MA Office
Manhattan, New York
Completed in 2025
Construction Team: Leo's Contracting Group
Photos by August Liau
In 2024, we began a series of design interventions for a creative consultancy located in the Chelsea Arts District of Manhattan. This agency works with the fast-evolving fields of fashion, photography, art, and media, and therefore their own requirements for office space evolve quickly as well. At the same time, hybrid working is becoming a long-term model for them, increasing demand for informal spaces for staff, consultants, and clients to meet and collaborate.
The first intervention was to transform an existing “beige box” conference space in their office into a design-minded, cozy space that would represent the office in the best way possible. The goal was to make it feel like an intimate and inspiring retreat that works both for meetings and quiet reflective work.
Our approach was to enhance the three existing key pieces in the room: the large photographic print, the Jean Nouvel designed Ferrari-red oval table, and the glass floor lamp from Flos. We decided to color-drench the space, painting the walls and ceilings with a deep grey-brown color inspired by the colors in the photograph. Modular Vitsoe wall shelves stand out nicely against this backdrop and create opportunities to show off the office’s collections. To highlight these shelves, the artwork, and the red table, we switched out existing exposed ceiling bulbs for monopoint lights that cast a warm directional glow on each.
The second intervention we created was a custom-designed communal table and bench that would serve as a multi-functional space for the office to use. Positioned at a formerly underutilized, but central area of the office, the staff can use this space for informal meetings, working on laptops, or as a large working surface to spread out prints, magazines and other media.
The design consists of simple block shapes: two square blocks supporting the 4-inch thick table surface, and three square blocks supporting the 4-inch thick bench surface. Black-stained semigloss oak wraps around all sides to maintain the solid geometric feel while providing texture and durability.
We integrated two pop-up power stations that rise with a simple push, each with induction charging for phones on the top surface and multiple outlet plugs so that everyone can stay charged and productive.
Before Renovations
