The Research Yard is a collaborative incubator and research facility located in an historic industrial building in the Brooklyn Navy Yard - offering a space for Pratt Institute students and researchers to develop innovative strategies bridging art, design, engineering and technology.
Consisting of 20,000 sf of open workspace, robotics space, fabrication labs and conference rooms, the project transforms a derelict space into a research hub by carefully navigating relationships between new design elements and historic context. By preserving and building upon the “found” elements in the World War II era warehouse, the design strengthens the industrial character of the space – propelling it toward a new future.
The Research Yard design prioritizes daylight, visibility and ease of circulation by centrally locating new architectural volumes, keeping the perimeter free for informal meeting near windows and views. A single green column at the conference space remains unpainted – serving as a wayfinding device and tangible reminder of the space’s industrial history. Yellow floor stripes weave around open and enclosed spaces establishing a hierarchical circulation pattern through the space.
