International advertising and communications firm Havas worked with TPG for more than two years to identify an appropriate space in Manhattan into which the industry leader could move its creative and media staff. The client ultimately selected seven floors, totaling 265,000 square feet, at 200 Hudson Street. The new space brings together 1,100 staff from various Havas agencies. In order to effectively convey Havas’ creative inspiration and forward-thinking philosophy, the design incorporates two main themes from CEO David Jones: sustainability and transparency. Every wall within the space is glass, and a commanding internal stair connects floors 5-8, while voids cut into the floor/ceiling on floors 6 and 7 allow light to penetrate the meeting rooms and work spaces. A key design element is the wood feature wall by John Houshmand, which was created utilizing repurposed spalted (rotting) maple. Havas implemented an 100% open plan, where bench-style desks topped with indirect lighting take precedence. In addition to office areas and meeting rooms, Havas’ new space features an in-house, world-class production facility, an innovation laboratory, screening room and café. The video production area includes 5 edit rooms, 2 sound mixing rooms, video editing facility, audio recording booth, photo studio, dedicated pantry, reception and workstations. Each meeting room is connected with networked video, allowing for presentations to be broadcast anywhere in the building. A variety of small to mid-sized informal meeting rooms are provided and the use of WiFi, Skype and iChat are encouraged in the non-tethered environment. The Mad Sci Lab, located across from the main reception is a key differentiator, as it is a showcase for research and experimentation. The lab has become a place to test technology and discover applications for client use. Each floor includes a small pantry and coffee bar, as well as its own living room.