CARY INSTITUTE OF ENTERPRISE SERVICES
LOCATION / NEW YORK, NY
PROJECT TYPE / INSTITUTIONAL, OFFICE
The Cary Center is a world renown research institution, based in Millbrook NY. Slade Architecture was hired to transform +6,000 sf of dark existing storage, office, and library space, in the basement of the Cary headquarters, into a modern, bright conference/classroom center. As part of the design, we also reconfigured the circulation and access by adding a new stair that helped bring additional light and openness to the space. by relocating the stair, we also put it into the center of the main floor above, ensuring that the new facility would be at the heart of activities at the Cary Center.
The design provides flexible conference and classroom space that can be reconfigured to accommodate many seating arrangements and large rooms that can be subdivided with folding walls to create smaller rooms when needed.
The conference/classrooms are organized around a large open lounge space lined by bookshelves and illuminated niches for specific art pieces. By using full height glass enclosures for the conference/classrooms, we were able to connect the entire depth of the space to the few windows that open into the courtyard space that steps down to this basement level and provides additional outdoor seating and meeting space.
To maximize the ceiling height, we left the existing infrastructure exposed, rerouting the most obstructive ducts and equipment to the perimeter, to create the most open generous space possible within the very tight constraints of the existing space. The renovation included updating the bathrooms as well as the circulation on the floor above.
This work was completed without closing any of the ongoing functions of the surrounding spaces.
The project resuscitated a dark, underutilized, and marginal space to create a bright hub of activity. The conference center is now the center of activity and productive collaboration at the Cary Center.