January 31, 2023

Words: Georgina McWhirter

Photography: Dave Burk/Som

Inside Skidmore, Owings & Merrill’s Sustainable New York Office

2022 Best of Year Winner for Firm’s Own Office – Domestic

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill is known for skyline-defining feats of architecture and engineering. That includes the building in which the firm‘s own downtown Manhattan office is located: 7 World Trade Center. The two-level, 80,000-square-foot workplace is a showcase of the mega-firm’s commitment to designing tranquil, sustainable, and wellness-focused spaces. “Radical reduction” is the philosophy followed, which involves the responsible use of resources and pruning of inessential surface treatments (see the concrete slabs as flooring). Even the connecting stair, built entirely of cross-laminated timber—the only structural material that doesn’t emit carbon in its production—is itself an experiment in structural and environmental design.

people work at a conference table in an open office
people walk down the hall toward a conference room in an office
an open office space with employees milling around
a lightbulb tilted to the left on an orange and purple background

See Interior Design’s Best of Year Winners and Honorees

Explore must-see projects and products that took home high honors.

2022 WINNERS
PROJECT TEAM
skidmore, owings & merrill: Chris Cooper; Kenneth Lewis; Laura Ettelman; Colin Koop; Ojay Obinani; Brian Kaplan; Gary Ku; Jackie Moran; Charles Harris; Marti Gottsch; Sarah Hatch; Takuma Johnson; Cynthia Mirbach; Anisa Mohammed; Valerie Tang; Preetam Biswas; Bonghwan Kim; Stanley King

read more

recent stories