architecture AF designs a manhattan tech startup inside a 19th century building

originally built in the 19th century as the printing house of american publishing company collier’s, the historic building now known as the ‘greenway mews’ has undergone many transformations in manhattan’s meatpacking district in new york city. it is currently a popular home for tech companies, hosting an ideal headquarters for a mobile gaming app company called ‘PlayDots, Inc.‘. with a diverse team of illustrators, animators, designers, and engineers all working under the same roof, the client has brought a full program to the 6,000 sf raw space – including individual workspaces, a gaming area, conference rooms, phone booths, a sound studio, lounges, and impromptu ‘breakout spaces’ to name a few.

this originally 19th century building now hosts an HQ for a mobile gaming app company called ‘PlayDots, Inc.’

to organize the program of the new office for ‘Dots’, US based studio architecture AF has taken cues from the long and rectilinear space, grouping the program into three ‘bands’ aligned parallel to the length of the space. the first band is comprised of individual desks, flanking the only wall with windows – maximizing daylight for each employee. all service oriented program – reception, kitchen, storage, etc. – is arranged parallel and opposite to the open workspace, along the length of the hallway. separating and mediating these two bands is a series of interstitial mixing spaces designed to encourage interaction between employees.

the design program includes individual workspaces, gaming area, conference rooms, phone booths, and lounges

a determined material palette of plywood, blackened steel, and grey fabric cohere the architectural interventions. two fabric wrapped rooms with bleached plywood slats are inserted into the space, offering private conferences and phone booths in the interior, as well as a sound dampening exterior for the cavernous office. additional breakout spaces such as lounges and cafe tables, a gaming center, and banquet areas offer flexible usage – from lunch to casual meetings. natural and soft materials create a warm and soothing office environment, and their understated use reflects the values of a startup inspired by minimal design.

a determined material palette of plywood, blackened steel, and grey fabric cohere the architectural interventions

natural and soft materials create a warm and soothing office environment

the space offers private conferences and phone booths, as well as a sound dampening exterior for the office

their understated use reflects the values of a startup inspired by minimal design

private phone booths are wrapped with bleached plywood slats

individual desks are flanking the only wall with windows – maximizing daylight for each employee

separating these two bands is a series of mixing spaces designed to encourage interaction between employees

all service oriented program is arranged parallel and opposite to the open workspace

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: apostolos costarangos | designboom

Save