The Plan: DOAR at 1370 Broadway
By Rachel Butt December 10, 2015 9:30 am
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At first glance, DOAR’s new office in Herald Square might be mistaken for a coworking space.
Gone are people operating in small cliques and fixed to their cubicles, like most legal consulting firms. DOAR’s employees now not only work on their own desks, but also on lounge sofas and cafe tables dotted across the 8,000-square-foot office.
“We really want to bolster collaboration with a completely open office design,” said Gene Klimov, chief technology officer for DOAR. “The different colors also brought so much light into our environment.”
DOAR’s management decided to ditch its space at 1211 Avenue of the Americas as it was no longer conducive for the team of 30 to work together.
With a budget of over $150,000, the consulting firm tapped Poppin to design its new office at 1370 Broadway between West 37 and West 38 Streets, more than tripling its old office space. There are rows of long, white desks that fit two screens for every employee, highlighted with blue and orange mouse pads and trays.
For those who pull their hair out when it comes to the prospect of an Ikea office, Poppin touts its office furniture and accessories are both dynamic and easy to assemble (no screws or tools required). Its desk system, for example, can be adjusted according to desired heights with leg extenders and be connected to nearby desks to form a long row.
The brand, which typically works with startups, aims to inject a splash of color and vibrancy into otherwise dull office spaces with a quick turnaround.
“We can be more flexible with companies that have strict timelines,” said Michael Berlin, a furniture and space planning expert at Poppin (or, in the company’s parlance, a “workstylist”), citing its warehouse in Edison, N.J. for allowing such efficient delivery. Poppin’s showroom also expedites the design process by allowing customers to touch and feel the furniture available.
In DOAR’s case, designing the office and procuring furniture took about eight weeks, Mr. Berlin said. Since DOAR’s employees moved into the new space, the office has been on a social event spree to show off the new space.
“The biggest challenge is getting the exact vibe that our clients want,” Mr. Klimov said.
Everything worked out for DOAR, except for management’s highly sought-after Ping-Pong conference table: a sliding tabletop with a secret zone for cable management, or more seriously, Ping-Pong ball storage.
“We designed it, but didn’t realize that the table actually spanned two sections of space with different elevations, so we can’t push it,” Mr. Klimov said.
