BSC first worked with the National Academy of Design (NAD) in 2010, renovating their museum and school on 89th and 5th Avenue. To shepherd in a new phase in their life as an institution, we recently designed a new home for them in the heart of the Chelsea art community, a second floor space with sightlines to and from the High Line. The new space consists of three galleries encircled by support space for the NA staff and the Academician community. Transforming what had been a commercial gallery, the new design blurs the line between exhibition space and previously ‘back of house’ offices through a circulation loop programmed with art hanging and the NAD’s arts library. The new space reflects the spirit of the organization with its flexibility and porous boundaries, encouraging interaction between the NAD staff, Academicians and the broader public. A rolling front desk and publication shelving unit create flexibility for the NAD’s increasingly diverse exhibitions and programming. Custom millwork was fabricated by Brooklyn Woods, an organization that trains unemployed and low-income New Yorkers in the art of woodworking.