The new design for 2 Lafayette Street, part of the Design Excellence program of New York City’s Department of Design and Construction (DDC), breathes fresh air into 110,000 square feet across seven floors of the city-owned Court Square Building. The renovated space, home to the City’s Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) and Department for the Aging (DFTA), is designed to foster synergy and internal connection within each of the departments. BKSK Architects prioritized employee comfort throughout the renovation, which translated to creating a more flexible workplace to accommodate private, collaborative, and community-oriented work. At the core of DYCD’s six story offices, brightly colored steel staircases create convenient vertical pathways, and the space invites movement through the placement of amenities such as centralized print stations. Informal seating areas encourage interaction and connections to views of NYC’s civic center. In DFTA’s space, special attention was given to providing a safe and comfortable environment for seniors, including installing rails in the hallways, carefully selecting furniture, and incorporating enhanced hearing technology in teaching rooms. The hallway and lobby features floor-to-ceiling headshots of smiling “stylin seniors” taken by the department’s senior resident photographer. Throughout the building, large windows embrace natural lighting and sweeping city views, while automated shading devices temper heat and glare to support occupant comfort.

Photo: © Raimund Koch

Project: 2 Lafayette Street
Location: New York, NY
Type: Workplace reconstruction
Size: 110,000 SQ FT
Project Partners:
Design Team: BKSK Architects LLP
Client: NYC Department of Youth + Community Development and Department for the Aging
Client Representative: NYC Department of Design and Construction
Construction Manager: Jacobs
General Contractor: Rockmore Contracting Corporation
Structural Engineer: Weidlinger Associates
MEP Engineer: O’Dea Lynch Abbattista
Lighting Design: Horton Lees Brogden
Environmental Graphics Design for DYCD: BKSK Architects LLP
Environmental Graphics Design for DFTA: Poulin + Morris
“Stylin’ Seniors” Portrait Photography for DFTA: Richard Henry