Symbio City

Lindy’s studio worked in teams to design the US headquarters for a Swedish sustainable development think tank. This project challenged students to demonstrate Scandinavian values of sustainability, efficiency, and cutting edge modernity while encouraging collaboration in the workplace. The project location was 7 WTC in New York, NY and each team had a chance to share their projects and engage with professional designers at Silverstein Properties, LLC.

Denise Pendleton, Sarah Tehan, Lisa Mokszanowski, and Caitlyn Burton designed the space to provide a transparent look at infrastructure and educate the public that sustainability can be modern and timeless. Innovative design features such as an indoor bike rack doubling as wall art, piezoelectric embedded flooring that charges electronics, unconcealed rainwater collection, custom reclaimed wood conference table, and solar energy-harvesting virtual clover wall were applied to create an informatively sustainable space.

Amber Ding, Justin Castillo, Brook Christman, and Emily-Jane Regodon were inspired by the elements and spatial episodes found in a sustainable city and used urban planning as the genesis for their design. The team created a network of buildings (offices) punctuated by collaborative courtyards (huddle and break areas) to encourage chance encounters and exchange of ideas. Landmarks, angled pathways, distinct neighborhoods, social zones, and elements of nature were integrated in the design to reflect a sustainable city.