The client had a very specific approach to updating an elegant corporate atrium. Although it is a high-end luxury environment, it was cold and only served as a massive transitional space. Per the owner’s input, it needed material and design integrations to generate the best invitational gathering space. In addition, freestanding lounge clusters were added to implement soft furniture and textures around the space, combined with natural and organic replicas and live plantings.

The initial approach was to break the straight, hard lines of marble finished components and to replace them with organic, curved lines through lines of boundaries and composition. Then, the initiative was to soften the harsh environment through biophilic integrations. To do that, we incorporated 15 foot trees and a combination of live and replica greenery on wall and plants. On top of this, rugs and soft furniture in lounge clusters were added, as well as a number of perimetral teak wood benches and warm suspended ornamental lighting fixtures. Per the client’s request, a trellis canopy for an existing restaurant was implemented to bring an inviting human-scale experience.

A full-size mockup was created in our shop to get the client’s direction and involvement. All the steel structures were developed as a “bolted” assembly system since welding was not allowed in an occupied building. All components had to be fully prefabricated since the time allowed on site was short, with no room for adjustment.

Per the client’s request, all work had to be performed at night, cleaning and leaving the space usable the following day for normal activity. This task alone took an hour of time every night.

A search for special boom lift equipment was needed. This had to be something that was small enough to fit through the pedestrian access doors, but with an arm range of 40 to 50 feet long. Plywood floor protection was needed as equipment was moved throughout the space.

As a turnkey company, Plantscape provided the client with a very deep understanding of the design process, an efficient supervised fabrication process, and a nondisruptive installation system. Plantscape’s knowledge in the field of construction allowed for a very smooth and rewarding performance that blended with additional trades and fit into the existing construction schedule. In comparison to the architectural concept drawings, the outcome was flawless. Our work allowed the client to deal with one company, though five different providers were needed to perform the project.