Soho Office Headquarters
SITE ANALYSIS
MASTER PLANNING
ARCHITECTURE
DEVELOPMENT CONSULTING
INTERIORS
ART & DESIGN
BRANDING
LOCATION: SOHO, NYC
SIZE: 15,670 SF
STATUS: COMPLETED
PROGRAM: Private offices and roof deck on the top 3 floors of a renovated historic building in the heart of Soho.
Bell Design Group was engaged to overhaul this three-story open space atop an historic building in Manhattan into a curated, style-forward office. The client, a leader in open-source software, was keen on having a space that counter balanced the company’s tech focused operations, added artistic elements, and offered areas to unwind.
To answer these needs, we developed a program that moved occupants through areas of light and vast openness into areas of narrowed, subdued focus — and vice versa. This begins at Reception, which acts as a quiet and transformative introduction to the space — purposely dark and hyper-minimal — offering arriving employees and guests a clean energetic shift from bustling streets of Soho into their work focus.
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Once through reception, users are guided through a set of oversized wood doors and beyond a sculptured moss wall that invites nature in while doubling as a privacy barrier from traffic areas to work zones. The main office areas are intentionally light and gently warming - achieved through limewash wall finishes, white oak finishes, and large windows. Several meeting rooms line the outer edge of the space, semi-concealed by a bespoke wood-block wall (running the entire length of the office) that offers privacy without seclusion.
The design concept was inspired by Japanese minimalism and traditional Wabi-Sabi principles, where every element serves a purpose. Natural light becomes a central design feature — pooling through windows, filtered and controlled as it moves through the space, casting dynamic shadows between forms.
From the main office, a charcoal colored corridor leads to a dedicated meditation room. It begins with a dark foyer that creates a buffer from the office. Beyond it, rounded walls in an oatmilk limewash finish provide serenity and texture. At the room's center, an oversized, state-of-the-art meditation light gently shifts through a series of soft hues to cast a calming glow throughout the room.
The top floor of the office is used as a casual eating lounge, event and conference area - offering mixed seating at low leather sofas, bistro tables, and community table spaces.
The office features two large terraces, and an outdoor rooftop - a true rarity in New York City. To maintain budget, existing furniture was reused and thoughtfully arranged to create distinct outdoor conversation areas.
The office also included a podcast space, a mother’s room, a gaming room, three kitchens, two large conference rooms, 1-1 meeting rooms, and multiple office pods peppered throughout the three floors.
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