The design of a firm’s architecture office makes a statement about the values of the practice: Let the mess hang out or put on a monastic show? For their new office on the 27th and 28th floors of 7 World Trade Center (WTC), Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) adopted a philosophy of “radical reduction”: Their space sports concrete flooring, cork-lined walls, an impressive acoustic ceiling, and a cross-laminated timber (CLT) staircase. The materials contribute to a contemporary office design that seeks to eliminate excess and reduce energy use while maximizing comfort and flexibility. The goal of the new interior “was to integrate holistically the distinct programmatic requirements
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