Originally designed in 1952 by Architect Philip Johnson, BassamFellows have restored the Schlumberger Administration Building in Ridgefield, Connecticut to serve as their headquarters, design studio and showroom.

A historically significant early example of International Style architecture, the single-story rectangular steel, glass and brick building consists of perimeter offices organised around a central core that contains an open-air courtyard, glass enclosed conference room and library. The design team’s approach was to preserve the building’s original use as an executive office space with slight adaptations to meet current building codes and provide needed services.

Purchasing, restoration and re-purposing of the property took founders Craig Bassam and Scott Fellows eight years to complete. The building was previously abandoned for more than a decade, so restoration work was extensive - involving virtually every element of the existing building. Extensive research and analysis of Philip Johnson’s early work was carried out, including the study of original drawings from the archives at the Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library at Columbia University.

By converting areas that were originally designed as secretarial pools, BassamFellows created large lounge areas to serve as collaborative spaces, allowing a harmonious balance of private versus public space. The BassamFellows HQ restoration project recently received a preservation award from Docomomo US - a wonderful testament to a building design that is as relevant today as it was radical then.