It’s time I wrote about the place I have disappeared to: the New York office of Steven Holl Architects
(SHA). The studio, located in the Chelsea area of Manhattan, is located on the
11th floor of an old building with a peculiar elevator system - which ensures the day starts with meeting
colleagues even before entering the office. This offers a nice way to catch up on the progress of different
projects – or to get a recommendation on what exhibition to visit from Steven
Holl himself.
The NYC office is made up of around 30 people. When I first
heard the number, I was really surprised – the output of the studio seems to be
that of a much bigger firm. Now, it seems to make a lot of sense – this size
allows Steven and his Partners to be directly involved in each project, and keeps
the studio efficient and focused. The fact that there are 10 more people
working in Beijing also helps increase the productivity – they work while we
sleep, and vice-versa – so that the office develops some projects 24 hours a
day. I find this absolutely amazing.
The studio is really hands-on. Everything is tested with physical
study models - simultaneously with the production
of Design Development drawings/3D-models. Currently, I am working on a 1/4' (1:48
translated into metric) model that takes up half of the workshop – this way,
everything can be discussed in detail during the weekly pin-ups with all the
team members. Somehow, those sessions remind me of the Reviews (Crits) at
School – only taken to a completely different level.
One of my favourite things about the studio is the extensive
Materials Library. It’s amazing to be able to touch and compare pretty much any
architectural material one can think of – with more samples placed all around the
studio. A lot of the materials are really cutting edge: one day, we had a Lunch
& Learn session with a representative of a glass manufacturing company, and
he was showing off the latest samples; his reaction - upon hearing that some of
the products were already specified in the projects - was priceless. Other materials are ordered
in specifically: recently, I helped unpack a massive stone sample sent in
directly from the quarry – apparently, it was just 21 million years old.
It’s a great environment; everyone is really friendly; there
is too much work; the standard is set very high – so I stay in studio until
late. Following the good traditions of New York, we get food delivery almost every
night – last week, 6 of my dinners were at work, with some interesting
discussions during this short break. I get home late, and wake up early. Sleep
is for the weak.
The Internship at SHA in short: intensive, demanding, exciting and really
inspiring.
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| Steven's office |
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| Models |
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| Materials Library |
