In Manhattan, where every square foot carries weight, a global financial services firm set out to create a highly functional, human-scale environment within a compressed floorplate. The goal was to define spaces—not with fixed construction, but with an adaptable architectural structure that could offer employees meaningful choice throughout the day.
Haworth Architectural Solutions emerged as the right solution. Working with Haworth’s Canvas CET design platform to run real-time sessions, the project team engaged the stakeholders in producing 21 rapid revisions in four weeks—far faster than a traditional drawing-and-redline cycle.
In addition to enabling thoughtful discussion around design decisions, the Canvas technology allowed the team to integrate New York–specific electrical, sprinkler, and power/code requirements while refining every finish, curve, lighting run, sensor, and access point.
The final installation is a 64-foot-long furniture pavilion woven into the center of the floorplate, with a series of small, acoustically mindful environments: focus booths, touchdown points, meeting nooks, soft lounge settings, and rounded end zones ideal for virtual calls. Curtains, integrated lighting, and tailored detailing allow the structure to feel architectural without being fixed.
In a dense urban workplace, this configurable pavilion delivers what matters most: defined space, multiple work settings, and strong performance within a limited footprint—a flexible, elegant anchor for a global firm’s evolving hybrid work culture.
