When college sports television president and CEO Brian Bedol met with architects about his young network's offices in Chelsea, most suggested either a serious corporate makeover or a sports bar on steroids. What a i (a small firm whose clients have included Island Def Jam and MTV) offered was a subtle yet functional sports scheme.

In the reception area there's an LED readout of the latest scores; near marketing lies a curved wall of impaled tennis balls; and a field of AstroTurf with a clear acrylic overlay doubles as the boardroom table. Top execs have offices, but glass partitions ensure that the Statue of Liberty views are left open to all.

CSTV had a tight budget, so a i principal Brad Zizmor (who designed the project with partner Dag Folger) splurged on the collaborative spaces, imagining them as the quads in the company's conceptual campus. The first public area is a café - "it's like the campus center," Zizmor says. The other, in the cleverest branding-plus-function move, is an authentic set of fold-down gym bleachers installed in a wide corridor. There are enough seats for everyone at staff meetings, but they're retractable so that the space can be used for parties. Best of all, the bleachers fill up for major sports events, which are projected right on the walls.