Project Details
- Project Name
- Etsy Headquarters
- Architect
- Gensler
- Client/Owner
- Etsy
- Project Types
-
Office ,Commercial
- Project Scope
- Renovation/Remodel
- Size
- 200,000 sq. feet
- Shared by
- Hanley Wood
- Project Status
- Built
Expanded Coverage of the 2020 COTE Top 10 Awards appeared in the October 2020 issue of ARCHITECT.
A former printing factory in Brooklyn transformed into the maker marketplace’s New York headquarters prioritizes reuse and employee well-being in every square foot.
What were some of the driving design goals of the project?
John Mulling, design director: Through our lengthy series of vision sessions with the different groups at Etsy, we came up with four design principles: First, the experience of the space had to celebrate the craft of making; second, we had to embody this idea of controlled chaos; third, it had to tell a meaningful material story; fourth, it had to bring the outdoors in.
How were sustainable strategies prioritized in the design process?
David Briefel, sustainability director: Early on, we were looking at materiality. And one of the things that Etsy was prioritizing is that if we had an existing part of the building that we could show or leave unfinished, we would just leave it in its existing or unfinished condition and celebrate that. It was a good design restriction, and it drove a strong project.
Did you use any new sustainable approaches or systems in this project?
Mulling: Yes. This project is a certified Living Building Challenge Materials Petal building, which took a Herculean effort, vetting more than 1,500 materials for Red List chemicals. It’s one of the most amazing undertakings for the project. Also, engaging local artists and makers—the project included over 750 maker pieces, including lighting and furniture throughout.
I want to revisit the idea of vetting all of the products for Red List chemicals. Did you develop strategies or best practices?
Briefel: When we started, there was not a lot of precedent for doing an LBC project period, let alone at this scale. So we had to invent a lot of processes. We leveraged some internal knowledge, but a lot of what we built became foundational not just for how Gensler does LBC projects, but also for the industry; we’ve shared quite a bit of it. It involves an amazing amount of integration across the project team, the client, and the contractor. We developed a lot of advocacy forms to get feedback and a robust tracking spreadsheet that we used to record and document all of the information.
Health and wellness were critical to this project. How did they become such a focus and how is that expressed in the design?
Mulling: It’s not a surprise that happy employees are productive employees. But because it’s Etsy, providing a sense of delight and discovery in your daily experience contributes to your well-being. This was a paramount goal that’s expressed in a lot of ways: being exposed to greenery, daylight, and fresh air; connection to the outdoors; being surrounded by art installations and sculpture. Just incorporating all of that into your daily experience contributes enormously to a person’s well-being.
Metrics Snapshot:
WELLNESS
Mandatory Metrics
Is this project a workplace? Yes
How many occupants per thermal zone or thermostat? 700
Were material ingredient disclosure documents collected? Yes. The project pursued the LBC Materials Petal. Through the Red List vetting process, the project team collected documentation that included Declare, HPD, C2C, and other third-party methods of material disclosure. More than 1,500 materials were documented in total.
Encouraged Metrics Peak measured CO₂ levels during full occupancy: 727 ppm
Peak measured VOC levels during full occupancy: 462 micrograms
Were chemicals of concern tracked? Yes
Identify each of these chemicals or classes of chemicals that were tracked and the standard that was used as a guide: Maximum thresholds for the following: Formaldehyde (50 ppb), PCH (3 μg/m3 ), Ozone (51 ppb) according to ISO 17025.
For a full list of metrics, visit aia.org.
Project Credits
Project: Etsy Headquarters
Location: 117 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Client/Owner: Etsy
Architect: Gensler. Rocco Giannetti, FAIA (Principal-in-Charge/Managing Director), Maddy Burke-Vigeland, FAIA (Principal-in-Charge), Amanda Carroll (Project Principal), John Mulling (Design Director), David Briefel (Sustainability Director), Stephanie Lan, AIA (Technical Director), Tom Lanzelotti, AIA (Architect of Record), John Budesa, AIA (Project Architect), Arielle Levy (Project Designer)
Interior Designer: Gensler
Structural Engineer: Active Design Group Engineering
M/E/P Engineer: AMA Consulting Engineers
Construction Manager: JRM Construction Management
Landscape Architect: RGR Landscape
Lighting Designer: HDLC Architectural Lighting Design
Project Manager: VVA Project & Cost Managers
AV & Acoustics: Cerami & Associates, Inc.
Code/Expeditor: Rizzo Group
Technology: TMTechnology Partners.
Woodwork: Modworxx (all amenity space and reclaimed wood)
Millwork: Modern Woodcraft
Food Service: Post & Grossbard
Interior Greenscaping: Greenery NYC
Size in Square Feet: 200,000 SF
Cost: Confidential
Materials and Sources
Exterior Cladding : Black Locust Lumber (wood); Knauf Insulation (insulation)Roofing: Kemper (Built-up roofing); Nucor Weathering Steel (Metal planters/railings/bar); Wausau Tile (Roof Pavers)
Doors: Curries Hollow Metal Doors and Frames (Metal doors); Assa Abloy Graham Wood Doors (Wood doors), Existing Salvaged Industrial Sliding doors (Sliding doors); Overly Acoustical Doors (Special doors, Sound control, X-ray, etc.)
Hardware: Assa Abloy (Locksets); Rixson (Closers); Von Duprin (Exit devices); Schlage (pulls, rockwood); Walnut Studiolo (pulls); TGP (Fire-rated Glass doors and sidelites); Nanawall (Moveable Wall System)
Interior Finishes: Polyphon Polyester Acoustical Panels (Acoustical ceilings, open office area); Armstrong Optima with Plant Based Binder (Acoustical ceilings); Armstrong Optima Tegular with Interlude XL HRC 9/16” suspension system (Suspension grid); Inscape Acme 50 (Demountable partitions); Columbia Forest Products Purebond Plywood (Cabinetwork and custom woodwork); Hudson Company, Madera Trade (Cabinetwork and custom woodwork); Tri-lox Millworks (Reclaimed NYC Scaffolding)
Paints and stains: Benjamin Moore EcoSpec; Imperial Paints Ecos Paint
Wall coverings: Xorel; Maya Romanoff; FilzFelt; Kvadrat; Thermacork (paneling)
Solid surfacing: Hanwha Surfaces HanStone Quartz; Dupont Corian; Caesarstone; Stogs Concrete Design (restroom sinks)
Special surfacing: Prosoco concrete protector
Floor and wall tile: Daltile (restrooms and pantries); Trikeenan Tileworks (pantry accent tile); Fireclay Tile (pantry accent tile, anteroom, showers); Crossville (shower floors)
Resilient flooring: Nora
Carpet: Interface; Totally; Mohawk
Special interior finishes: Reclaimed watertower wood; Re-purposed metal sliding doors
Furnishings
Office furniture: Parts & Labor (Workstations (typical throughout); Analog Modern (offices); Robert Suckrashand (shared offices); Reception furniture - Re-used from previous space; Banquettes by Modern Millworkers (Fixed seating); Cushions for banquettes by Bright Chair Company (Fixed seating)
Chairs/Stools/Sofas: Herman Miller Eames Aluminum Chairs (Reuse + New); Parts & Labor (Brooklyn Maker); Andreu World; Hightower; HAY; Gus Modern; Blu Dot; Vitra; Bernhardt; Naughtone; Fritz Hansen; Danish Design Store; Design Within Reach; Arper; All Seating (Task chairs throughout); Buzzispace; Dune; SuiteNY; Hayon Studio; Bensen; Martin Brattrud
Tables/Credenzas: Jason Hernandez; First Third; Brian Boles; Analog Modern; Tom Porter; Claflin; In.Sek Design; Robert Suckrashand; Hay; Teknion
Upholstery: Maharam; Designtex; Camira; Bensen; Vitra; Blu Dot; BuzziSpace (BuzziFabric)
Other furniture: Clarus Glassboards; Country Braid House (Hand braided area rugs)
Lighting: BoConcept; yLighting; All Modern; Akimbo; Design Within Reach; Light Texture (Etsy Maker, reused from old office); In.Sek Design; Bover USA; Lukas Lighting; David Trubridge; Arturo Alvarez; ETC; Illuminating Experiences; Artemide; Tech Lighting; Focal Point; Acolyte; USA!; Juno (Interior ambient lighting); Amerlux (Downlights)
Exterior: Eon; Valmont; B-K Lighting
Dimming system or other lighting controls: Crestron Fusion
Plumbing: Toto (HE toilets) Kohler (waterless urinals); AMTC (restroom faucets); Elkay (drinking fountains)
Energy: Crestron; Automated Logic; 3M window film (Energy management or building automation system); Sungevity (Photovoltaic system)
Other unique products that contribute to sustainability: Highmark Rainwater Cistern for irrigating interior and terrace greenery; Dero Bikeracks; In.Sek planters and Greenery NYC planters and dividers; G-sky and Woolly Pocket Green Walls; Knauf Insulation; Superior Essex and Belden cabling
Project Description
This project is a winner of a 2020 AIA COTE Top Ten Award.
From the AIA:
The largest Living Building Challenge Petal-Certified building in New York City, Etsy’s new headquarters set a new standard for the company. Every design decision was approached with consideration for the long-term health of the company, its employees, the community, and the larger ecosystem. Rather than building anew or occupying a generic tenant space in a corporate building, Etsy chose to adapt a 200,000-square-foot, turn-of-the-century, industrial building in Dumbo, Brooklyn, formerly used as a printing press for the Jehovah’s Witnesses. This decision significantly conserved material resources and preserved a valuable cultural resource for the community.
The ethic and aesthetic of the design arose directly out of Etsy’s mission and values. The company’s self-description as the “home to a universe of special, extraordinary items, from unique handcrafted pieces to vintage treasures,” led to a focus in the space itself on craft and unique artisan products. Local artisans crafted over 750 maker pieces, and over 1,500 materials and products were screened to meet the strict criteria of the Living Building Challenge (LBC) Red List and other standards.
Reflecting Etsy’s mission to “keep commerce human,” the team emphasized health and wellness. The spaces are defined by daylight, views, and connection to the outdoors. Biophilic design principles informed much of the design in its shapes and textures, and vegetation is abundant indoors and out.