HLM/Think Financial Office Update
Warning: If you have no interest in the build out of our office (the first leased office space in the Cobblestone District), innovative, cost-effective construction and design, the work of some gifted creative professionals, or a couch from the lobby of the Courier Express, please don’t read this. There’s nothing for you here.
The Railing
So we get a call one night last week from Brad Wales, the architect working on our project, who tells us he has two of the best designers in Buffalo coming up with ideas and drawings for our railing. He was pretty insistent that we stop whatever we were doing and come over. It’s a really good thing we did . Deep in the back of a huge and wonderful building on Main Street (a project queenseyes will be covering in the near future) Brad, Jeff Gabriel and Frank Fantauzzi were alternately shooting pool, changing records, mixing cocktails and drawing different concepts for really unique railing systems: studies in tension and compression.
The result of that collaboration was installed in our space yesterday, and as cool as the drawings were, they didn’t do the railing justice. Weaving in and out of concrete pillars above a floor of bamboo, the railing is this beautiful line of stainless steel cable guided by machined aluminum all held tight by turnbuckles made of surgical grade stainless.
The Couch
Just before we got that call from Brad, we got one from Mark Taylor. He asked us two things: Were we looking for a couch and did we have vision. While we were definitely looking for furniture , warning sirens started going off when we heard the couch required “vision”. But Mark’s business and reputation are built on his impeccable taste so we went to see what he was talking about.
The thing was enormous: 9.5' long by 5' deep by 3' high. You can sit in a corner with a laptop and disappear. After a long night of production, it could probably sleep the entire editorial staff along with an art director. When Mark told us it was from the lobby of the Courier Express, we had to have it.
Thomas Mileham of Mileham Antiques on Hertel made sure the couch arrived to the space. Getting it in the space however proved to be quite a chore. It wouldn’t fit in the elevator. It wouldn’t even fit in the stairway. So Sam Savarino graciously offered the use of one of his cranes and we had it lifted to our patio which was the only way to get it into the space. The couch is being not so much reupholstered as reinvented by Scott Washburn (whose garden graces the cover of Buffalo's Garden Walk Book). You’ll see it in our final post of the finished space.
The Workstations
We looked at all of our workstation options and for a host of reasons (aesthetic, time of delivery, cost) we had to reject all of them. Then we ran into Jon Spielman on the way to breakfast one morning. He’d heard through the grapevine that we were looking into workstation solutions and asked if we’d be interested in a design and proposal. His sketches were amazing and his price was just right. He’s still building our reception desk and the privacy screens for the workstations, but the tables were installed yesterday and we couldn’t be happier with them—banded in steel and topped with bamboo, they look like pressed blossoms sprouting from the office platform.
The Lighting
There’s still much to do in the next few week as we move in, including installation of a collection of fixtures from (and by) Roy and Sionen of Lightmakers which will add another layer of depth and finish to the space. Roy and Sionen saved our butts when it came to lighting decisions. After spending countless hours worrying about what would work, we told them our budget and two days later they presented us with a next level solution consisting of some innovatively sourced fixtures and a custom solution as well.
For those interested in the project, we thought you might dig the work done in just the past few days. We sure do.
Rigidized Metal HVAC Post
Rigidized Metal HVAC Concept Post
Think Financial and HLM in the Cobblestone District
Very Nice
Very Hot! Congrats!
Absolutely awesome! Sets the standard for office design in Buffalo, and a good reminder that just because functionality is needed that high design can't be included in that functionality. I applaud the use of so many local businesses in the build-out of this space as well!
I wish you took pictures of the crane and the couch. That would have been great. It must be great to be able to design and build your own workspace. It looks grand.
Pauldub...the pictures you are asking for are in the slideshow.
Does everyone get an Eames Aluminum Group task chair?
Perhaps next time I shall watch the slideshow BEFORE i post....
We LOVE the office - congratulations to all - and we are so happy to have you here!!
Eva Hassett and all of us at Savarino
Congrats! The space is even more beautiful in person. We are very excited for your arrival.
George ---
The concept and execution here is magnificent! You guys totally rock!
When I dropped by at the housing tour last August, Eva was kind enough to take me upstairs for a sneak peek of your space. The views are amazing, this is one of coolest locations in downtown Buffalo, and from where I come from, being steps from Sabres, Bandits and Bisons games is the best amenity of all!
Would you consider having an open house for some of your more loyal readers and posters sometime? First of all it would be cool to connect some of BRO's online handles with real faces; secondly, I am dying to see your new digs in person!
this may sound stupid and a waste of keystokes on my part but I use to work for a furniture store and also delivered once and awhile so here goes ...why did they not put a furniture blanket over the couch ( I assume its "new" even if it is not, why would you risk tears or stains from the straps) when they hoist the couch by crain? Sorry my OCD is acting up but that was kinda stupid on someones part? Other than that..looks great!
Hey Calvin. Good point... but the couch is about to be reupholstered, so we were just happy to get it up and into the office.
Calvin, you're right. We probably should have covered the couch in something before craning it up to the 4th floor. We just didn't know any better and thought it was fine as the whole thing is about to be reupholstered.
And SRT, we are going to have an open house event. Stay tuned. ;)
"If you have no interest in the build out of our office (the first leased office space in the Cobblestone District), innovative, cost-effective construction and design, the work of some gifted creative professionals, or a couch from the lobby of the Courier Express, please don’t read this."
In other words, we can't stand the heat in our own cutting edge kitchen.
If you guys can't take criticism or are going to get your panties in a twist when people don't like you, media might not be the best business for you to be in. I'm jus' sayin'
Hey HOVA,
The post was clearly intended for folks interested in the space and all the gifted local creative professionals we've gotten a chance to work with toward realizing it.
Quite frankly, we decided we're not going to defend what in other cities is just accepted as general practise. We wanted a cool space for our business, for our employees, for ourselves, for the neighborhood. Period.
And if you don't like reading about it, we advised you not to.
Great work - those must be some of our quality, efficient and inexpensive union contractors..with them behind us, nothing can hold Buffalo back!
Who cares what the haters have to say. It's a classy space and you guys should be proud of it. Show it off!.
At WNYM, the only thing cool about our office space is, well, nothing. You guys can stop by for a lukewarm glass of tapwater some time.
It also smells a lot like wet dogs.
Job well done BRO. A definite plus to a growing neighborhood.
Looks like a UB architecture studio project. Design doesn't have to be expensive and actually helps your mood. I sit in the new building downtown... no windows in my office, no fresh air, I get to smell the off gassing of the paint and carpet all day.. After 4 hours I either want to nap or kill myself. I would Love to have a view or a nice desk or anything that was given more than an efficiency standard.
Good job guys, I hope this type of effort becomes more commonplace and therefore even cheaper once people see there can be a better way than cubicles and vinyl.
Anyone remember the prison drama 'OZ?" Reminds me of the pods...
Hey Figmo, I hope you aren't one of the writers, as there are frequent grammatical errors and misspellings throughout your posts.
Geeze, everyone is a critic. Looks great guys.
The most interesting part of this project to me is the fact that this advanced design and construction is all Buffalo. It seems to me that this project could surely be the subject of an article in a nationally circulated magazine of design. It might help Buffalo get beyond wings and weck in the eyes of the nation.
get beyond Frank Lloyd Wright too.
Not surprising....For years, Jon Spielman has been producing super high quality design and controlling the end product through his amazing fabrication/construction skills. Buffalo is lucky to have him.
Those are very "cool" work stations, good job so far on the interior design, should only get better. I can't wait to see this office finished.
But why bother with that ragged old sofa with a broken leg? reupholstered or not, it seems too tired to put in such a new custom space. And it isn't that unusual of a style.