Reade Street Office
Tribeca, New York city. Completed in 2011.
Rumoured to be the smallest building in Manhattan, this 1910 single-family home was renovated into offices for two filmmakers and their production company. We had renovated the building previously in 2001, when the filmmakers were still editing everything by hand using a large KEM flatbed editing table that took up a lot of real estate in the largest part of the building, a basement level that spreads under the sidewalks. They also wanted ‘crap storage’ for all their awards and moments from movie shoots.
Soon afterward, digital editing finally caught up with them, and were called back to redesign the editing suite, add a full kitchen, create a mechanical room for all the backup drives and equipment, add more storage, turn the bathtub into an archive, and create a screening room. In 800 square feet.
Upstairs, two floors of 250 square feet each have offices, one for the filmmakers on the top floor and one for their assistant a floor below. These spaces are essentially like mobile homes, with all available walls lined with storage. The budget was tight (they were indie filmmakers!) and most of the cabinets are a combination of plywood and plastic laminate.
During the second renovation, a slatted Ipe fence and balcony were added to provide privacy and exposure, respectively.
