555 Howard had a fundamental problem of trying to fit mixed-use luxury into a tight vertical site. This led to an inefficient core that compromised typical floor and public area layouts. Changing the core was the first step. Working collaboratively with RPBW, we managed to raise the typical floor efficiency from 66% to 73%. Once a logical design was in place, we could aggressively condense via re-stacking to reduce costs. The result is not only a less expensive building; but also, a better design that our client greatly improves their asset.