Introduction
The Flatiron Office project was designed to maximize human and planetary health. Once a closed and cloistered building with dark windows, it now allows natural lighting from all directions to permeate entirely through the space. Created for a 3D design software firm, the ideas of triangulation and Euclidean space were manifested at every scale in the process. The aesthetic of the space creates exciting moments through color, shape, and form without affecting the need for a comfortable and focused work environment.

Healthy Office
It was immediately apparent that the existing building craved light. Walking through the office was an ordeal of dark hallways and confusing circulation. Opaque walls and dark privacy glass kept sunlight from reaching all but the most outward workspaces. Tres Birds transformed the building by selectively removing exterior and interior walls. Each corridor and conference room now has a view through an exterior window. Skylights, glass walls, and a new atrium opening allow the sun to penetrate deep or entirely through the building. In many locations the user receives sunlight from 3 or 4 directions simultaneously. Natural daylight lowers stress, reduce eye strain, elevates brain function and improves mood and emotion. For 300 employees working through the week, health and comfort is paramount to a productive environment.



The renovated building is healthier for the planet as well. A 60kW photovoltaic array was installed on the roof. Overall lighting power density is 40% less than ASHRAE 90.1-2001 code baseline. This is achieved through use of LED lighting and controls including daylight harvesting, full dimming, local zone and facility level controls.

Windows were upgraded to double-pane low-e IGUs with a .27 solar heat gain coefficient.

Water is heated with a 97% efcient closed combustion heater. Low-flow Kohler plumbing fixtures were installed to reduce natural gas use.

A 38’ operable wall was installed on the east wall, which might seem to conflict with the ability to efficiently control temperature. Energy code and energy models seek to create buildings which hold a constant temperature. They encourage well sealed interior spaces. Large openings in the building are the enemy of energy control, however, they are incredible devices for human comfort. The HVAC system was therefore designed with localized engineering controls. They allow the dead-band range of temperature to expand while the door is open, so air supply isn’t wasted. The door is also located in a protected alcove where wind and ambient temperature are more static.



Identity Manifest
The triangle is central to 3D design software. From geospatial technology, to surveying, to 3D modeling, triangulation is the core strategy for determining location and building stability. Inspired by the triangulated mesh that makes up a surface in the client’s software, folded glass curtain walls were inserted into new exterior wall openings, an intervention into the opaque brick façade. The triangle is used in smaller scales as acoustic treatment, furniture, and smaller yet as tile and fabric. The reception desk at the main entry is perhaps the clearest embodiment of triangulation. Folded wood panels form a mesh between steel plates, creating an organic form without curves that could never have been made without a Euclidean space computer program.



Tres Birds made a concerted investigation to understand the employees who will use the space. 90 survey responses and numerous interviews informed crucial programming and strategy to improve on their previous building and provide a sense of ownership in the finished office. A result of this research was understanding the “DNA” of needs that forms the company culture. This included a maker space for tinkering and modeling with digital fabrication technology, an XR lab for extended reality hardware testing, a gym and massage room, a heads-down “library” where training and classes can take place. More qualitative needs were addressed as well, such as balancing a need for variable work environments while minimizing distraction. All open-office circulation was moved to the perimeter, so desks aren’t located in noisy, high-traffic locations, limiting surprise taps on the shoulder for focused employees. Thick walls with high STC ratings were used for privacy and window film allows light to pass while obscuring potentially sensitive information on screens. Quiet phone rooms are distributed throughout the building and a central hub allows for a busier environment where spontaneous collaboration can occur.

Aesthetic Approach
The focus of daylighting and identity coalesce in the east curtain wall, dubbed the Prism Plane. Custom fabricated dichroic IGU panels fold their way across 52’ of space, reflecting and radiating a spectrum of color to the walls and ground, onto and through each other, and deep through the building. The color of each panel and it’s reflections change as the user walks past, as the sun moves across the sky, and as the seasons change. The stripes of brightly colored light splash into surprising shapes throughout the center of the building, a brilliant visual reminder of the sunlight penetration through the space. Each panel is placed at a unique angle to increase the kaleidoscopic effects of the glass, their very complexity a reminder of the software used to shape the design. As a 38’ steel hydraulic door pivots upwards, more reflections and refractions interact with the ground and the curtain wall above. Every day of the year provides a new radiant color show inside and out.



It is important, however, to balance the excitement of this central hub with more focused and restrained work areas. HVAC and building infrastructure fade to grey in the open ceilings, whites and grays throughout the interior allow for focused work and also highlight the vivid colors used in furniture and finishes. The lighter tones keep the rooms airy and reflect the daylight as it fills the space. Large, clear windows highlight the impressive mountain views in Boulder, all but hidden in the previous configuration of the building.

Conclusion
As architects and general contractors, Tres Birds took a stuffy, hermetic, brick office building and pushed as much sunlight as possible into its core. Occupants who enjoy this natural lighting will feel better and work healthier. With the Prism Plane as a backdrop, the outdoor garden has become an indoor/outdoor workspace allowing employees to take advantage of Boulder's gentle weather and work in an inspiring environment. Balancing transparency with privacy, the building now allows for clear navigation and comfort while maintaining a variety of efficient workspace.