HMFH Architects – Cambridge Offices

Firm
  • Client HMFH Architects Inc,
  • size 9,600 sqft
  • Year 2013
  • Location Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States,
  • Industry Architecture Firm,
  • HMFH Architects completed a new office design for their firm when relocating to a new space in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

    HMFH Architects was provided the opportunity to design its own new workspace when the firm relocated from the third to the fourth floor of a 1960s building designed by the celebrated architect Josep Lluis Sert. Comprised of three open studios, the design supports the firm’s philosophy by providing a dynamic atmosphere that encourages collaboration and dialogue.

    Augmenting the studios are private offices, small conference rooms, and a large kitchen commons that serves as the central activity hub and hosts lunchtime presentations and firmwide gatherings. While immersion in the daily buzz of activity was important to understanding the firm’s culture, having a balance of space that also enabled quiet, individual work was paramount to maximizing productivity and employee satisfaction. Interior glazing mediates the balance of open and enclosed spaces, providing visual connections and daylight while minimizing noisy distractions. In support of the idea that varied work environments are key to successful workplace design, the perimeter of the office has been transformed into a continuous bench punctuated with colorful cushions, intended to encourage the informal interactions that stimulate creativity.

    The new workspace has reenergized the firm’s 40 architects, designers, and staff. The team is discovering new ways of working together that strengthen the firm’s culture, which is founded on the idea that good design starts with a collaborative process.

    Design: HMFH Architects
    Photography: Ed Wonsek, Kent Dayton, Julia Nugent