Alliance for Downtown New York

H3 partnered with the Downtown Alliance to imagine a Workplace of the Future that is the next generation incubator space. The Idea Factory is a prototype environment that promotes entrepreneurship and equality. As a clubhouse rather than a typical office space, it comprises a network of cross-disciplinary individuals who utilize each other to form a network of professional success. The goal of the space is product to market, expediting and efficiently generating ideas, matching funders, and testing ideas in a way that the density of Lower Manhattan has historically accomplished.

On the main level is the clubhouse entry. When entering, members swipe their smart phones to a spot on the wall, which will light up with their signature to denote who is active in the space. The café- an upscale espresso bar by day and a cocktail bar by night, with pre-packaged, self-serve health food offerings, is at the entry. Behind the “See and Be Seen Staircase” on the lower level are the “Think Tank” and “Booth Bots,” but also “The Plunge”- the coveted place where the deal is made, where venture capitalists meet with young aspiring entrepreneurs and shake hands to close.

While the Idea Factory prototype is scalable, this version accommodates as many as a hundred people in 10,000 square feet. User experience from entry to exit offers a variety of spaces for 24/7 ideation and production. The space brings together a community of creators, funders/investors, and the potential end-users.

CLIENT: Alliance for Downtown New York
COMPLETION: 2013
SIZE: 10,000 square feet