Amazon Hank

In the historic Lord and Taylor Building in Manhattan’s Garment District, SCAPE designed an outdoor courtyard and terrace for Amazon’s retrofitted offices. “Hank,” named in part after a unit of textile measurement, takes a deeply-connected piece of urban infrastructure and breathes new life into it, offering a healthy workplace environment for the Amazon community.

The planting design for the rehabilitated historic courtyard and new terrace addition prioritizes local ecology and provides native habitats and food sources for insects and pollinators across seasons. The depth of soil on the terraces aids in stormwater capture and filtration and is deep enough to accommodate a mix of native understory trees, which provide added carbon sequestration and habitat value.

The patio and roof terrace is optimized to support a spectrum of uses, from diverse formal and informal workspaces to vibrant social areas. Features include high-bar workstations with panoramic views that overlook the historic courtyard, providing scenic flexible gathering spaces for events, with social seating nooks and a dedicated dog run. The custom planting walls and integrated benches draw aesthetic inspiration from the historic brick and architectural details of the building’s interior, creating a seamless transition between the indoor and outdoor environments.