This Brooklyn renovation was structured around building a stage for living for two first time home owners. The design approach focused on carving out individual but connected spaces within the home that support the couple’s ongoing hosting of friends and community – their chosen family. The outcome is one grounded by warmth and texture, overlaid with a mix of old and new elements - many by our community of makers and artists.
The dining area is nestled in a carved, arched nook designed to accommodate dinners with friends. Our custom banquette and table built with Thirdkind Studio hugs the space. The nook opens directly to the kitchen where the couple regularly makes meals for guests. Our client loved to cook and wanted to be in conversation with guests when hosting. We designed the custom walnut kitchen lower than standard so that it feels small and compact, like a piece of furniture, leaving the space feeling connected to its surroundings. The living area features low-to-ground furniture that accommodates guests and dachshunds alike.
featured in Elle Decor
photography by Winnie Au
In 2024, we were asked to create a new, immersive shop for the Whitney Museum of American Art. We brought to life a bold-yet-inviting space that signals a transformation for the museum. The shop-in-shop plays the role of the first touch point into the museum - not only a place to engage with products, but a space for gathering and reflection. Open sight lines, open circulation, and a sense of discovery and exploration are core to the experience. A collective family of fixtures that express a unique yet unified design language serve the mission and ethos of Whitney.
Photography by Claire Esparros
Office of Tangible Space envisioned the Brooklyn Museum Café as a place to come together. Playing off the mission of the museum, they envisioned the Café as a Brooklyn stoop where all are invited. The space embodies the playfulness, creativity, craft, and expression that make Brooklyn and Brooklynites so unique.
Being that it would be many visitor’s first contact with the museum, Office of Tangible Space established the following set of principles for the Café space driven by the mission of Brooklyn Museum, which is to bring people together through art and experiences that inspire celebration, compassion, courage, and the will to act.
It is space that welcomes the community in
It is open and inviting
There is a place for everyone
It is approachable but makes a statement
It is courageous, joyous, and playful
It is impactful in its simplicity
It’s a place that makes a mark in people’s memories
The studio developed a plan with a set of the “islands and streams” that loosely guide visitors through an ever-changing scene. The space is anchored by large islands of seating and undulating streams of custom tables indicating the walking paths. The perimeter includes soft seating zones incorporating spatial dividers and plants. The incorporation of bold color and material add to playfulness and tactility of the space.
Sprinkled throughout the cafe are one-of-a-kind stools by artists connected to Brooklyn, commissioned by the Brooklyn Museum and Office of Tangible Space. These handcrafted pieces not only complement the café’s design but also echo the philosophy that food, like art, is an immersive experience—engaging the senses, sparking conversation, and creating a connection between the creator and the audience.
Photography Matthew Gordon
An additional 25,000 SF floor for a growing SF tech client.
Photography by Mariko Reed
Bathed in light and open to the landscape, Caroline Hurley and Alex Crane’s East Hampton home is both a retreat for family and a backdrop for creativity. Designed in collaboration with interdisciplinary architecture and interiors studio Office of Tangible Space, the house unfolds as a sequence of sunlit spaces that flow effortlessly from one to the next, anchored by impactful architectural moments that ground the flow of daily life.
The renovation became an opportunity to support Alex and Caroline’s creative life, family, and community. Tiles and textiles designed by Caroline are woven into the design, as are objects made by friends. Materials were chosen with longevity and sustainability in mind. The result is a modernized dwelling, but also a home that supports both the rituals of family life and the freedom of creative expression—where sunlight, softness and texture, and the natural landscape come together in conversation.
Together, they share not only a studio conversation but a home filled with textiles, sketches, and the joyful chaos of their two young children. Parenthood, they say, has softened their work—adding play, patience, and presence to the practice of making.
A large expansion and reorienting the circulation were at the core of the renovation. A 600-square-foot addition introduced a new entry, mudroom, and sunroom, while opening the kitchen to the living and dining areas. Floor-to-ceiling glass along the front facade floods the home with light and connects it to the pool and Three Mile Harbor beyond. At the center, a curved plaster fireplace—the heart of the house—anchors the communal spaces, drawing the eye upward to the cathedral ceiling and outward through large skylights.
Layered textures and natural materials balance minimalism with warmth. White oak floors and millwork, limewashed walls, and linoleum cabinetry accented with unlacquered brass that will gracefully patina with time are in conversation throughout. The palette feels fresh yet timeless, a welcoming yet aspirational backdrop for the couple’s multifaceted lifestyle of family, friends and artistic practice.
Photography Charlie Schuck
Nestled into an established, park-like neighborhood in San Antonio, the Mandalay Residence — designed by Lake|Flato and Office of Tangible Space — represents the sensitive yet transformative renovation of a delightful mid-century modernist home. Designed for a young family of four, the new home honors the original structure and introduces a vibrant and energetic point of view.
The original house, designed in 1949 by the acclaimed regional modernist O’Neil Ford, was a modest, one-story brick structure with a wide, flat roof. A cavernous sunken living room added in the ‘70s shifted the hierarchy of the home to the north end of the house, making a stronger connection to the lower level pool courtyard, but also creating a disparate quality of spaces between new and old. The renovation embraces the existing varied spatial conditions while also reconfiguring the layout to better suit the homeowner’s needs. A simple yet rigorous palette of natural materials unifies the spaces, and new skylights bring in unexpected natural daylighting.
The main entry was relocated to the center of the house, where an airy, formal living and dining room with new glass walls bridging the landscape across the site. In the dining area, a wet bar lined in white oak turns the corner to flow into the kitchen, a serene and central space connected to a breakfast nook on a mezzanine overlooking the sunken den. The white oak paneling continues into the den, with accents of terrazzo and brass that showcase a high level of craftsmanship. In the den, a large, custom two-sided sofa creates an unconventional yet comfortable lounging experience – suitable for viewing a movie, sitting by the fireplace, or looking out on the pool. The sunken den synthesizes the contrasting design styles into an impactful, unified language.
In the private areas of the home, the original carport was reconfigured to create a kids’ wing, with a colorful muraled hallway leading to two bedrooms facing onto a new private courtyard. The primary bedroom is a space of respite and reflection, with exposed roof joists adding texture and loft. The interior features a grounded custom bed in white oak, flanked by new bedside windows, while a sliding door out to an existing balcony frames a grand view of the backyard and pool. Outside, a low-slung guest house frames the outdoor court, with a retro oval-shaped pool tying it all together.
Lake|Flato team: Vicki Yuan, Jayme Gritch, Will McInnes
Office of Tangible Space team: Michael Yarinsky, Kelley Perumbeti, Zoë Mowat
Photography: Charlie Schuck
Car Part Time is conceived as a new kind of venue for automotive culture in New York. The space pairs a rotating display of collectible cars with a program of cultural events, placing the automobile in dialogue with design, architecture, and contemporary culture while also reflecting Car Part Time’s role as a licensed dealer specializing in collector cars. Located within a 2,000-square-foot concrete interior, OTS has transformed the industrial space into a social environment through carefully layered materials, vintage lighting, and moments of tactile detail referencing automotive design.
The result is an aspirational yet approachable setting – part gallery, part lounge – designed for car enthusiasts and the car-curious alike.
Photography by Claire Esparros
We were asked to extend and update a historic DC home that would cater to the dynamic lifestyle of a family of four. The clients desired a space that felt elevated yet warm and accessible. It was important to honor the original era of the residence while also infusing it with a contemporary energy.
The living room and kitchen serves as the heart of the home, designed to accommodate daily life and also larger social settings. Soft furnishings and versatile layouts in the living room offer comfortable lounging while allowing for easy rearrangement to suit various activities. The kitchen is an essential gathering space in day to day life, blending functionality with warmth and a relationship with the outdoors. Large windows frame views of the backyard, connecting indoor activities and dining with the patio. The space encourages cooking and engagement.
Private areas, such as the primary bedroom, are designed as retreats for the couple. These spaces emphasize tranquility and respite, featuring soft color palettes and cozy textures that invite relaxation.
Photography Jonathan Hokklo
In approaching the design of ScienceIO’s global headquarters, we wanted to create a space that communicated the forward thinking biotech company’s mission but also provided a warm, comfortable and inviting place to work.
The immersive space was born out of experimentation - not only in the materials and details, but also the way in which a pioneering company might accommodate for new ways of working.
We chose a very bright but warm material palette - oak, stone, lime wash - as these are not the prime materials in similar project types. This served to differentiate the space and contribute to the richness one feels in the space.
We were given bandwidth to be inventive with many details, including large custom white wire grid room dividers and other custom furnishings throughout. One particular detail that stands out are the standing desks we designed incorporating an arched armature the holds a pendant lamp. This detail allows the desk to be moved up and down without disrupting height of the lamp - while also providing the flexibility to move the desks around in many configurations throughout the space without rewiring the ceiling. What emerges from these constraints is a striking new hybrid desk typology. The programming of the space allows for complete flexibility and mobility while working.
What we achieved is a balanced space that is incredibly inviting, has a bold but warm character and moments of creative engagement in the details.
Photography by Charlie Schuck
Goodside is a pole dance studio dedicated to movement — an environment where design, self-expression, and strength intersect. The studio reimagines what a pole space can be: inviting yet edgy, refined yet raw — a place, as the designers put it, “Grace Jones would feel at home in.”
Located in Nolita on the Lower East Side, Goodside unfolds across two distinct floors that mirror the duality of pole itself — grounded and ethereal, disciplined and wild. The ground-level studio’s tall and airy volume is anchored by 16-foot tall poles, the highest in New York City. Here, a retail shop and library blend seamlessly with a lounge for dancers to gather between sessions, creating a social rhythm around the act of movement. Below, the basement studio takes on a moodier, more intimate tone — with 10-foot ceilings, mirrors by Ready To Hang, and a dedicated heel storage area where members keep their signature footwear. Lighting shifts from daylight to glow, reflecting the body’s transition from openness to introspection.
The material palette grounds the experience: warm oak and plaster punctuated by bold reds, burgundies, and terracottas — a visual language that captures both sensuality and strength. At the center of the design, a gridded floor of walnut and oak brings spatial logic and aesthetic rhythm to the pole area. The grid aligns with the ceiling beams, lighting, and pole positions — creating a unified geometry that feels intentional yet instinctual, and doubles as a cinematic backdrop for filming, an essential part of dancers’ creative repertoires.
Featured in Dezeen
Approaching the renovation of this 1980s East Hampton house, we aimed to reference the original methodologies of the era while creating a new vocabulary.
Many concepts core to the original house and the early postmodern architecture movement more generally were a helpful guide to begin. The idea that function follows form and that material, shape and color are signifiers was something we wanted to honor. This allowed us important tools to create curiosity and guide users through space by the use of sign and symbol.
We wanted the experience to be warm and inviting, so we introduced a new language we loosely termed “soft brutalism”. The use of strong, bold material and form while always referencing the approachability, scale, and tactility of human interactions.
When Caroline Z Hurley and Alex Crane purchased a historic home nestled against the San Gabriel Mountains in Altadena, California, they brought on Office of Tangible Space to design a renovation that would maintain the original quality, character, and craft of the home while updating the layout to function for a modern family. The original structure, The Valentine House was built in 1915 by Walter Valentine. In 1922, architect Henry Greene (of the renowned firm Greene & Greene) designed a major renovation and expansion to the home, lending a distinctive influence and history.
Tragically, the existing house burned down in the Eaton Fire earlier this year, putting the project on indefinite hold as construction was about to begin. In this moment of pause and reflection – and in order to honor the centennial history of the house, the homeowners and designers have decided to discuss the project more - both its history and the renovation.
The primary architectural intervention was to be the addition of a new private wing. This addition would have nearly doubled the home’s square footage and includes four bedrooms and four bathrooms. It also offered a connection point to the house’s lower level, which was originally designed as a servant’s quarters and was only accessible via an exterior stair. Office of Tangible Space let the building’s existing roof line to define the scale and form of the addition, mirroring the cathedral roof. A glassed-in breezeway between the new and existing structures separates public and private and provides a circulation path guided by sunlight.
This addition freed up space in the existing structure, where the design team opened the floor plan and exposed the cathedral ceilings to create a space that’s both airy and welcoming for the family to gather—a kitchen, dining, and living room bathed in light by a wall of windows that frame expansive views of the mountain landscape. A natural material palette of oak, plaster, and terracotta with redwood accents (sourced from felled trees on the property) lends texture and warmth to the space, and custom millwork solutions provide spatial divisions and storage for the young family.
The work and details of Greene & Greene were a constant reference in the design of the expansion. The influential Arts and Crafts Era architecture office imbued craft into every detail. In reference to the expansion, Office of Tangible Space researched the history and craft of Greene & Greene and tried to solve issues in the same mindset, process, and palette. In the process of expanding and modernizing the house in terms of space layout and systems, the design was constantly weighed against the history and the detail.
Nestled in the serene landscape of East Chatham, New York, the new Calico Wallpaper space emerges as a striking testament to the collaborative vision of the multidisciplinary studio Office of Tangible Space. This thoughtfully designed environment serves as an artist studio, showhouse, and design studio. This elegant mix of functions meets Calico's team's daily needs while offering a welcoming haven for visiting clients. It also doubles as a retreat for resident artist-collaborators and plays host to intimate dinner gatherings, including the personal painting studio of Calico co-founder Rachel Cope.
As one steps inside, a palpable warmth envelops the space, infused with a craft-driven sensibility that creates a cohesive brand narrative. The designers took inspiration from the rustic charm of a traditional upstate farmhouse, artfully punctuating the interiors with modern details. By skillfully blending Shaker simplicity, Scandinavian functionality, and Italian Futurism, they have illuminated the Calico collections, showcasing the wallpapers in an entirely fresh light.
The grand dining room, an inviting centerpiece, accommodates eighteen guests around a custom walnut table by Office of Tangible Space. Above, a chandelier by the Belgian duo Muller Van Severen casts a soft glow, perfectly complementing the Calico Wallpaper collaboration by Faye Toogood. Meanwhile, the entry and reading area is a comfortable nook for reflection with a lounge and side table by Orior. Each bedroom, adorned with carefully curated vintage quilts and an array of eclectic objects, features furniture pieces from Sawkille, enhancing the intimate character of each space.
Photography by William Jess Laird
Our studio has always had a deep connection to the work and process of Finnish architect Alvar Aalto (1898-1976). We connect with Aalto’s use of materials, focus on the human experience, and multidisciplinary approach - working from the scale of architecture, to interiors, to furniture, to objects — but at its core, we connect with the ability to see and feel the creative problem solving that went into every detail. The work of Alvar Aalto has been a constant reference for our studio for how to make work on many scales and to aim to impact people on a deeper human level through design.
Recently, we were given an incredibly unique opportunity to approach his work in an intimate way. We were asked be part of a project to preserve the 4500 square foot Kaufmann Conference Center in New York — one of only five Aalto projects ever constructed in the United States. Alvar Aalto Foundation – in collaboration with the Consulate General of Finland in New York and Finnish Cultural Institute in New York brought on our studio to manage the project.
To be given the responsibility to handle the work itself and be its custodian and steward was not lost on us. It has been an incredible journey to dive deeply into this work not only in the physical space, but in research, in creation of new drawings, in 3D scans/modeling, and in photography with the aid of Finnish photographer Janne Tuunanen. To create and expand the archive, documenting this work was the first step. The next step was to manage the dismantling.
Alvar Aalto´s Kaufmann Conference Center in New York
The Kaufmann Conference Center – one of five realized works in the United States by famed Finnish architect Alvar Aalto and the only remaining in New York – away from public view for two decades will have a new public future.
The Kaufmann Conference Center (1963), situated within a large private tower building, is considered one of the most important modernist interior spaces in the United States. Despite the support of Aalto enthusiasts and several attempts made for protecting the space, it never received the NPC landmark status. As the future of this important space was in limbo, through negotiations led by the Consulate General of Finland in New York, it was determined that the Alvar Aalto Foundation would become the steward of the contents of the interiors and find a new home for them in public view into the future.
In almost the reverse of its construction, the elements that were manufactured and shipped over from Finland and installed in Kaufman Center were carefully dismantled, logged, packed, and stored for public display in the future. This included the large wood wall relief sculpture, wood wall rails that Aalto called "spaghetti" rails due to them being constructed from many tiny wood dowels, curved cobalt-blue tiles, bronze door handles, custom furniture, window louvers, curtains, and the many beautiful gold-plated copper pendant lights. The pieces from the Kaufmann Rooms will begin their next chapter – as part of public exhibitions nationwide and remain part of Aalto’s important legacy in the United States.
At a time when the world’s most famous architects focused on architectural style and modernist purity, Aalto embraced balancing and navigating the organic complexity of individual projects.
Alvar Aalto discussed a “Methodical Accomodation to Circumstance” in reference to the approach he sought to take in his own work. Architectural historian Stanford Anderson wrote “The architect as viewed by Aalto, must attend to the circumstances; climate, landscape, site, culture, materials, tectonics, and more. Yet these conditions must be approached methodically; there are inherently architectural propositions which the builder brings to the setting. Thus there must be accommodation, not only reciprocally between propositions and circumstances, but also among the often competing demands of the circumstances themselves.”
At its core, we connect with the ability to see and feel the creative problem solving that went into every detail of Alvar Aalto’s work. For Aalto, invention was born of analysis of the complex requirements of a project, not any kind of preconceived style or notion.
We are deeply grateful to be taking part in the endeavor to protect this important work of design — and in so doing get work so closely with it and continue to learn so much.
Photography Janne Tuunanen, Drawings Office of Tangible Space
Goodside is a pole dance studio dedicated to movement — an environment where design, self-expression, and strength intersect. The studio reimagines what a pole space can be: inviting yet edgy, refined yet raw — a place Grace Jones would feel at home in.
Located in Nolita on the Lower East Side, Goodside unfolds across two distinct floors that mirror the duality of pole itself — grounded and ethereal, disciplined and wild. The ground-level studio’s tall and airy volume is anchored by 16-foot tall poles, the highest in New York City. Here, a retail shop and library blend seamlessly with a lounge for dancers to gather between sessions, creating a social rhythm around the act of movement. Below, the basement studio takes on a moodier, more intimate tone — with 10-foot ceilings, mirrors by Ready To Hang, and a dedicated heel storage area where members keep their signature footwear. Lighting shifts from daylight to glow, reflecting the body’s transition from openness to introspection.
The material palette grounds the experience: warm oak and plaster punctuated by bold reds, burgundies, and terracottas — a visual language that captures both sensuality and strength. At the center of the design, a gridded floor of walnut and oak brings spatial logic and aesthetic rhythm to the pole area. The grid aligns with the ceiling beams, lighting, and pole positions — creating a unified geometry that feels intentional yet instinctual, and doubles as a cinematic backdrop for filming, an essential part of dancers’ creative repertoires.
A 12-foot-tall colonnade of curtains divides the studio from the lounge and the street beyond, creating a soft threshold that is both architectural and fluid/kinetic. It’s a brand gesture, but also a tool for privacy — allowing the studio to close itself off visually during classes, emphasizing the mantra that defines Goodside: Pole is personal, not performance.
Founded by an art gallerist, mother of two, and former choreographer, Goodside was built for dancers to explore pleasure-based, sensual movement for themselves — not the male gaze. Its signature FORM & FLOW class encourages strength, flexibility, and fluidity, cultivating dancers as both athletes and artists. “Make it good, make it your own,” reads one of the studio’s guiding mantras, a reminder that movement here is about authenticity, not perfection.
Every detail of Goodside reinforces that philosophy. The shop curates books on art, design, feminism, and sex work, alongside apparel and accessories that merge aesthetic and function. Sound by Waves and Frequencies and art from Uprise Art deepen the sensory experience, while inclusivity defines the space: a studio welcoming BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and dancers of all body sizes to find freedom through form.
Goodside is a space where movement becomes form — where oak, plaster, and light conspire to create a feeling of grounded power. Designed to honor both the discipline and the sensuality of pole, it stands as a new kind of studio for a new kind of dancer: expressive, unapologetic, and completely at home in their body.
Photography Claire Esparros
The Flatiron, NYC Headquarters for Accounting AI platform Basis whose mission is to improve the world’s economic decision making. We crafted a space that perfectly suited both the brand and the functional the needs by establishing early-on the ruleset below:
Simultaneously functional and aspirational.
Inviting.
Minimal but engaging.
Collaborative.
Clean and light. Not a spa.
A recruiting tool.
Flexible.
A place as much for intense work as for events.
The client approached us to design their new 26,000 SF HQ in downtown San Francisco. The brief focus was to create a space that reflected the new, mature stage of the company lifecycle and to serve employees, investors and guests. It also needed to be an impactful place to welcome the community through events and programming.
We envisioned the brand through the lens of computing and the climate - the company ethos. Metal, wood, a mixture of vibrant tones and soft greens formed as a foundation for the look and feel of the office. We explored patterns and forms that nodded to computing and the hardware associated with its operations and overlaid it with softer, organic forms.
The layout of the office was long and linear which allowed for pockets of unique zones to be discovered. As you progress through the space different palettes are expressed along the way. The private meeting zones are lined with Heat Study wallpaper by Wallpaper projects while private offices have Grid Wallpaper by Poppy Print Studio. The central meeting point within the office is the All Hands zone, where smaller teams give talks through a normal week and larger events take place that bring the Bay Area community in. We took a new approach to the space layout, designing large custom ottoman seats mixed with cafe tables and lounge chairs, all flowing organically into each other. This allows for the space to be used in different ways depending on what the need of an individual or team might be.
Originally built in 1883, The Cedars sits between the bay and the sound, at the entrance to the quiet town of Orient, New York. A few years ago a young couple began to envision the house as a place that would not only pay homage to the history of the place, but also fit their personalities. They wanted something design-forward, light, bright, and full of art and design. They then teamed up with Office of Tangible Space to breathe life into their vision for the interiors and detailing.
As the house overlooks the Long Island sound, the scenery is ever-changing - with each unique sunset bathing the home in color. The interior references the moment when the ocean meets the sky. The color selection consists of muted blues and greens, contrasting with white-washed floors. The wallpaper captures ethereal mood and movement of the water. The lighting is playful, and simultaneously brings together and elevates the use of organic materials in the home. The space is kept open with many moments of congregation with the intention of welcoming family and friends, over communal meals, shared stories, and intimate conversations.
The project was at its core a collaboration between creatives. It was important to us and the clients to work with a community of emerging designers as well as locals from the North Fork community. Lighting is by Ladies & Gentlemen Studio and Virginia Sin, wallpaper is by Calico Wallpaper and Caroline Z Hurley, custom planters by Light + Ladder, custom millwork by local David Nyce and metalwork by local Kristian Iglesias.
Photography by Charlie Schuck
Botanically driven, cosmically inspired, Tuscan mountain fare along with a robust list of Italian biodynamic wines, grower champagnes and fine liquors. By Executive Chef Elisa Da Prato.
Financial District - New York, NY
Photography by Charlie Schuck
Billie is a female-first razor brand - Shaving companies have always been created for men which may explain why women are still overpaying for women's razors and referred to as goddesses for shaving. Women shouldn't be an afterthought in the shaving category, deserve to have a great shave and no, they're not paying more for it. Billie is here to make a daily routine a little more delightful and a lot more affordable.
In approaching the design of Billie’s global corporate headquarters, we wanted to create an immersive space that communicated the brand vision and is incredibly functional day-to-day. In terms of how this is reflected in Billie, we began with stripping the space to its bare bones to express the beautiful windows and existing character in the architecture. Elements were then added to compliment and balance the brand, the feel of the space, and the functional aspects of a growing company. What we achieved is a balanced space that is incredibly inviting, has an uplifting character and moments of creative engagement and allusions to the brand in the details.
Custom furniture throughout (desks, conference tables, kitchen cabinetry, seating) is designed/built in house by Office of Tangible Space. We used a raw/architectural material pallette of Marine Fir Plywood, Stone, and Powder-coated Steel with subtle pops of color that do not overwhelm the space. Furniture, lighting, and objects throughout are by Ladies & Gentlemen Studio, Alvar Aalto, Vladimir Kagan, Menu, HAY, Muuto, and Jessica Hans.
www.mybillie.com/
Rooted in an ethos of curiosity and exploration, No Discipline at Verso presents a survey of work by interdisciplinary design studio Office of Tangible Space. Regardless of project scale, Office of Tangible Space seeks to expand and deepen the dialogue around design by challenging the relationships between humans, objects, and their surrounding environment. The pieces in No Discipline pose questions that are central to the studio’s practice: Is it possible to create objects that forge connections with people? Can a personal connection with a material, detail, or object influence one's experience within a space?
At the core of this pursuit lies an interest in exploring the as-yet-undiscovered aspects of physical creation. This is achieved by challenging the limitations of traditional construction methods, reinterpreting traditional craft, and reevaluating the conventional role and function of furniture and objects. Navigating the balance between precision and spontaneity, craft and industrial production, play and restraint, visitors are encouraged to reflect on the emotional and spatial impact of objects on their surroundings.
The exhibition will showcase a selection of design collaborations between the studio and Made By Choice, Poppy Prints, Thirdkind, Rosie Li, Mondays, Ruxandra Duru, and Aelfie, alongside a debut of their new in-house furniture collection.
Di An Di is a Vietnamese Restaurant and Bar in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The interior is meant to reflect the food and the culture of the restaurant itself - Fresh, bright, modern, and driven by community. The design/build team of Huy Bui and Michael Yarinsky tapped into the finest in the Brooklyn Design Community to manifest the vision of the founders, Kim Hoang, Dennis Ngo and Tuan Bui. Custom lighting is by Ladies & Gentlemen Studio, custom wallpaper is by Calico Wallpaper, wood surfacing is by Madera Surfaces, and the custom banquette framework was fabricated in the neighborhood at A/D/O.
Their name of the restaurant is an endearing phrase in Vietnamese between friends and families that translates to “Let’s go eat.” Brought to you by first generation Vietnamese-Americans, it features high quality Vietnamese food that's rooted in tradition but served in a contemporary, festive and resolutely New York setting. This is what the space delivers.
Photography by Charlie Schuck
Expertly curated and entirely unique, Uprise Art is an online art gallery that helps collectors discover original contemporary artwork by emerging artists for the spaces where they live and work. For the Uprise Art Loft in New York, Office of Tangible Space was able to merge a showroom, office, and gallery together under the umbrella of the company ethos.
Uprise Art was looking to create a dynamic, playful new office / showroom that was very functional and comfortable for visitors. Office of Tangible Space created a plan with zones for client-facing activities (hosting viewings and displaying artwork), office work, art storage, a meeting/dining room, and space for flexible expansion. Uprise Art and Office of Tangible Space were both interested in incorporating interactive installation moments that created a connection with visiting collectors and showcased the many functions of the space. Why couldn’t the space itself be installation art?
A central oak and stone millwork piece conceals the gallery’s flat file storage, divides the front-facing space from the back of house, and also integrates a magical lighting element for viewing the works. A custom-fabricated 20 foot wide shelving system serves to playfully display the many sculptural objects from artists. The lounge and dining room are meeting spaces, and also enable clients to visualize works in their own homes. A custom unit that is used for packing and shipping rolls out into the main space to serve as the bar for events.
Millwork throughout was created in-house by Office of Tangible Space. The material palette itself is inspired by the art world - marine fir plywood evokes Donald Judd and travertine evokes old-world stone sculpture. The space is peppered with art furniture commissioned by some of Uprise Art’s incredible artists. Collaborative duo Adam Frezza and Terri Chiao created the colorful, blobby entry benches and the sculptural lounge lighting is by Angel Oloshove. Best of all, the space will play host to an ever changing congregation of artists’ works - constantly reinterpreting the space for years to come.
Photography by Genevieve Garruppo
Situated just north of the town of Hudson, NY - Nick and Rachel Cope, founders of Calico Wallpaper and Studio Cope decided to renovate a 1960s split level home that overlooks the Hudson River. Working with Architectural and Interior Designer Office of Tangible Space, a vision was created to refresh the existing modernist details of the exterior and overhaul the interiors both aesthetically and functionally. Core to the project was creating an environment supportive of two children and a growing family.
The existing space was oddly subdivided, presenting a layout challenge. The decision to open the space created an intimate expanse - large, uninterrupted space with quiet pauses of engagement. Opening up the space also served to frame the view of the valley below and blur the boundaries between inside and out.
The interiors are meant to reflect the material-rich handicraft of upstate and quiet refinement of Danish detail. Key was also Showcasing Calico Wallpaper’s product framed among the furniture, art, and objects of a growing family rooted in art and design.
Central to the project was collaboration with the community of NY designers. Lighting throughout was created by frequent collaborators Lindsey Adelman, Apparatus, and Workstead. The dining table is custom by Fort Standard. The mushroom linoleum kitchen was supplied by Danish brand Reform and flooring was supplied by Madera.
Photography Hanna Grankvist
Looking Glass Factory is a team of inventors and artists creating the holographic future in which pieces of 3D digital spaces live in the real world through holographic displays and interfaces. Real 3D in real life, no VR or AR headgear required. The company was founded in 2014 by Shawn Frayne and Alex Hornstein with its headquarters in Greenpoint, Brooklyn - also known by most of the company as “Greenpoint, Home of The Hologram.”
From 2015 to early 2019, the team at Looking Glass Factory worked out of an old glass factory at the northern tip of Greenpoint. Eventually, they found themselves inhabiting more and more spaces within the old factory until realizing that they may have finally outgrown it. The one caveat was that they wanted to stay in Greenpoint.
In June 2019, they finally found a new home at 190 West Street, inside a former garage that sold industrial supplies. What started as an empty shell, has now transformed into a space that represents a Looking Glass future that the team is excited to grow into. Within the space itself, Looking Glass Factory has made sure to utilize different interior elements to tell the story of its historical past: cabinets lined up with Stereoscopes, Magic Viewers, and Walt Disney’s Illusion of Life, to prototypes that the team has worked on that spans the last five years.
Now, Looking Glass Factory works primarily on the software and hardware development of its latest product — the Looking Glass. The interiors of the office lend themselves to both the solo work that is required in a software/hardware development team as well as the collaborative framework that was necessary in order to bring this product (and it’s predecessors) to life.
In the design approach of the office, the team at Office of Tangible Space focused on showcasing what makes the Looking Glass unique - a change of perspective. Each moment in the space is meant to challenge both the team and customers perspectives of their physical surroundings.
From the street, the office looks inviting - almost residential in nature. The lounge space, a sunlit area with a sectional and Yuko Nishikawa pendant sculptures overhead, is immediately apparent through the glass garage doors. Bordering the lounge space is a custom serpentine bookcase displaying a timeline of holograms including iterations of Looking Glass Factory prototypes. As the bookcase curves backwards into the main office, one is invited to come inside.
Upon entry, moments of engagement play with inhabitants notions of transparency, scale, and space use. The design team knew they did not want to use traditional cubicles or an open seating plan because of the drawbacks in both scenarios, so they invented a new system based on perspective. A series of L-shaped walls in a playful plan arrangement are sliced by an imaginary inclined plane. The layout of desks draws the viewer's eyes across the room as they increase in height back into the space. This is intentional: the desks modulate both light and privacy and as a playful alternative to the traditional cubicle. The team members with a more social role in the company (marketing, sales, etc) have lower walls, more light, and more room to engage with their neighbors. Team members who are more engaged in focused development work have less glare from the sun and more separation from their neighbors desks.
Private spaces line the perimeter of the open office area, including must-have conference room, call rooms, and all-hands zones. These spaces share a unifying design language communicated through custom furnishings, along with the use of dark colors and curves in contrast to the angular white forms found throughout the open office area.
At the front is an open-air but protected product viewing area for the Looking Glass line of products. Curtain enclosures will modulate light and sound, providing a gallery-type experience for viewing the Looking Glass as opposed to a traditional showroom.
The idea of the space in terms of perspective is larger as well. An office design like this is meant to be a challenge to traditional notions of what an office can and should be. The hope is the space may be a change of perspective for both the team and users that may be a catalyst for creative thought in the future.
Photography Hanna Grankvist
Lighting designer Rosie Li Studio was looking to create a dynamic, playful new Brooklyn showroom and studio space that embodied the company vision. Rosie’s work challenges visual perception and blurs the line between product and sculpture - forgoing traditional lamp design for building systems driven by science and mathematics. The light fixtures achieve a sculptural quality by consciously responding to their environments and seamlessly integrating into the surrounding space.
Our project with Rosie was to transform the front of house into an exhibition space to showcase product in a client-friendly manner, while still providing the functions of the office, studio, kitchen and meeting space. The direction focused on creating interactive installation zones that both showcase the studio’s lighting and create moments in the space for both the team and visiting designers and collectors to meet - while seamlessly blending geometric forms with organic elements. Photography by Black & Steil.
Installation design in 2021 at Matter in NY featuring Norwegian Designers and sponsored by the Norwegian Consulate General and Sight Unseen.
Very Special Shop - part of VSOP Projects Gallery in Greenport, NY. The idea was to create a zone for the sale of art + design objects, books, and prints at the heart of one of the communities main social hubs - VSOP Projects.
At Treiber Farms on the North Fork of Long Island, everything is done by hand. They are reviving the craft of farming as a creative collaboration with nature’s raw materials: seeds, soil, water, sunshine and plenty of hard work. On 60 acres of land sustainable methods and resourceful ingenuity are used to produce a wide range of foods for local chefs and eaters and also cross-pollinate agriculture and the arts through collaborations and events. Office of Tangible Space began working with Peter Treiber through our work on Cooler Ranch, the artist residency we are starting on the field as part of Cooler Gallery.
When Peter asked us to reimagine his house on the farm, we knew that the values of the farm needed to be the core of what drove the design - Simplicity, Sustainability, and Resourcefulness.
Clean Lines and a muted palette driven mostly by light and natural material tones anchor the space. The daylight bathes the living area and makes it feel airy and inviting. Designing many of the furnishings in house and engaging both the artists in the Treiber Farms community and Peter himself, we were able to experiment and utilize craft in how we approached the challenges that arise when adapting an existing structural shell. Many of the objects in the space were created using recycled materials or resources from the land.
Working together with nature, not against it we aimed to focus on craftsmanship and clever solutions to create a space that perfectly captures the essence of the place and people who work it with care and creativity - and be a comfortable respite for Peter as he continues to build his life on the farm.
Photography by Hanna Grankvist
Billie is a female-first razor brand - Shaving companies have always been created for men which may explain why women are still overpaying for women's razors and referred to as goddesses for shaving. Women shouldn't be an afterthought in the shaving category, deserve to have a great shave and no, they're not paying more for it. Billie is here to make a daily routine a little more delightful and a lot more affordable.
In approaching the design of Billie’s global corporate headquarters, we wanted to create an immersive space that communicated the brand vision and is incredibly functional day-to-day. In terms of how this is reflected in Billie, we began with stripping the space to its bare bones to express the beautiful windows and existing character in the architecture. Elements were then added to compliment and balance the brand, the feel of the space, and the functional aspects of a growing company. What we achieved is a balanced space that is incredibly inviting, has an uplifting character and moments of creative engagement and allusions to the brand in the details.
Custom furniture throughout (desks, conference tables, kitchen cabinetry, seating) is designed/built in house by Office of Tangible Space. We used a raw/architectural material pallette of Marine Fir Plywood, Stone, and Powder-coated Steel with subtle pops of color that do not overwhelm the space. Furniture, lighting, and objects throughout are by Ladies & Gentlemen Studio, Alvar Aalto, Vladimir Kagan, Menu, HAY, Muuto, and Jessica Hans.
We were brought on to create a home for a couple relocating to the DC area. The new space would be a place to host family and display their wide-ranging collection of art. Each area was thoughtfully considered with the interplay of art & objects, lighting and furniture. The open dining room looks out onto the water and is defined by a custom shelf that mirrors the curvature of the table and classic Gino Sarfatti pendant. The living space is an intricate mixture of vintage and modern: classic seating the couple brought with them paired with a red travertine coffee table, Artek floor lamp by Alvar Aalto and Grid Carpet by Woodnotes. Custom floating shelves occupy the corner of the room, displaying their collection of objects for viewing. Each space in the home is defined by a select curation of art pieces paired with furniture that ground each vignette. In the primary bedroom, a collection of modern furniture pieces and bright hues brought in via art makes for a warm environment for reading, sleeping and casual work.
Our Dumbo residential project centered around solving the challenge of space optimization while also ensuring both a usable and beautiful home for a growing New York family of four. The core of the renovation focused on the multi-use living area.
The kitchen was expanded to increase usable counter space and also integrates an informal seating area for socializing. Black fin paneling and bright concrete was used together to create an elevated aesthetic while still nodding to the industrial surroundings of the Dumbo neighborhood. Architectural oak fin panels compliment the seriousness of the kitchen on either side of the room: an entry bench that houses the everyday items of the family and a panel opposite in the living space that brings the room together. A custom built in dining table and bench hugs the corner of the room, providing more open floor area and views out onto the bridge. Lastly, bathrooms were renovated with textural materials and lighting to bring new life to the second most utilized space in the home.
We were tasked with helping to create both an oasis from the city and a functional workplace in this apartment for a creative couple. The pairing of our custom millwork with classic designers (especially Gae Aulenti) creates a unified feeling of peace and play that we tried to thread through the space. The couple’s collection of art, objects and the couple’s own photography bring it to life. Photography by Caroline Tompkins.
We were brought in to design the office space for a new, quickly growing startup focused on beauty and wellness. The manifestation of the brand was a primary focus: sophisticated and elevated while feeling warm and approachable. The main office areas are kept open and bright, using art and live plants to add texture. The communal spaces incorporate clean lines and darker accents that rely on form and material to bring intrigue into the social areas of the office. Accent colors applied to pillars and corridor spaces are a subtle reference to the brand. A more secluded photography and product display studio integrated in the back of the space allows for the team to host clients for interviews and product testing.
Photography by Hanna Grankvist
Summertime champions a more inclusive art world where artists with and without intellectual disabilities create and display work alongside one another. Founded in May of 2019, Summertime is a nonprofit 501c3 Art Studio and Gallery located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. We connect neurodiverse artists with the people and world around them. providing a platform to tell their stories, show their work and generate income.
Design Advocates began working with Summertime in August, 2020 offering pro-bono consultancy and architectural designs to build out the space. We co-hosted two in-person participatory pin ups to showcase and invite feedback from artists on storage, tables, seating, ramps and lighting. Their comments and aspirations were then incorporated into the final designs.
Design Advocates Summertime Team:
Office of Tangible Space, WIP Studio, New Affiliates, Lea Architecture, The Seed
Design Advocates is a non-profit platform for architects and designers to collaborate on efforts to serve the public good through pro bono projects, research, and advocacy. They work with local businesses, nonprofits, and institutions to help them adapt their spaces and operations to the COVID-19 era and beyond.
Art Shown by Vincent Jackson and Jean Wilson
Photography by Hanna Grankvist
Madera was founded with a clear objective: to offer high quality, beautiful and sustainable wood products for architecture and design, while having a positive impact on the environment and the local economy. By practicing a forest-to-floors approach and creating a direct link between clients and the source of the wood, carefully sourcing materials from sustainable sources, designing products in-house in their Brooklyn studio and manufacturing them locally in New York, they offer an alternative that is high quality, sustainable, and locally made.
In their recent expansion, Madera took over a turn of the century warehouse space just outside the Brooklyn Navy Yard in Clinton Hill. The existing structure was incredibly run down, but had the good bones and charm they desired. The design focused on maintaining the authentic character and detailing of the existing space while creating a boutique, almost “non-commercial” program and aesthetic throughout. The idea in many ways was to make the space a gallery for wood, rather than a sales floor. To that end, the simple use of natural sky lighting, highlighting the existing structure, and a subtle, yet powerful use of Madera’s own wood as a cladding material succeeds in making a modern space with much of the authenticity intact.
Programmatically, the design also challenges the traditional showroom experience. The office space is raised and out of view of the showroom floor, the space has an in-house wood shop for quick sampling, and the product is displayed in a minimalist (think Donald Judd) way. Upon entering the showroom one comes upon an art gallery within a repurposed industrial icebox named Cooler Gallery. The gallery serves to activate the space with a monthly exhibition and opening, but also to tie the Madera showroom to the surrounding eclectic and vibrant community.
madera-trade.com reformcph.com
Photography by George del Barrio
Aelfie is a New York based home furnishing brand founded in 2012 by Aelfie Oudghiri. They are are known for our outrageous patterns and bold, eclectic use of color in rugs, linens, wallpaper and home goods.
For the new Aelfie showroom in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Office of Tangible Space worked to convert what was being used primarily as a storage and logistics facility into a beautiful, open, colorful space for clients to come shop for their projects.
Because of the large variety of products shown, a key to the approach was finding integrated creative ways to organize, while having everything close at hand. The rugs are laid on platforms at many heights to allow visitors to quickly flip through options without rolling or unrolling. Wallpapers are organized on panels that slot into a custom cabinet and options hung on the wall for viewing and comparison. The coffee table in the lounge/consultancy area also serves to contain all of the color swatch samples for custom rugs.
Another key to the project was to allow for lots of transformation and change in the future. The display window will be ever activated with new and different product launches. The front facade will host a new mural every 3 months by a different artist - curated by Aelfie - the one shown is by Otto Milo. Most importantly, the design of the space will play host to a company whose ability to constantly re-evalute, shift, grow, and take on new projects has been a key to their success.
with Daniel Starr-Tambor
MANDALA is an experience that allows visitors to reflect on the cosmos, time, and our place in it all. It is 1 part music composition and 1 part installation that is together transportative.
The musical composition is based on the orbital rhythm of the planets of the solar system around our sun — in the actual ratios at which they revolve. Composed using the first eight partials of the Natural Harmonic Series repeating at the accelerated tempos of our solar system, Mandala would continue without repetition for over 2.8 nonillion years (2,800,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 years). It weaves together a cosmic musical tapestry that hopes to inspire balance; calm; and a deeper understanding of that which is infinitely small - and that which is infinitely large.
MANDALA is meant to be different for everyone. It’s not often that people are so starkly presented with their scale in terms of space-time. Visitors are encouraged to let the waves of sound bathe them and let their thoughts drift. Contemplation and release are part of the process. The central platform is meant as a stage. Guest musicians are invited to come and improvise under the dome, creating a playful order to the entropic planetary sounds.
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Coclico speaks to a personal identity that extends beyond style and luxury to our way of living in the world consciously, artfully, elegantly. Their materials are sourced locally in Europe, near our small, family-run factory in Mallorca, Spain. At their NYC headquarters, we not only work to underpin the design process behind each collection but also seek the highest standards of ethical and environmental responsibility. The result is a union of modern minimalism and traditional quality. Our approach to their space aesthetically echoes the ethos of the company while providing a welcoming backdrop to their products.
When redesigning this Brooklyn Townhouse Apartment, we converted a two bedroom apartment with the intention of creating a space open to friends and family. Two bedrooms became one, and the newly opened space accommodates a large dining room. What was once a cramped Brooklyn apartment is now a machine for dinner parties. The idea for the space was to reflect and draw from a community of friends in anticipation of hosting those who have contributed through objects and art. Upon completion of the project, the 8x8 dinner party began. 8 themed dinner parties, with 8 people each, over 8 weeks.
Caroline Z Hurley produces beautifully designed textiles for the home - from block-printed upholstery fabrics by the yard to throws, pillows, rugs, and napkins. For their new space, Office of Tangible Space worked to create a new model for CZH - a street level showroom fully merged with a bustling design studio.
Conceptually we wanted to merge the storefront, showroom, and the studio space. Through the use of custom “curtain beams” the space is able to be divided at times while showcasing product and without cutting down on too much natural light. Instead of walls, we opted for custom high back furniture to guide foot traffic. In the work areas, the furniture is light, delicate, and endlessly reconfigurable.
The showroom is meant to showcase Caroline’s textiles in-situ, but also show her incredible paintings within a living room setting with custom built furniture. The flexible ground floor studio space also converts to an event space for dinner parties and other pop-up events.
The goal with the new studio was to give customers an experience - “We think the best way to showcase our fabrics and products is by feeling them as they would be in the home. We believe that feeling good in the world starts with how you feel in your home. “ Caroline Z Hurley
Photography by Charlie Schuck
Office of Tangible Space designed and curated "Dwelling in Critical Space," a new collection of products and exhibition of new works from artists and designers in the A/D/O community at The A/D/O Shop.
Much of the current crop of up and coming designers focus on the aesthetics of form over all else. We hope to challenge this notion by questioning what it means to dwell in critical space - what does it mean to live with and be surrounded by work that challenges you intellectually and conceptually - what does it do to you as a consumer - what does it do to you as a maker. We will bring forth and showcase several designers that focus on the diverse nexus of conceptual thought and production. In doing so, we hope to create a vivid, challenging, beautiful, thoughtful immersive space within the A/D/O shop - for all, by the design community.
Featuring works by Rosie Li Studio, Michael Yarinsky Studio, Misha Kahn, Brendan Timmins, Devra Freelander, Virginia Sin, and [reads]. Photography by Justin Ryan Kim.
Restauraunt Norman is the Brooklyn eatery run by Claus Meier of the Danish NOMA restaurant group. As it exists Is a large, voluminous, brightly lit restaurant situated on a corner with large-pane windows at street level. The open kitchen, stone bar, and immaculate detailing speak to a high level of craft that goes into the food served. Set inside A/D/O, it is inherently a space where designers and artists congregate.
This proposal is meant to elevate the experience of Norman though discrete interiors interventions that play on the existing restaurant. Key is creating a warm experience that is critical to making fine dining feel comfortable.
Our Design Milk booth design at ICFF 2019. An experiment long in development for our studio has been trying to find novel ways to soften the hard edges of architecture in form, material, and use of space. In this experiment, we wrote code to simulate the behavior and form of a rumpled bedlinen. This height-field is then expressed in topographical drawing and physical relief giving the impression of a monumental scale. The drawings are expressed in field of dense fine lines and from a distance have the feeling of soft shading. The reliefs in plywood make the drawings tangible and tactile. Photography by Hanna Grankvist.
Likeminds started in 2016 in Beacon, NY. Their vision has been to host a two night, three day conference in the Catskills centered on the intersections of technology, design and music. Last year’s theme was “growth” and they hosted Likeminds at Camp Tommy in Fishkill, NY.
Office of Tangible Space designed and built the shop at the center of the camp and curated the art throughout the shop and camp grounds. Contributions by Fort Makers, Likemindedobjects, Chiaozza, Alex Proba, Nastia Kobza, Camilla Engstrom, Alexandria Tarver, and Sarah Drexler.
For the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in 2017. In partnership with Civilization and Visual Magnetics.
