About the project

The digital economy’s rapid evolution is demanding new forms of knowledge and skill, making such organizations as Galvanize, Inc. vital as educational resources. Founded in 2012, Denver-based Galvanize operates a network of urban campuses. Here, students, entrepreneurs and established companies can access needed skills, workspace and networks to reach their goals in Web development, data science and data engineering. Its New York campus designed by BR Design Associates is a two-floor, 50,000-square-foot facility scheduled for completion in 2017. A former candy factory is converted into a lively environment where the two principal areas, dedicated to schooling and co-working, form one unified space. Like other technology-oriented offices, Galvanize prizes flexibility, using a folding wall, community spaces, open workstations and scattered meeting areas to provide a variety of environments. But the space is anything but generic. Besides an LED-illuminated “tunnel” the designers created to connect the two main areas, there are such gestures to New York City as a staircase inspired by cast iron sidewalks, learning booths made of colored glass replicating subway logos, a hidden original vaulted ceiling now left exposed, and a loading dock converted into a coffee shop to proudly celebrate the Big Apple’s role in the digital economy.