Lovely As A Tree

Lisa Selin Davis -- Interior Design, 10/1/2006 12:00:00 AM

"The image people have of financial companies is dark wood, leather chairs, and thick carpet. Or something really flashy," Michael Kostow says. So when Jeffery Tannenbaum—whose last name means fir tree in German—approached Kostow Greenwood Architects about designing a New York office for his hedge fund, Fir Tree Partners, he sought an alternative both to the stuffy mahogany of old-school Wall Street and to the slick look of start-ups. The office would also have to be eco-friendly. A healthy work environment, he figured, makes for healthy profits.

Kostow maintained the loftlike feeling of the raw space, 10,500 square feet on the 26th floor of a brand-new glass building by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates. With floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides, Kostow says, "It's so bright that we didn't have to rely heavily on artificial light." Fluorescent fixtures contribute to an average electricity use as low as 1 watt per square foot.

This is a company where even senior executives are in shirtsleeves, and Tannenbaum sits right out in the open. In fact, two of the coveted corners are not offices but conference rooms. The only enclosed work space is for traders—who, Kostow points out, "tend to be loud."

Because the 29-person company continues to grow steadily, Kostow used a modular wall system that could keep pace with future expansion. The demountable aluminum-framed glass panels snap into place rather than bolting to the floor. Changing the setup doesn't require any demolition.

With the movable walls, thermostats have to be controlled wirelessly. Most of the wiring for electronics runs beneath a raised floor reclaimed from a demolition site. "It did look a little beat-up. When you put carpet over it, though, it's as good as new," Kostow says. Better yet, he estimates that it saved Fir Tree about 50 percent of the cost of a new floor.

Kostow left concrete columns exposed and worked them into the layout rather than slathering them in plaster or encasing them in drywall. In another minimal-minded move, window treatments are limited to solar shades. That way, Fir Tree protects one of its best assets, a view of the Empire State and Chrysler Buildings.

For the furniture and carpet tile, Kostow chose cradle-to-cradle options. Because the carpet is modular, with a nondirectional pattern, fewer waste scraps were left over after installation. Later on, Fir Tree will be able to replace stained portions easily.

Upholstery is either recycled polyester or a corn-based fabric. The conference rooms' chairs are made from recyclable components. Flanking the workstations, acrylic transaction tops are layered with sections of sustainable bamboo. Non-VOC cream-colored paint covers the walls. Live plants sit by the windows.

A photomural of sequoias, not fir trees, wraps the reception area, where visitors can pick up a source sheet highlighting the sustainable aspects of the office: The counters are reclaimed glass, the copy machines automatically print double-sided, and the kitchen is stocked with fresh fruit and filtered water—to discourage staff from buying the stuff in plastic bottles.

The enclosure of the reception area at Fir Tree Partners, a New York hedge fund, is emblazoned with a photomural by Jon Cornforth; it was printed on eco-friendly fabric.

Clockwise from top left: In an open office area, windows 10 feet high reduce reliance on artificial light. The central conference room's demountable aluminum-framed panels snap into place without damaging the bamboo floor. Recycled polyester covers seating in reception. A concrete column remains exposed in the central conference room. Featuring acrylic panels that incorporate bamboo, the reception desk was sealed with petroleum-free oils.

Clockwise from top left: Mirra chairs by Studio 7.5 and an ash-topped table by Charles and Ray Eames furnish a corner conference room. Bamboo panels wrap the workstations. Pendant linear fluorescents contribute to an average energy use as low as 1 watt per square foot. Window treatments in a corner conference room are limited to solar shades. Everyone but traders sits out in the open.

PHOTO PRINTING (RECEPTION): DIGITAL 5 COMMUNICATIONS. DESK (OFFICE AREA), TABLES (CORNER CONFERENCE ROOMS), WORKSTATIONS, TASK CHAIRS: HERMAN MILLER. WALL COVERING (HALL): WOLF-GORDON. PARTITIONS (CENTRAL CONFERENCE): DIRTT ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS; BENDHEIM CORPORATION (PANELS). PENDANT FIXTURES (HALL, RECEPTION): LOUIS POULSEN LIGHTING. SEATING, TABLES (RECEPTION): HBF. CUSTOM TABLE, CREDENZA (CENTRAL CONFERENCE), CUSTOM DESK (RECEPTION): JIM SUZIS CUSTOM FURNITURE. RECESSED CEILING FIXTURES (CONFERENCE ROOMS): SEMPERLUX. CARPET: SHAW. DESK PANELS (RECEPTION): 3FORM. TRACK LIGHTING: LIGHTOLIER. CAN LIGHTS: GOTHAM LIGHTING. LINEAR FIXTURES (OFFICE AREA): FOCAL POINT. CUSTOM WINDOW SHADES (CORNER CONFERENCE): MECHOSHADE SYSTEMS. FLOORING: TERAGREN. BASE MATERIAL: MILGO/BUFKIN. CARPET: INTERFACE. CEILING TILE: ARMSTRONG. PAINT: BENJAMIN MOORE CO. FURNITURE DEALER: WB WOOD. LIGHTING CONSULTANT, MEP: JAROS BAUM BOLLES. GENERAL CONTRACTOR: STRUCTURE TONE.