The renovation of the ground floor of 120 Maple Avenue for the Cornell Information Technology staff at Cornell University began with a feasibility study, which examined creating an open floor plan layout to increase natural light access from the southern-facing windows.

Chiang | O’Brien Architects explored alternative layouts for the entire south side and examined long and short-term phasing. Code implications of such a strategy were reviewed and vetted with the Authority Having Jurisdiction from the City of Ithaca, mainly related to exit paths out of the building.

The final renovation included a full aesthetic finishes update, new furnishings, and enlarged southern windows to allow more natural light into the space.