35 Worth Street, Tribeca, NYC
a renewed facade for renewed Headquarters
35 Worth Street, Tribeca, New York, NY
Size: 18,000 SF Type: Building gut Renovation and Not-for-profit Corporate Headquarters Interiors
TRA studio’s Assistance : Architectural Design + Documentation, Interior Design, FFE, Lighting, Architectural Graphics, Development Services, Owner’s Representation, Project Management
A RENEWED IMAGE FOR RENEWED HEADQUARTERS
35 Worth Street Building, Tribeca, New York City
Client: Sergeants Benevolent Association SBA
17,000 SF.,under construction, Building renovation, Corporate HQ interiors
THE SITE:
Located in the Tribeca Mixed use District, 35 Worth is a hybrid building: it is four stories manufacturing loft structure, which is not included in the historic district, its scale is diminutive, but at 43’ it is wider than most lots. The client sought to completely renovate the outdated building to house their headquarters and two floors of rentable space.
THE PROGRAM:
The program entailed new off35 WORTH STREET, TRIBECA, NEW YORK CITY
Client: Sergeants Benevolent Association SBA,17,000 SF. 2025, Building renovation, Corporate HQ interiors
THE SITE
Located in the Tribeca Mixed Use District, 35 Worth is a hybrid building: it is four stories manufacturing loft structure, not included in the historic district. Its scale is diminutive, but at 43’ it is wider than most lots. The client sought to completely renovate the outdated building to house their headquarters and two floors of rentable space.
THE BRIEF
We were tasked to renovate and reinvent the deteriorated loft building, increasing its presence on the street, designing sustainable, comfortable interiors infused with optimism while fully exploiting the beauty of the original vaulted structure. We loved to find magic, the potential in what appeared to be a humble structure, a seemingly conservative union and a limited budget. The aesthetic experience is familiar and unfamiliar at the same time, the duality finds the tension without breaking the substance
THE CHALLENGES: THE STUDIO’s EXPANDED ROLE
This project is an example of how we work: not only we were asked to take total control of the planning, exterior design, interiors, lighting design and furniture selection, we also acted as the owner's representative, actively managing schedules and budget, to ensure that the project was going to meet the plan and the expectations, (which we had to read between the lines...). We acted as the architect, the manager and the client: we loved it! The project was completed in budget, buyouts were managed and tracked during the process, without having to resort to value engineering.
In order to do so, we created and continuously updated the BIM model of every element of the building infrastructure.
THE FAÇADE:
The façade, which had been transformed several times in the past and, in its ultimate state, was just reduced to bare and damaged bricks, marked by scars and past structural modifications. The new design not only completely transforms the pre-existing “no-style” façade, it also augments the scale of the building becoming the most-recognizable representation of the Institution.
The design connects symbolically to the history of the area, naturally gravitating towards the loft buildings in the area. The aluminum pilasters create a vertical thrust which recalls the cast-iron column of the landmarked building on the East. The crisp metal panels, which TRA has used extensively for other projects, intentionally differ from ornate historic detailing, to highlight the contemporary, but contextual, aesthetic. The renovation will greatly contribute to rebalancing the scale of the street, which is dominated by several very large recent institutional buildings.
Although the exterior materials are simple, the scale is enhanced the rhythm of the progressively diminishing cornices and conversely progressively increasing window heights. The subtle articulation of the planes, creates a sense of movement which recalls the stone slabs of several Tribeca buildings. The open portico at the top also hides the extensive mechanical and new circulation volumes.
THE INTERIORS: THE STREET
The three Corporate HQ floors, each housing a different department, are anchored by the ornamental stair, which acts as fifth dimension, a space that connects all and were informal interaction takes place and, on both the main and the corporate floors, by what we call “The Street”.
The Street is also a subtle reminder of the presence of the force on the streets and the subway, a continuity which is also referenced in the muted color but tactile textures of the cobblestone-like pavers and the iconic concrete vaults. The reference to the public way is further reinforced by the “billboards”, four large digital displays, that, on the first floor, describe the mission of the union and, on the executive floor, dispatch critical information to the members.
The Street is the interface between the civic presence, which is inherent to the SBA’s mission and the more private, corporate world, sort of an urban living room, it is a platform for social interaction which will evolve in ways and hat we cannot and not want to predict
The design of the interior public spaces, which reflects the company’s ethos and mission and contemporary corporate culture, takes full advantage of the exposed steel columns and concrete vaulted ceilings which are consistent in all the public spaces, the materiality of the spaces includes refined ceramic tiles, light and dark wood cladding, accented by the industrial quality of the aluminum, glass and zinc panels. The familiar materials provide a sense of safety, assurance and permanence.
THE CATALYTIC URBAN EFFECT: TRA’S TRIBECA’S PROJECTS
As it often happened before, one successful project generated more work along the street, TRA studio was been hired on 35 Worth Street, following the successful gut-renovation of the adjacent 173 West Broadway, a loft building with similar characteristics, 6 Cortland Alley and the New York Academy of Arts on Franklin Street. The accretive value of the interventions in Tribeca, contributed to the “making of the street”, acting as anchors in the commercial lower Broadway corridor.
THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS: OUR AMPLIFIED CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION
We always collaborate with our clients, making all significant programming, budgeting and design recommendations, this project was one were we were involved from feasibility through construction, down to lighting, the furniture and finishes selection and graphic design program. The repeated success of our projects greatly assist us in demonstrating, how our “ Amplified Construction Administration” process adds value in all phases of design and construction.
TRA oversaw architectural design, project management, and construction supervision, under a single framework to ensure efficient coordination among disciplines and minimized administrative complexity for the client. TRA was asked to act as both the owner’s representative and construction manager. TRA selected the general contractor and worked closely with the General Contractor, assisting with the project administration, including procurement, obtaining bids, evaluating change orders, tracking, scheduling, all working within the set budget. TRA followed the construction project daily through site meetings, zoom meetings and a constant stream of images uploaded on a shared drive.
In order to ensure that project was going to be built on time and on budget, the team adopted model-based delivery practices throughout the construction phases. The Revit model has been shared with the subs and continuously updated in a collaborative process. TRA also investigated and implemented the latest techniques to improve scheduling and workflow, such as layout printing on site, and facilitated offsite construction techniques when possible.
Siteline360 recently was provided the opportunity to deploy the new HP SitePrint Robot on a design-build project with TRA Studios in Manhattan.
From the very beginning of the project coordination and communications was top-notch and we are extremely proud to have been part of the team working on this project.Siteline360
THE TEAM:
Architect: TRA studio
Project management: TRA studio
Interiors and lighting: TRA studio
Structural and SOE Engineer: Wexler Associates
MEP Engineer: Jack Green and Associates’
Zoning Consultant: Jam Consultants
Elevator Consultant: Hubert H. Hayes