Associated Press Corporate Headquarters Interior

        More than one billion people look to The Associated Press (AP) for news each day. Founded in 1848, the AP is the world’s foremost information resource with more than 3,700 employees at 242 bureaus worldwide serving 121 countries 24 hours a day, seven days a week via newspaper, radio, television and the Web. The typical workday at any AP bureau is demanding and fast-paced – even more so at its corporate headquarters in New York. It was no surprise then, when in 2003, AP gave GHK an aggressive six-month timeframe to deliver a new workplace design for its headquarters. It was essential that the designers partner with an innovative furniture manufacturer that truly understood the complex nature of the assignment.

        “AP had pragmatic requirements completely different from a typical office,” said Peter Lung, senior designer, GHK. “The news room depends on visual contact as news unfolds, requiring an open plan with sightlines at a seated height.” Because AP already employed KI PowerComm® tables in bureaus across North America, it made sense for GHK’s designers to collaborate with the KI Tailored Products Team. Together, they developed a custom desking solution that cleanly managed power and data, offered adjustability and provided privacy with a minimal number of SKUs. 

        “KI was very accommodating throughout the accelerated design process, and although we compromised at times, we were able to stick to the price point driven by our client, and in the end, everyone was pleased,” Lung said.

        “Everybody was extremely pleased with the end result, which was a pretty dramatic improvement both visually and ergonomically compared to the former AP headquarters.” – Peter Lung, senior designer, GHK

        AP provided the GHK design team with a bubble diagram noting the location of each news group within the headquarters. Each news group had its own furniture requirements, making it a daunting task to incorporate each group’s unique way of working into the overall flow of information, from initial lead to hard news. In all, the group identified 30 workstation types. “The creative process between GHK and KI was an easy and pleasant experience,” said Lisa Novatney, designer, GHK. Together, the designers developed a custom solution based on the aesthetics of the Genesis® desk and the functionality of the PowerComm tables.

        The highly designed desk consisted of three main elements - the desk, a beam and a screen. This kit of parts, which met all AP’s requirements, minimized the number of SKUs while maximizing flexibility in configuration to accommodate the 30 workstation configurations. The sleek desk offers sit-stand adjustability, while the beam cleanly manages an 8-wire electrical system approved by UL and NYC. The screens, which are tackable and removable, offer privacy and modesty, and remain at a fixed height when the desk is adjusted.

Description from architects.