Coburn Architecture was commissioned to design 50,000 square feet of space that serve as the headquarters for the home furnishings retailer, West Elm, a division of Williams-Sonoma.

The reception area was designed for multiple uses as an eat-in lunch area and a dedicated space for entertaining and receptions.

Product research rooms, which serve as the heart of the retail and catalog business, were encased in storefront glass as a way of showcasing the furniture and decorative accessories under development.

Much of this space is used as a retail showroom and product test center. We leveraged large saw-tooth skylights as an organizing principle for the space and endeavored to maximize the natural light they provided by arranging the work stations in a U-shape directly beneath them.

To create an interior design aesthetic consistent with West Elm's modernist look and feel, we enhanced existing industrial features and preserved the loft-style architecture by using well-priced construction methods and materials.

One half of this space was to be used for offices, while the other was to be dedicated to design studios for products featured in the company's catalog, as well a working set for product photo shoots and auxiliary storage.

The opening of West Elm's corporate offices further established the DUMBO neighborhood as an enclave for the live-work lifestyle.