Lab
OXMAN Lab
Core Team: Ashley Fidel, Anran Li, Ben Light, Xavier Lopez, Brian Mirenda, Neri Oxman, Ryan Rodriguez, Alex Saffari, Tyler Schiavo, Kevin Shook, Bridget Small, Olivia Tai, Andrew Tom, Khoa Vu, Glen Wolland
Year: 2020-2025
Location: 787 Eleventh Ave, Fl 9, NYC, New York
The Interconnected Studio
OXMAN's hybrid studio consists of three interconnected spaces: a Design Studio, a Wet Lab, and a Production Workshop. These environments were created to foster the dynamic interplay of design, biology, and engineering, each tailored to its function while allowing ideas and processes to move fluidly between them.
Designed in collaboration with Foster + Partners, the space integrates cutting-edge architectural technologies. Custom furniture and advanced lab equipment redefine the possibilities for a multifunctional studio, lab, and workshop.
A tightly integrated and compact infrastructure supports all three programs. Over 25 specialized services, comprising different types of data, power, gasses, and liquids, are embedded within the ceiling and floors.
Designed for upgradability and flexibility, this hidden network ensures the studio, lab, and workshop function as a cohesive unit well into the future.
Site Details
Five years ago, the Lab project began as a bold vision, now coming to life through the efforts of a global team of specialized experts. With input from architects, engineers, and creators from across the world, each step has been a testament to the fusion of craft, technology, and design. From the first 3D printed model sent by Foster + Partners to the space's inauguration with movement and energy, this journey represents a collaborative effort unlike any other.
Once a car manufacturing facility, 787 Eleventh Avenue has been transformed into a cutting-edge research center through the vision of Rafael Viñoly Architects. With the building's capacity for heavy infrastructure, the building has now become a hub for biomedical research.
Design Studio
The design studio on the 9th floor offers a dynamic and adaptable space that balances focus and energy. An open workspace connects private offices, meeting rooms, a library, and a gallery system displaying rotating selections from the physical archive. The heart of the studio is a 912 square-foot double-height prototyping and exhibition area, designed to accommodate structures up to 25 feet tall, emphasizing the studio’s commitment to hands-on experimentation and large-scale design.
The space is crafted to be both minimal and dense, offering an ergonomic environment that feels sharp yet quiet. Each element is carefully considered, creating a setting that feels timeless and monastic, yet remains mobile and responsive to shifting needs. This balance of intensity and calm, combined with flexibility, shapes a studio that supports both obsessive focus and dynamic creation.
Design Studio Details
OXMAN studio furniture was crafted with care by master woodworkers. The 6.6-meter oak tables reflect precision and a deep respect for natural materials. Trees were hand-selected from over 80 forests, ensuring both quality and ethical sourcing. The result is furniture that balances function with refined simplicity.
A 4.3-meter square glass panel, transported to NYC via specialized hydraulic freight, forms the vitrine, offering an unobstructed view of the team's work. Its monolithic design creates a clear, uninterrupted window into the creative process within the studio.
The staircase connecting the studio to the Wet Lab features custom-fitted glass panels, engineered to accommodate precise field installation conditions. Supported by a single stringer at the top and bottom, the interlocking glass panels provide additional structural integrity. Every element of the staircase, including the glass, serves a functional purpose, contributing to a total weight of 10,300 lbs.
The garden has been designed to create niches for respite and conversation while the programming serves to maximize biodiversity in a minimal footprint. Featuring 25 different species of plants covering 65% of the total area, it is designed around native pollinators and species to serve as a thriving habitat.
Mindfulness instead of distraction: A series of architectural glass stickers designed to prevent collision while embodying foundational principles. One set highlights company values and principles, such as "Wisdom x Wonder" and "Growth over Assembly." Another set draws on the 5S organizational method, emphasizing order and efficiency. A final set invokes Asimov’s Four Laws of Robotics, connecting ethical technology and intelligent design.
In tandem with our wayfinding development, we collaborated with Pentagram to craft the OXMAN corporate identity. This comprehensive identity spans all touchpoints, from stationery and branding to large-scale exhibitions.
Wet Lab
The 10th-floor Wet Lab is a modular research zone designed for studies across all kingdoms of life, from single-celled organisms to complex ecologies and hybrid living systems. This Biosafety Level 2+ (BSL-2+) capable lab includes specialized spaces such as a tissue culture room, imaging room, and four advanced environmental grow rooms, each tailored for controlled experimentation. A robotics theater on the same floor supports large-scale robotic collaborations, extending the lab's capabilities into the realm of automated, precision-driven research.
The lab features modular, removable benches and storage units are made with details such as stain-resistant seamless surfaces, hidden magnetic fasteners, and integrated plumbed services, that enable a functional and adaptable workbench. A circadian rhythm lighting system enhances the research environment, aligning biological work with natural cycles. The Wet Lab’s combination of cutting-edge equipment and flexible infrastructure fosters a forward-thinking space for experimental research at all scales.
Wet Lab Details
The uniform design of the Capsules enables accurate simulations, creating detailed digital twins for precise modeling. In the Workshop, full-scale Capsule walls allow robots to be programmed in real-world conditions before being inserted into the Capsules, automating experiments and integrating software and hardware development.
The customizable services provided by the Capsule include: nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, compressed air, vacuum, reverse osmosis water, fertigation water, Ethernet, fiber-optic, three different voltages of power, as well as a handful of specialized services for Capsule-specific equipment such as lighting.
High power lights are custom-designed to replicate the full spectral range of sunlight, including light reflected from nearby foliage, which affects plant behavior. As we expand the Capsules, we are developing additional tools for precise control of growth conditions.
The Capsule's user interface allows custom programming of weather conditions and precise control over variables like lighting, humidity, temperature, nutrient levels, and data recording. It also functions as a safety system, alerting users to any conditions that may pose risks to scientists or compromise the experiment.
Production Workshop
The Workshop is designed for prototyping Wet Lab tools and assembly processes. Its acoustically and seismically isolated floor slab allows heavy-duty machinery to operate without disrupting sensitive equipment, such as SEM microscopes in nearby labs. Modular lab benches provide flexibility, enabling the space to adapt as projects evolve.
The Workshop supports a wide range of tasks, including electronics, 3D printing, and machining. Different material processes—wood, metals, and liquids—are carefully separated to ensure efficiency and safety, making the Workshop a versatile hub for diverse fabrication needs.
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Superchargers
The superchargers were custom-designed for OXMAN to allow for the detachment of tables, giving direct access to full floor services. Each supercharger provides three-phase power, Ethernet, fiber optic connections, and gas (compressed air or vacuum) on both sides. They rotate and lock into place on the ground, ensuring stability during use.
When not in use, a flush panel covers the supercharger port, protecting it from dust and water. A multiport connector enables quick, easy access to all utilities, making the superchargers a versatile and efficient hub for any experimental setup.
Wet Lab Details
Floor plug-in points enable quick swapping of superchargers, tables, and machinery, providing flexibility for changing lab setups. These connection points offer access to power, data, and gases, facilitating transitions between different configurations.
Safety signage, personal protective equipment, and other lab elements were customized using the OXMAN graphical language, while fully adhering to code compliance. This approach ensures a cohesive aesthetic without compromising safety standards.
Credits
Collaborators: Foster + Partners, Adamson Associates Architects, Sciame Homes
Consultants: Benchmark Woodworking, Cosentini Associates, Front Inc., Hollander Design, Jacobs Associates, Pentagram, Percival Scientific, Inc., Persak & Wurmfeld, Shen Milsom & Wilke, LLC, Silman, Spiralis, Syzygy 3, Inc., Tillotson & Associates, TKO Project Management
Acknowledgements: Photography: Nicholas Calcott; Videography: Eyal Bau Cohen, Alejandro Lazare, Matthew Marino; Dance: Omri Drumlevich, Zina Zinchenko
All images and videos courtesy of OXMAN