A lot of what makes such a compelling and enticing watch is its ambiance. The series draws a lot on the concept of liminality — transitory spaces that seem like they don't fit into reality, giving off an eerie and uncanny atmosphere. While most of this is connected to the severed floor, which was completely shot in studio, that were scouted by production designer and director . Coupled with the superb cinematography that the series is known for, these places help make the series' signature mind-bending settings a reality.

Lumon Branch 501 is the most iconic exterior location in Severance, and while the town of Kier, PE is completely fictional, the building itself is not. Known as Bell Works since 2013, the building in Holmdel, NJ is home to a variety of office spaces, restaurants, and stores. However, . Countless scientific discoveries were made there, including the technologies behind the laser and cell phones, and even the Big Bang Theory itself. A total of nine Nobel Prizes were won by researchers working at Bell Labs, but it also witnessed its fair share of fraudulent experiments.

Designed by architect and regarded as the "Industrial Versailles," the building itself is used in Severance mostly for main floor, exterior, parking lot, and above-ground shots, as well as corridors and balconies. to build the impersonal, sterile Lumon atmosphere, including colors, like Lumon's signature dark green, and the huge carving of Kier Eagan's () profile on a concrete wall on the first floor. This mix of futuristic looks and innovative past makes Bell Works the perfect place for Lumon's headquarters.

Another iconic Severance real-world location is Ricken () and Devon's () house. , and was designed by architect , a disciple of . It was built between 1948 and 1956, and its name comes from the original owners, Arthur and Gertrude Bier. The Bier House is also seen in the 2015 movie , starring .

Pleasantville is located in Westchester County, where . In Season 1, Mark Scout () and Ms. Cobel () attend Petey's () funeral, which was filmed in the Lutheran Trinity Church in White Plains. Also, Mark later meets Petey in a greenhouse at Sprainbrook Nursery in Scarsdale, also in Westchester County.

The state of New York is a prominent location for filming Severance, and three places in Ulster County make for iconic places in the series. . The restaurant had to be briefly closed to film scenes like Mark and Petey having their first encounter in Season 1, and Mark and Devon discussing the events of the first season finale in early Season 2; it was promptly reopened afterward.

Another location is . The waterfall at Woe's Hollow, seen in the series, is the park's Awosting Falls, and, contrary to what Mr. Milchick () says, it's not the world's tallest, unfortunately. Finally, Damona Birthing Retreat, where Devon gives birth in Season 1, was filmed in New Paltz, using the Mohonk Testimonial Gatehouse for exterior shots; it was also featured in the 1985 cult horror movie . (The birthing cabin was later replicated in-studio for the Season 2 scenes in which Mark converses with his innie via camcorder.)

Mark and Ms. Cobel both live in Lumon's Baird Creek Manor housing development in Kier, a neighborhood that "never filled up," according to Mark. , around 30 miles from New York City. Another location in town is the Hudson House, where Mark and Alexa () have dinner as part of their terrible date in Season 1. According to Time Out, other locations used in Severance include the gas station where Petey is arrested and the Two Villains Brewery.

In Season 1, Mark S. and Helly R. () stumble upon the famous Goat Room on the Severed Floor, and in Season 2, we get a proper look at what is really going on there: it's the Mammalians Nurturable department. What may surprise people is that, although it looks like a closed space, the scene was actually filmed at a golf course in Brooklyn, NY: the Marine Park Golf Course., and later used CGI to add the inner walls and ceiling of the department. All the baby goats are real, by the way.

The town of Kingston, NY features heavily in Severance, with many shots of the town serving as downtown Kier. Places like at Lumon's Leonora Lake housing development. Another location is the Midtown Arts District; the Red Owl Collective serves as the exterior of the Great Doors factory, where Dylan George () interviews for a job in Season 2, and Eng's Restaurant serves as the location for Zufu, the Chinese restaurant where Helena Eagan meets Mark, also in Season 2. Other locations, like the Rondout Train Trestle and the Kingston–Port Ewen Suspension Bridge, are also featured throughout the series.

Another town that serves as many exterior locations for downtown Kier is Beacon, NY. , where Mark confronts the Whole Mind Collective during his terrible date with Alexa in Season 1. According to the Poughkeepsie Journal, many other places in town are also featured in the series, mainly with storefronts being renamed to serve as background for downtown Kier.

In Season 1, the Macrodata Refiners visit the full-scale replica of Kier Eagan's house in the Perpetuity Wing. This is another place that feels like a studio, but it's actually a real place. As Severance production designer Jeremy Hindle mentions, the replica was simply too big to be built in a studio, so, instead, in the Hudson River Museumin Yonkers, NY. According to Atlas of Wonders, another Yonkers location that is featured in the series is the neighborhood of Pietro Drive.

Both seasons of Severance are available to stream on Apple TV+.