June 23, 2008 -
Spotlights
Leading space planning and corporate interior architecture firm MKDA has created a 3,000 s/f custom-designed office space for option pricing and risk management software development company WhenTech at Downtown Manhattan's most high-profile office building, 7 World Trade Center. The space is located on the building's 34th floor where MKDA also created a full-floor pre-built program on behalf of the building's landlord, Silverstein Properties.
"We have created two floors of pre-built office suites, or incubator spaces, throughout the 52-story building for small companies that wish to call 7 World Trade Center home. Both pre-built spaces and custom-built spaces offer the building's tenants unique space options in which to grow their businesses," said MKDA president Michael Kleinberg.
To fulfill WhenTech's requirement for a transparent office space that would compliment its breathtaking views, MKDA created a bright white shell consisting of white walls and flooring that includes poured glossy white ARDEX, a multi-toned pony hide area rug, and off-white Interface carpet tiles throughout the private offices, which are punctuated by a single row of yellow carpet tiles leading to the windowed cityscape.
In addition, the design firm gave WhenTech's private offices all-glass fronts and doors. Glass windows were installed between offices, and a single, electrically polarized glass partition, which turns opaque at the flick of a switch for privacy, was installed between the only conference room and an adjacent office.
"In addition, MKDA worked to meet each of the Port Authority's code requirements and to pass each of these standards. All materials, down to wall coverings, had to be rigorously tested," said MKDA director of architecture and principal Jerry Herman.