Sony Design Center America is a studio for the East Coast industrial and graphic design groups of Sony Electronics, and is located in an arc-shaped suburban office building.

One of the client's main objectives was to establish the sense of collective creative space. We achieved this by removing all existing partitions and dropped ceilings, and creating an open, sweeping volume that will be used as the design studio. Another concept - flexibility and movement, in both physical and psychological sense - was developed by using fragments of curvilinear geometries that also serve to organize important public functions. Private offices have been largely eliminated, and non-territorial areas established instead to promote free-flowing interaction between designers.

photo J.B.Grant

The large conference room is enclosed by curved, sliding translucent wall panels that can be fully opened up during the semi-annual company-wide product presentations.

photo J.B.Grant

A library and a strategy room, both intended for more informal meetings, are carved out in the middle of the studio along a cross-axis marked by an articulated structural column.

photo J.B.Grant

A library and a strategy room, both intended for more informal meetings, are carved out in the middle of the studio along a cross-axis marked by an articulated structural column.

photo J.B.Grant

The studio space is defined and modulated by the building's structural steel grid, the ductwork, and the light fixtures. Translucent acrylic and perforated steel are used to screen off areas yet maintain a sense of transparency, while wood surfaces envelop special gathering places.

photo J.B.Grant

A folding mobile perforated screen was custom fabricated for the entry area. Its primary function is to shield proprietary products from view during vendors' presentations.

photo J.B.Grant

The large conference room is enclosed by curved, sliding translucent wall panels that can be fully opened up during the semi-annual company-wide product presentations.

photo J.B.Grant

Concept Diagram

1. Entry
2. Waiting Area
3. Conference Room
4. Vendors Screen
5. Reception
6. Mail / Supplies
7. Administrative Assistant
8. VIP Conference Room
9. Pantry
10. Library
11. Network Coordinator
12. Prototype Storage
13. Shop
14. CAD
15. ID Group I
16. ID Group II
17. Director's Office
18. Strategy Room
19. Graphics Group I
20. Graphics Group II

Conference Room

Library / Strategy Room