THE BLOG

(International WELL Building Institute)

By Mercedes Quintanilla.

Location

New York

Project Type

Corporate offices.

Built space

9,068 sq ft

Construction year.

1913- intervention 2019

Certifications and awards

Well certified Platinum

Design by COOKFOX

Project description.

Located on the northwest corner of Madison Square Park is 220 Fifth Avenue, a New York City landmark built in 1913 of classical Gothic Revival architecture. The eighth floor of this beautiful building is the new home of IWBI World Headquarters, the goal was to achieve WELL Platinum certification for its commitment to employee wellness by the end of 2019.

The adaptable office fosters connections with nature through biophilic design, with careful attention to natural light and materials, views into nature, and spaces for perspective and refuge. Celebrating the treetop view of Madison Square Park, an inviting residential-scale living room offers a casual and inviting workspace and gathering area.

Designed to evoke the positive biological responses of prospecting views from a comfortable and safe location, planters line the windows, drawing the eye to the park below, while a wall of planters protects the office area behind.

Special challenges.

• Being a historic building, the height of the mezzanine was a challenge for the installation of the MEP system (Mechanical, electrical and plumbing).

• The introduction of collaborative spaces with access to windows, since the original design contemplated individual offices around the walls with windows.

The new design contemplates many natural details, the selection of colors and sustainable materials had a warm and light palette to emphasize sunlight with the aim of promoting well-being through biological responses of natural patterns and textural.

Raising the culture in work spaces promotes people’s health and high performance because it allows them to live in a more sustainable and harmonious way.

About IWBI: Provides the leading global standard for buildings, interior spaces and communities that support and promote human health and well-being. The WELL certification guidelines are currently used in 60 countries with more than 4,100 buildings certified or in the process of being certified.

References.

•Project Profile | WELL. (s.f.). Well-certified. Retrieved June 21, 2022, from https://account.wellcertified.com/directories/projects/iwbi-hq

• International WELL Building Institute Headquarters. (2022, April 26). COOKFOX. Retrieved June 21, 2022, from https://cookfox.com/projects/international-well-building-institute-headquarters/

• IWBI Headquarters – Teknion Case Study. (s.f.). Teknion. Retrieved June 21, 2022, from https://www.teknion.com/tools/inspiration/case-studies/iwbi-headquarters

• Photography by Eric Laignel via COOKFOX