New Balance Prototype Shop

After completing the design for their apparel division at the Brighton headquarters, New Balance called again on ahp Architects Inc. for the design of their new Prototype Shop and Custom Design Center in their 190 Merrimack Street, Lawrence, MA facility. The Prototype Shop turns out new shoe design concepts for testing as well as welcoming customers in to create custom shoes which are then fabricated on site. Integral components of the design included exposing the mill structure and creating warm, relaxing gathering spaces. Lighting specifications as it relates to color rendition index were a critical component in the design phase, ensuring the accurate representation of colors selected for the shoe materials.