Clubhouses Are The New Office – New York Creative Agency Headquarters

Gensler creates a creative clubhouse in the Brooklyn Navy Yard for Creative Agency Firm, Huge.

Since 1999, Huge has been propelling the growth of many of the world’s most ambitious brands. In the early days of the internet, Huge was developing industry-leading innovations in e-commerce that we likely take for granted today. Now, they’re pioneering new territories in user experiences that keep the brands we know and love relevant in today’s digital economy.

This Brooklyn Navy Yard office embodies the local presence and global reach of Huge’s brand. Surrounded by expansive views embracing the New York City skyline, Huge’s new workplace is a clubhouse for creative employees where you can ‘choose your own adventure’ from a variety of inclusive work settings. The new workplace experience allows for a more fluid approach to fit the cadence of your day as an individual or as a team.

– Stefanie Shunk, Design Director at Gensler

Needless to say, Huge is a company that takes the competition for top tech talent very seriously. That’s why the mission for their new home in Brooklyn’s Navy Yard was to create a digitally enhanced growth accelerator, providing their industry-leading talent with a flexible and future-focused platform. The space needed to encourage bold, brave, and audacious ideas all while fostering a sense of camaraderie and company pride.

Project Planning

The Huge team pictured this centralized hub as a clubhouse of the future, with amenity offerings to match.

An atmospheric and colorful recessed fixture in the shape of the Huge ‘H’ logo welcomes team members and guests within the main entry. An espresso bar at reception is adjacent to a flexible multipurpose area for event hosting and gathering. A viewing room switches from general screening to immersive experience via an advanced lighting and dimming system, and an interactive virtual-reality zone gives clients the chance to step into their projects in real-time. A Blackbox theater hosts viewings, whereas adjacent editing suites offer teams the tools necessary to create future screening content. Bookending the floor plate are a beer garden and bistro, the latter featuring an exterior terrace with breathtaking views of New York City.

The workplace hosts a multitude of work style options—including an area for long-term guest business units, such as visiting collaborative partner companies—rich with modern telepresence rooms, dedicated storage, and a digital experience exhibition.

Project Details

The project features multiple wellness attributes, including a yoga room, hydration station, mother’s room, and a ‘pet and play’ zone for employees to show off their furry friends.

Despite the robust programming of this new workplace, the aesthetic is elegantly restrained, letting the expansive views of the city take precedence. The office contains solely circular-shaped tables, encouraging inclusivity in meeting styles, with brand moments incorporated throughout via bespoke furnishings and lighting elements. To reflect their sustainable ethos, the FF&E program included 575 repurposed items, more than half of the total scope. The project earned Fitwel 2 Stars as well as LEED Silver.

The new Huge global headquarters is not only a workplace. It’s a clubhouse of the future, a digital platform, and a growth accelerator that builds long-term brand love for both its talent and their clients.

Products 

• Benjamin Moore Paints
• Armstrong Acoustic Ceiling Tiles
• Ezobord Acoustic Baffle Ceilings
• Maxxit Acoustic Baffle Ceilings
• Spray-On K13 Acoustic Spray
• Pyrok Acoustic Ceiling
• Mohawk Group Carpet Tiles
• Bentley Mills Carpet Tiles
• FLOR Carpet Tile
• Novawall Fabric Wrapped Panels

• Carnegie Fabrics
• Galaxy Glass Panels
• Accura Glass Panels
• Chemetal Metal Panels
• Fry Reglet
• Formica Laminate
• Wilsonart Laminate
• Idea Paint
• Johnsonite Rubber Bases
• Mats Inc Purline Resilient Flooring

• Noraplan Resilient Flooring
• Cambria
• Fireclay Tile
• Nemo Tile
• Concrete Collaborative
• Designtex Wallcovering
• Calico Wallcovering
• Momentum Textiles & Wallcovering
• Mechosystems Roller Window Shades
• Designtex Curtains

Tech Solutions

• Telepresence Technology
• Hybrid Meeting Technology
• Wireless presentation capabilities
• Lutron Light Controls

Overall Project Results

We consider this a groundbreaking project, since it’s the first Hybrid workplace project with the IPG-Gensler teams, and we are very proud of the results!

– Larry Berger, Huge 

Project Team:

Architect: Gensler

MEP Consultant: RDA / RDT

Expeditor: Gillman Consulting Inc

Lighting Consultant: One Lux Studio

AV Consultant: Spectra

Design Team:

Douglas Burton | LinkedIn

Christopher Barbaro | LinkedIn

Stefanie Shunk | LinkedIn

Leonardo Caion-Demaestri | LinkedIn

Jillian Allerton | LinkedIn

Photography

Raphael Gamo