembled, and installed by a combination of client and architect labor; the fabric ceiling-hung panels; and the custom reception and dining area furniture made of blackened steel and reclaimed antique hear pine.

Team Ate Atema, principal; Amy Campos, project manager; Kasia Ehrhardt, Ryan Bemberg

Photography: MIchael Moran

Office space in collaboration with Joel Sanders for a leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe and affirming schools for LGBTQ students. 

Team: Joel Sanders, Ate Atema, Principals; Sabina Peci, Project Manager

Consultant 01: Fogarty Finger, Architect of Record

General Contractor: SRS Construction

Photography: Peter Dressel

TED, best known for the influential TED Talks website, curates and facilitates the sharing of innovative ideas around the globe using new media and technology. They challenged us to envision what an office for the information age could be, and their motto: “ideas worth spreading,” became the DNA of our design. 

As technology increasingly adapts to people rather than the other way around, we wanted to create a work environment that better supports physical well-being, which in turn supports the mental well-being that is key to good idea-creation and sharing. 

The typology of the Theater emerged as a highly appropriate “heart” of the office. Their conferences are a form of theater, and as spaces designed for flexibility and idea exchange, theaters reflect TED’s mission beautifully, so we put a black-box theater-in-the-round in the middle of their office. The Theater serves simultaneously as “town square,” reception lounge, and informal work space, and is easily transformed into a presentation space where they host regular talks.

The physical office is less a fixed sequence of programmed spaces with a definable image than a transformable, process-driven, “soft” environment. Central spaces are defined by curtains or glass walls. Furniture is arranged to define team areas, but otherwise work areas are wide open to support TED’s collaborative culture. We developed a custom desk and other furniture in collaboration with Steelcase to clearly define each person’s space and provide options for privacy within a small footprint. 

The design accommodates a range of body positions and encourages moving between them.  People can choose to work seated in a chair at a desk or reclining in a lounge chair, and each team has a shared adjustable-height table for seated or standing meetings.  A coffee bar next to the kitchen allows for informal standing meetings, and a loft tucked above a free-standing conference room is perfect for idea-inspiring naps.

Team: Ate Atema, principal; Carl Mahaney, project manager; Julia Savastinuk

Photography: Michael Moran

Our client is a global non-profit venture capital firm who returned to us following the end of the lease on the first office we designed for them.   

We continued the Nomadic Project direction established in Acumen 1.0 including the "Saffron Wave" backlit ceiling canopy, whose main components were cut off-site by a CNC mill, then painted, assembled, and installed by a combination of client and architect labor; the fabric ceiling-hung panels; and custom reception and dining area with dark stained hardwood and colorful cushions.

Team: Ate Atema, Principal; Angie Co, Project Manager; Li Qiu, designer

Consultant 01: Fifield Piaker Elman, Architect of Record

Consultant 02: MEP Engineer: M.Chetrit Consulting Engineers

General Contractor: Whitestar

Photography: Fran Parente

Team: Ate Atema, principal; Eric Cheong, designer; Nina Gotlieb, designer; Courtney Rice, designer

Consultant 01: MEP Engineer: Robert Derector Associates

Consultant 02: MEP Engineer: Gabor M. Szakal Consulting Engineer, P.C.

Consultant 03: Structural Engineer: Murray Engineering

Consultant 04: Audio/Visual: Shen Milsom & Wilke, Inc.

Consultant 05: Code/Expediting: Rizzo Associates

Consultant 06: Code/Expediting: CODE, LLC

Furniture: Knoll

General Contractor 01: ATCO Construction / Essential Design & Build

General Contractor 02: Gannon Vitolo Contracting, LLC

This office is the headquarters for Endeavor, a leading global impact investment fund, who was seeking a home for their international family of investees, fellows, board members, and alums.  Beginning with the great bones of McKim Meade & White-designed building's fourteen foot ceilings, huge windows, and trapezoidal floor plan; discreet rooms or "buildings" were inserted into the landscape of the space that create a dialogue between the old and new architecture.  Bold colors and custom light fixtures brand the space and tie it all together.

Team: Ate Atema, Principal; Carl Mahaney, Project Manager

Consultant 01: Robert Derector Associates, MEP Engineer

Consultant 02: JAM Consultants, Expediting and Code Consulting

Custom Fabrications: Material Process Systems

Furniture System: Herman Miller

Custom Furniture: Nada Debs, NR Wood

General Contractor: Quest Builders Group

Photography: Fran Parente