In a space on the top floor of an original historic brick structure within Portland, Maine’s bustling Old Port and overlooking the harbor/working waterfront, the clients wanted two large, independent offices with shared common facilities, conference rooms (large and small) and a single administrative assistant. The entire side of the building relied on a recently added band of windows along its south edge for its sole source of natural light and view. Primary offices and a conference room are placed directly along the south wall, enclosed with tall glass, allowing a shared view and maximum light to all common spaces. The volume is opened up and restored, exposing the original trusses and brick-bearing walls. A central, curved, stocky mass encloses the service core and directs one’s focus out toward the light and the view while gently directing your entry into the main space. Sloping white ceiling planes direct your eye upward where new, oversized skylights wash the brick and wood volume with an abundance of sunlight. The opposing curve of the reception desk is composed of birch and waxed, pitted plate steel, which seems to slice right through the entry glass sidelight, directing you to the greeting area.