Capital One expanded to two additional floors at 11 West 19th Street in New York City in order to house their digital campus. They asked The Switzer Group to help optimize their work environment by creating a space that was an open, energizing area where people could work in teams without being in a sea of work stations.
A series of neighborhoods was created to provide work zones which are divided along an axis with small open and enclosed meeting areas, conference rooms, and collaborative areas. Just off the elevator lobby is a large café/work lounge area where people can work independently in groups of 6 or 7 or use as a town hall with larger groups.
The individual neighborhoods, named after NYC areas, feel like outdoor plazas. There is stenciled wayfinding wrapped around the columns throughout, which is inspired by the New York Subway system.
Small meeting areas have a residential feel with modern Brooklyn-themed toile wall coverings. Materials reference the urban landscape, such as plywood, distressed metal, brick, corrugated metal and acoustical paneling which represents scaffolding. Wall coverings in enclaves pay homage to the history of technology with depictions of original switchboards and peg boards. There are sculptural booths inspired by the artist Richard Serra, and a large graphic installation feature wall hand-painted by a local artist.
Whiteboards and screens are used throughout the core walls along the neighborhoods and support the technology group and their programmers and apps.
11 West 19th Street, New York, NY
52,000 SF
Creating a digital campus in the Flatiron district for a financial institution