Leveraging a highly visible corner site, a well-connected and responsive ground floor would feed off of a rich urban setting. Between the needs of multiple tenants, different lobbies, the varying nature of the streets that border the site, and existing adjacent amenities, the ground floor assumes different roles as it interfaces with neighborhood. The retail spaces are grouped towards a large thoroughfare, while the lobby serving the non-profit group and the commercial office spaces will feed off of a narrower, pedestrian street, making the community outreach elements easily accessible for people arriving from Flushing’s Main Street. Special emphasis has been made to activate the ground floor, making sure the different pieces all have a touch-point at the ground level.
The community spaces in the building are comprised of three complementing elements. The first, a direct continuation of group’s work for this community, are offices and spaces dedicated to community outreach. These spaces are smaller in scale, and are a mixture of transparent and approachable conference areas, and private protected alcoves, affording a spatial diversity to match the diverse range of services provided. The second, a conference and event space, will provide the setting for group activities that would be diverse in nature, and would include workshops, lectures, networking events, and other public functions. Third, is an exhibition space and knowledge center that act as the lobby for both the outreach center and the conference center – exposing guests of both programs to the past and present achievements of the group within the flushing community.