Architect：CIVILIVN

Location：New York City, NY, USA; | ;View Map

Project Year：2019

Category：Offices

When Exalt—a non-profit that supports teenagers who have become involved in the justice system—relocated their headquarters to Lower Manhattan, the organization hired CIVILVN to transform a cramped space in a 1901 office tower into a flexible and open facility that would empower participants to succeed in educational and professional environments.

To make the most out of the 4,000-square-foot space, CIVILIVN designed the new headquarters to seamlessly convert between an office and a classroom, tripling Exalt’s operational capabilities and helping the non-profit expand its reach to better serve youth across all five boroughs. The heart of the project is a day-lit communal space overlooking New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty that arrays individual workstations, a collaborative zone, a lending library, and a lounge—all of which can be effortlessly reconfigured to support lectures, screenings, private work sessions, and graduations.

To support this range of uses, CIVILVN created pieces of furniture custom-designed to serve several purposes. Built-in oak workstations surround a demountable break-out table that invites participants to swing around for informal group discussions and discreetly incorporates additional storage space. A bar-height collaborative table that separates these workstations from the more casual lounge space houses Exalt’s lending library in an integrated shelving system.

This table was designed to be easily deconstructed into smaller bar tables, enabling Exalt to host community events and outreach sessions. Full-height partitions perforated with hollow-metal windows screen the communal area from classrooms and meeting rooms, creating distinct zones in the office while maintaining openness and interconnectivity while maximizing natural light, and ensuring all areas have views out over the harbor.

CIVILIVN’s renovation also efficiently incorporates seating for 16 staff, a pantry, and printing and IT rooms, transforming the previously dated office into a highly functional and contemporary workspace. The new headquarters positions Exalt to further its mission helping New York City youth succeed as students and professionals. Exalt’s relocation to their new headquarters was made possible in part by support from Empire State Development and the New York City Regional Economic Development Council.

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