Status : Completed
Location : Brooklyn, NY
Year : 2013-2016
Architect : Gensler - Amanda, Stephanie, John, David, Sofia, Sam, Arielle Consultants : AMA, HDLC, RGR, ADG, Severud, ADS
Project Role : Associate. My initial role was touring, compiling & producing building feasability studies with the Etsy braintrust for evaluation & selection of their new corporate headquarters. This collaboration led to Etsy selecting the team to implement their headquarters in the selected site - the Watchtower buildings in Brooklyn, NY.
My design & documentation responsibility for the project was all public facing space, exterior upgrades, building upgrades (facade replacements, vertical circulation upgrades, new building infrastructure) & overall architectural interventions. In addition, I was the BIM execution leader. The images below depict my initial design renderings (Revit, Rhino / Vray) overlaid with our 3d documentation model linework & final photography to highlight the interconnected workflow of the project.
The largest Living Building Challenge Petal-Certified building in New York City, Etsy’s new headquarters set a new standard for the company. Every design decision was approached with consideration for the long-term health of the company, its employees, the community, and the larger ecosystem. Rather than building anew or occupying a generic tenant space in a corporate building, Etsy chose to adapt a 200,000-square-foot, turn-of-the-century, industrial building in Dumbo, Brooklyn, formerly used as a printing press for the Jehovah’s Witnesses. This decision significantly conserved material resources and preserved a valuable cultural resource for the community.
Reflecting Etsy’s mission to “keep commerce human,” the team emphasized health and wellness. The spaces are defined by daylight, views, and connection to the outdoors. Biophilic design principles informed much of the design in its shapes and textures, and vegetation is abundant indoors and out.
