Course: Fall 2023 Advanced Studio (Pratt)

Professor: Jon Otis

site: Building 3, Brooklyn Navy Yard, Brooklyn, NY

project sq. ft: 20,000

type: office

As an homage to the both the past and present interactions of making at the Navy Yard, the experience of this space serves to narrate the process of making, and the exhibition of art objects and installations.  Drawing inspiration from the surrounding textures and adjacencies of the site, as well as other businesses and artists at the Navy Yard, a sense of craftsmanship, sustainability, and community also became integral components of designing this office space for The Agency.

The material palette inspired by the existing conditions at the yard balances an existence of metals with natural materials such as wood and natural fiber textiles, blending craft with an industrial heaviness that captures the essence of Brooklyn. The makerspace at the entrance of the office serves to give both clients and employees a visual cue of what The Agency is about. Additionally, a custom art installation functions as a kind of large-scale guest book where visiting artists, clients, and employees could each create an ornament to be displayed. 

material palette inspired by Navy Yard

images taken at Navy Yard

The multi-functional event room can also be transformed through pivot doors and  a sliding panel wall system to either divide the space into a presentation space and screening room, or a larger event room.  A variety of privacies was also integrated into the planning of the office space, to provide choices for where employees want to work. 

The emphasis on craft and community was also emphasized through furniture and decor selection, highlighting local Brooklyn artisans and companies. In the workspace perspective, we see custom planters by Brooklyn Clay, ceramic dome pendants by In Common With, and reclaimed Maple from a New York  lumber yard, Sawkill Lumber.  In the  tech-free zone, artisanal furniture made by Bronsin Ablon and Sentient Furniture,  and an artwork by  Julie Ryan. Other furniture was selected based on BIFMA Level 3 and SCS Indoor Advantage Gold  standards, as well as only using products manufactured in the USA, as a testament to the company’s core beliefs in sustainability.