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Architects: CIVILIVN
- Area: 30000 ft²
- Year: 2020
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Structural: Silman Structural Engineers, Silman
Text description provided by the architects. CIVILIVN, a New York-based creative studio, was engaged by Newlab to transform a nearly 30,000 square-foot space near its Brooklyn Navy Yard Headquarters. Newlab and CIVILIVN collaborated to reimagine the interiors of a 1930s-era manufacturing building at 77 Washington Avenue into a cutting-edge space designed to accommodate Newlab’s rapidly expanding community of experts and innovators applying transformative technology to solve the world’s biggest challenges.
The new project follows CIVILIVN’s work designing Newlab’s 84,000 square-foot headquarters at Building 128, a former shipbuilding facility in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. A few blocks from the Navy Yard, Newlab 77 Washington provides six floors of additional space for the burgeoning Newlab community to bring together entrepreneurs, engineers, inventors and industry leaders to create sustainable solutions and enterprises. Current members located at 77 Washington include founding member StrongArm Technologies. Recently, Newlab and StrongArm partnered to pilot a program leveraging StrongArm’s sensor-based technology platform to bring Newlab staff and member companies back to work safely amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The interior design of Newlab 77 Washington maintains the original industrial character of the manufacturing building while reinventing it as a contemporary space for innovation. Conference rooms bisect the open floors, creating distinct zones that remain flexible enough to accommodate company growth. A mix of individual workstations, informal breakout areas, and private conference rooms support both collaborative and focused, independent work.
The design at the ground level invites the energy of the neighborhood into the building to create an environment where members can socialize and collaborate in an unstructured way. Large windows screened by floor-to-ceiling window coverings soften the boundaries between the interiors and the outdoors areas, while the plan emphasizes the transitions between the lobby, lounge, conference area, and existing private garden, resulting in a procession of distinct areas that remain interconnected with one another. A custom-designed reception desk made of aluminum laminate mounted on painted plywood tubes offers a contemporary element set against the building’s original floors, masonry walls, and exposed ceiling girders.
For the furniture, CIVILIVN refinished Art Deco-era pieces with highly durable materials, including Kvadrat/Raf Simons fabrics, creating a distinctive space that can be seamlessly tailored to companies' specific operational needs. The desk line can stand alone as individual workstations or be grouped into team pods that read as a single, built-in architectural element. Throughout, pieces inspired by artists Donald Judd and Isamu Noguchi reference New York City’s creative heritage, resulting in an elevated environment that attracts leading entrepreneurs. The understated forms of the furniture and natural colors of the finishes create an inviting, gallery-like space that complements the aesthetic of the Newlab headquarters.
The facility is equipped with amenities including assembly areas, lounges, kitchenettes, private phone booths, and a wellness room.
