A One-of-a-Kind DIRTT Destination in New York City
The NYC DIRTT Experience Center offers a wide range of solutions in a small space
Stepping off the elevator on the 15th floor of the New York Design Center in Midtown Manhattan, you’re immediately immersed in the beautiful exteriors of showrooms, offices and design shops. This first impression is prim and proper. A row of elegant, bright spaces enclosed with crystal-clear glass fronts. But looking down the hall, you see a space that’s undeniably unique. It’s a stark contrast to the other spaces that reside in the building. And intriguing enough to make you want to wander over.
The entryway to this 2,800 square foot space is framed with huge glass pivot doors, dramatic black veneer finishes, and an eye-catching geometric graphic. It’s finished off with a dark and detailed bespoke ceiling overhead. This entrance is bold and striking. And there is no signage or explanation, other than five letters spelling out DIRTT.
This space is home to DIRTT’s latest industrialized construction expression. It’s a refreshed NYC DIRTT Experience Center (DXC). Renovated to further push the limits of what’s possible with the DIRTT Construction System.
Take 1, Take 2
Once you transition through the entry way and sway to your right, you’ll see two twin timber pods that almost look like they belong in an upscale lounge. Created with cross-laminated timber, these fancy breakaway areas have integrated tech and bridge graphics. This type of set-up could be incorporated into cafeteria-style spaces in offices, education spaces, or healthcare facilities. Or they could be used as touchdown meeting areas to break up open layouts. Either way, they’re as sophisticated as they are functional. And you won’t be able to tell, but a sneaky door is hidden in the middle of these pods, leading to a back room.
Central Spark
Turn to your right and you arrive at the space’s tech lounge, known as Central Spark. This area ties in residential elements and projects a living-room-like warmth, balanced with an industrial ceiling. Look past the feeling this space evokes and you’ll notice the DIRTT. A floating shelf detail. A TV screen that looks like a piece of art when not in use. Touch-open casework with integrated lighting. A large colorful abstract graphic. This area is also home to a mini virtual reality arena. A tool that clients can use to walk through and experience their space virtually as if it’s already been built. High tech meets high end.
Class Act
Walk further down the same path and you’ll come to Class Act, our high-impact education environment. One of the highlights of this space is the angled thermofoil (3D laminate) finished wall with an alternating grain direction. An embedded iPad controls the lights and music in the entire space. Invisible casework frames the centerpiece of the area — two large tech screens. This space is also perfect for large presentations and could spark a vision for a commercial training room.
Gallery Leaf Wall®
When this Leaf Folding Wall® is closed, it divides the Class Act and the Rush Hour spaces (which we will get to later on). A closed position works best for tours, presentations, or if multiple groups are exploring the space at the same time. When opened, it instantly turns this space to open concept, great for entertaining and hosting events. In areas where real estate is at a premium, this solution gives you the best of both worlds — privacy when you need it, an open concept when you don’t. But with this level of functionality, you don’t have to compromise aesthetics. This Leaf Wall® was built to look like a gallery wall, mixing textures, finishes and graphics.
State of Mind
Head towards the back of the space and you come to a mini-conference room. Perfect for collaboration sessions or private meetings that take place in an office environment. The blue wall panel extends into a graphic bespoke ceiling, surrounded by wood. A mix of matte and glossy writable surfaces allow for brainstorming sessions. And seamless integrated tech shines at the center. Another Leaf Wall frames one side of the room, allowing the space to open up into a larger environment when needed.
The Hudson
Connected to State of Mind by the Leaf Wall, the Hudson is a space to showcase what a private office could look like with DIRTT. It's a room that displays DIRTT’s acoustical strengths. An acoustic barn door, tackable fabric panels and double insulated walls all contribute to this. Created with a holistic approach to acoustics, a sit-stand desk, casework bench and shelving make the space comfortable for occupants.
Speak Easy
This tailored phone booth, known as Speak Easy, has an eclectic backpainted glass gallery wall. The overall ambiance is similar to an old library or den. Open veneer shelving and fabric-wrapped wall panels play a part in creating this mood. How does this space connect with our clients’ spaces? Phone booths are becoming very popular in office spaces with open-concept layouts. The ability to step away for a call with privacy or have peace and quiet to reach a pressing deadline, can often be a missing link. This environment demonstrates that small spaces can still leave a lasting, bold impression.
Walk the Talk
Further down the hall you come to another phone booth that’s nothing like Speak Easy. Same purpose, completely different vibe. This little room is bright and chic thanks to natural light and soft nature graphics. It’s cool, calm, and collected. Fun fact: the lighter matte WriteAway jungle graphic was added into the space as a giant coloring book — a way to take a moment to de-stress. And, it’s another space that demonstrates DIRTT’s acoustical management.
Edison
Make your way to the back corner of the space and you reach the Edison, a behind-the-scenes display of what the inside of a DIRTT wall looks like. This area is helpful to those looking to understand DIRTT’s modular approach to construction. DIRTT’s connected infrastructure is a main focus in this space demonstrating the many benefits quick-connect electrical and network cabling can bring It compares fiber to the edge to copper, displaying real estate and cost efficiencies. There’s also an example of embedded tech, a DIRTT 6” Solid Wall with DIRTT Flex Gas, plus an area demonstrating how plumbing fits into the mix.
Be Patient
Walk out the Edison and you’ll arrive at our healthcare display. Be Patient is a mock nurse station or admin area. Complimented by wood grain finishes and soft blue hues, this area is welcoming and comforting. Switch glass demonstrates how flexibility can be added to a space. Under the integrated computer screen is a panel with magnetic clips. This gives access to make adjustments to the computer’s settings when needed.
Speedy Recovery
When you walk into Speedy Recovery, it feels like you’ve actually entered a patient room in a hospital based on the attention to detail. This space is soothing, neutral, and clean. Distraction imagery demonstrates a patient-centered design approach, giving off a calm impression. This room contains both a headwall and footwall application, as well as casework with detailed features designed specifically for healthcare. Integrated tech, clock and a writable nurses chart graphic complete the space. The end result is a just one application of how a modern, adaptable healthcare space could look and feel like. One that aids in the healing process.
On the Go
Connected to the patient room is On the Go, an ADA-compliant restroom display. It's a high-end bespoke application with a timeless Corning® Willow® Glass marble graphic. A navy blue matte thermofoil balances this out to embody the overall theme of the DXC.
Rush Hour
Framed by the gallery Leaf Wall, and the custom casework divider, you arrive at Rush Hour — the DXC’s kitchen.
If you’ve ever visited a DIRTT location, you know that entertaining is deep-rooted in the DIRTT culture. And this space is perfect for just that. This space also demonstrates a major trend sweeping commercial office spaces: a home-style kitchen for employees to use as a breakout or eating space. It’s designed with an island with 10 seats, long stretches of bold casework cabinetry, and a hidden fridge and dishwasher. The natural light perfectly balances out the dark colors in the environment.
Happy Hour
We’ve come to the last stop on the tour. And if you’re a wine drinker, perhaps you could use a pour! We’ve shown you a lot after all. This custom, temperature-controlled wine room has an eye-catching back-lit glass wall with a graphic film applied to it. It’s the perfect addition to finish off Rush Hour.
So, there you have it – we’re back to where the tour began. If you didn’t have time to go through every single detail above, here’s a recap flythrough video of the space.
This space shows that with DIRTT, nothing is off-limits when it comes to your space. No vision is too bold. No dream too big. We hope you’ve gained some inspiration for your own environments you’ve yet to create.
This space shows that with DIRTT, nothing is off-limits when it comes to your space. No vision is too bold. No dream too big. We hope you’ve gained some inspiration for your own environments you’ve yet to create.
The DIRTT Experience Center in New York welcomes visitors by appointment.
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