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A Corrective to the Pre-Pandemic Office<\/h2>\n\n\n\n \u201cLe Truc can be viewed as a corrective to the pre-pandemic office,\u201d says Peter Lowell Knutson, chief strategy officer at A+I. \u201cOur vision was to confront easy categorization about what a given space is meant to do and let the user make the space they need when they need it.\u201d Streamlining the basic concept of an office down to its barest essence via a floor plan of interconnected open spaces for meetings and semi-secluded areas for brainstorming and deep work, the space is fluid and egalitarian, eschewing private offices and break rooms in favor of space that promotes spontaneous interaction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you arrive at the 15th floor of Publicis Groupe\u2019s 375 Hudson Street building, there is no formal signage or reception introducing Le Truc. Instead, you enter through a simple Sheetrock entryway, ribbed with an almost lenticular system with a gradient that transforms from purple to orange. The cumulative effect is dramatic\u2014a portal between the standard offices that surround it and the vibrant world of Le Truc. \u201cIt\u2019s a transformation. It\u2019s not your home. It\u2019s almost this spaceship,\u201d joked Knutson during our walk-through. \u201cIt sets you apart from where you\u2019ve been, puts you in a different mindset.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nLe Truc\u2019s floor plan is anchored by colorful collaboration zones in the corners with small areas for team meetings and a handful of workstations spread throughout. A zigzagging hallway weaves it all together, creating a sense of discovery as workers move through the office. COURTESY A+I<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Colorful Nooks and Tech-Free Zones<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Once inside, you are greeted by a neutral color palette that\u2019s punctuated by a fruit bowl of color-themed nooks and spaces, from a citrine-hued breakout room to the soft strawberry tones of a carpeted, tech-free meeting area known as the Tearoom. Visitors pass through the main pantry and coffee area to a modish, tangerine-hued sitting area and meeting space with sunken lounges that are outfitted with circular tables and booths. \u201cPlaying with different level changes allows you to experience the space differently, especially when you descend into a conversation,\u201d says Knutson, who has a background in neuroscience. \u201cThe intent was that some would like this, some would hate it, but it would be different,\u201d he said, noting that the added levels create a separate vertical barrier allowing for the feeling of being \u201calone even in a big, busy space.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The lounges organically extend into a snaked seating area lined with curated greenery and bathed in natural light by a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Hudson River. Following the perimeter, a communal table hugs the inner ledge, providing additional seating and a popular space for lunch breaks and midday inspiration. \u201cEach space is designed to adapt and respond to the ways employees have chosen to work, rather than structure them in spaces that can stifle movement or creativity,\u201d Knutson continues. \u201cThis whole floor is designed for creatives, to inspire, challenge, and shake them out of their day-to-day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Drawing Employees Back with a Culture of Sharing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Farther into the floor plan is a navy-tinged, sunken presentation room dubbed the Dugout, which does triple duty as a screening theater, presentation area, and brainstorming space. Fringing this enclave are off-white workstations and additional study areas\u2014none with assigned seating. \u201cThe assumption is that work doesn\u2019t happen at workstations,\u201d says Knutson. \u201cIt happens on the sofa, or on the floor in the orange room,\u201d he says, referencing another citrus-inspired lounge area. He also notes that each \u201cteaming zone,\u201d of which there are many for Le Truc\u2019s employees, is structured to prepare groups for creative tasks and is equipped with a whiteboard space, phone booths, and additional conference rooms to huddle and brainstorm in. The workspace follows into a lush, evergreen-colored Library,\u201d which provides the most significant communal quiet space. \u201cThey recognized what they were missing in an office space,\u201d says <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Philip Ryan Ward, studio director at A+I and an originator of Le Truc\u2019s design. He explains that since most of the lab participants would be hesitant to return to the office five days a week, there would need to be an added incentive. \u201cMost of them come here for the culture, the creative sharing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nStarting from the premise that work no longer takes place at traditional desks, A+I provided a wide variety of unique seating options such as a funky purple conversation pit to inspire and delight the creatives who use Le Truc. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Drawing Inspiration from Covid-Era Pop Ups<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Much of Le Truc was completed during the pandemic, and the design took inspiration from the pop-up spaces for outdoor dining and open-air performances that proliferated across the city during those years. Since the concept of Le Truc was new, there was room to experiment and run focus groups. \u201cWe worked hard at the front end to understand and then represent to the client the story of who they were and what that meant for the space,\u201d says Knutson. \u201cUnderstanding these elements required learning how the team preferred to sit, share, and create and how relationships were reinforced. This space is all about building a container for relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Throughout Le Truc, several office spaces are named for monsters\u2014Gollum, Count Dracula, and Falkor, for example. The team insists that these are \u201chappy monsters\u201d and permutations of \u201cThe Thing\u201d\u2014that all-consuming passion that drives creatives to bring their ideas to life. \u201cWe realized we needed to break the system so the design wouldn\u2019t feel expected,\u201d say Knutson and Ward, explaining why they chose twists like big open areas next to neon-washed enclaves. They realized that though the flow of the space needed to be simple, they wanted to outfit the office with enough weird turns that there is a sense of discovery, allowing for a space that commands attention and encourages exploration. <\/p>\n\n\n\nPrev<\/button>Next<\/button><\/div> <\/figure><\/li> <\/figure><\/li>Dramatic hallways connect the workplace\u2019s multitude of work areas.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>The Dugout is a navy-blue, sunken space toward the center of Le Truc for screenings, presentations, and large-group brainstorming sessions.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>Caf\u00e9 tables line central circulation paths, and greenery flourishes in the open space\u2019s plentiful natural light.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li> <\/figure><\/li> <\/figure><\/li>Le Truc is styled as a clubhouse for creative workers to collaborate and exchange ideas in person.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li> <\/figure><\/li>Lounge furniture and hoteling concepts have almost completely replaced conventional desks.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>The Library is a deep-green quiet space that occupies one corner of the floor plan.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>Curved forms, natural light, and open spaces that flow into one another are hallmarks of Le Truc.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>On a raised platform near the Dugout is the bubblegum-pink, tech-free Tearoom.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>Dynamic, colorful spaces inspire creative workers, drawing them to come collaborate in person.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li> <\/figure><\/li>In addition to public work zones, private areas like phone booth\u2013style nooks are scattered throughout Le Truc.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li> <\/figure><\/li>Workers have no assigned desks but choose from a wide variety of work areas throughout the day.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n