Amenta Emma Architects designed for employee engagement at the new Bessemer Venture Partners NYC office space.
Bessemer Venture Partners (BVP) confronted a challenge that resonates across modern workplaces: how to attract and retain a young talent pool while addressing the needs of experienced staff — and encouraging a post-Covid return to the office. Their solution? A 12,000-square-foot office near Grand Central Station, a convenient hub for commuting employees, designed to energize team members and engage clients alike.
The office layout embraces movement and connection, with design choices that honor the city’s dynamic landscape. Reception serves as a welcoming point for visitors and formal meetings, while the main workspace flows southward to optimize natural light. Within this layout, BVP’s workplace centers on a lively café area, offering views of the historic New York Public Library. A social hub that is used for informal gatherings and team connection, this café doubles as a venue for catered events.
A series of open workstations is enhanced by a transparent, pod-like enclave of offices for hybrid team members, ensuring flexible use of space. Curved forms and fluid lines soften the industrial edges of concrete floors and exposed ceilings, while warm wood finishes add a sense of warmth and comfort. Sustainable choices are central: the ceiling’s linear design, made from recycled plastic bottles, guides occupants from reception to the café and delineates public from private zones, supporting wellness with finishes that avoid harmful chemicals.
The result is a thoughtfully designed environment that encapsulates BVP’s brand identity and legacy, while fostering a sense of connection and belonging across generations — a space that resonates with employees and clients alike, grounded in both style and sustainability.
Project Details
The interior finishes were selected with a strong emphasis on eliminating harmful chemicals to support occupant health and wellness. Impact acoustic baffles, which are Cradle to Cradle certified and Redlist free, were utilized.
These baffles are made from upcycled plastic bottles and can be fully recycled to create new acoustic panels. One of the unique features of the space is the fluid ceiling baffles that flow through the area, connecting visitors to the views of the New York City cityscape, including the New York Public Library.
Steel is prominently featured in the reception desk and other design elements throughout the space, paying homage to the company’s roots in the steel industry. Additionally, branding elements were thoughtfully incorporated, drawing inspiration from the innovations in steel that forged modern building and manufacturing.
Products
Overall Project Results
Post occupancy surveys were sent out to senior level employees and response was overwhelmingly positive. One piece of unexpected feedback about the office design was that the employees gravitate to the open workstations more than the interior offices.
“Our investment in creating an inspiring workspace has yielded remarkable results, bringing folks back into an office environment, holding market events and roundtables, hosting social events and providing an effective space for our portfolio companies’ board meetings,”wrote Director of Portfolio Monitoring & Analysis Augie Wilkinson in a letter that successfully recommended the project for a regional AIA award.
“The complete return of our workforce to the office, seamlessly and with enthusiasm, underscores the effectiveness of our approach. The location of our office, in the heart of Fifth Avenue, adds to the sense of pride and energy among our employees, who are keen to welcome entrepreneurs, limited partners, and most importantly friends into this vibrant space. This success is a testament to the ingenuity and foresight of our design team, who were able to bring our vision to life. We are grateful for their commitment to our project and excited to partner with them again when the next BVP office needs to be forged.”
Contributors:
- CES Engineering – Yan Pereira
- TriStar Construction – Andrew Papataros
- Creative Office Resources – Kelsey Bonnett, Megan Wake, Tiago Moraes
- Habitat Matter – Joe Mascaro
- Robert Benson Photography
Design
Michael B. Tyre, AIA, LEED AP – Principal-in-Charge
Debra L. Seay, AIA, LEED AP, WELL AP – Senior Project Manager
Jeremy R. Jamilkowski, AIA – Project Architect
Mallory K. Przybyłowski, IIDA – Interior Designer
Will Thompson, AIA, LEED AP – Construction Administration
Photography
All photos by Robert Benson Photography
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