EisnerAmper recently tapped Francis Cauffman Architects to develop its new headquarters, which spans five floors at 733 Third Avenue in New York City. Having completed EisnerAmper's Philadelphia office as well as its San Francisco location - a project that shifted the company's approach to office design toward a highly flexible workplace - FCA sought to create a New York HQ that pushed the boundaries of workplace design even further. Spread across 125,000 square feet, the collaborative and agile design scheme aligns with EisnerAmper's vision for expansion, while also adhering to emerging workplace trends within the current environment.
Upon approaching the building, employees, visitors, and clients are greeted with large EisnerAmper marquee signage on the exterior, firmly establishing the company's welcome center at the street level. The FCA team ensured a seamless entry sequence into the space through the creation of a welcoming ground-level concierge, a hospitality-inspired guest lounge, and huddle rooms for small meetings or clients who wish to utilize the space. An elevator shuttles guests and employees to the seventh floor where doors open to a lobby with EisnerAmper's digital brand messaging and environmental graphics (developed by FCA, in tandem with graphic branding firms AirSpace and EXP). The design intent of the seventh floor is to build a sense of vertical community and prompt communication within the company. Passing through the lobby to the main amenity zone, the space opens into a three-story atrium that functions as a large central hub, connecting all floors via monumental stairs so that employees at each level are connected and accessible to one another. The hub also features a healthy grab+go station, an IT genius bar, and a game room, as well as a large outdoor terrace.
Focusing on the health and wellness of employees with a holistic approach, the design team carefully curated a selection of biophilic elements, which include plants throughout the space and pops of colors, finishes, and textures that create a professional, yet fun and edgy workspace. Further supporting the wellbeing and comfort of EisnerAmper's employees, FCA created more intimate workstation neighborhoods that can be reserved each day through the company's smartphone app, and ensured that the layout of each floor provided everyone with access to natural daylight throughout the space. The outdoor terrace on the seventh floor allows employees to step outside for a break or work beyond the confines of the interior. In addition to the large seventh-floor community hub, each level features its own curated touch-down space and community center that offers healthy food options daily, encouraging staff to venture to different floors to take advantage of a variety of amenities and socialization.
Photography: Frank Oudeman