Confidential Professional Services Client
Project Stats
- Location
Washington, D.C.
- Size
Phase 1: 115,000 SF
Phase 2: 67,500 SF
- Market
- Expertise
D.C. influenced design
To accommodate flexibility and hybrid work patterns for a mobile workforce, a professional services client was consolidating multiple Washington D.C. regional offices into a 182,500 square-foot office. The design draws inspiration from Washington D.C.’s iconic neighborhoods, landmarks, and cultural offerings, evoking the city’s streetscapes. A visioning session with employees established the area’s museums as well as local landmarks and neighborhoods as points of inspiration for the design.
Throughout the space, decorative metal screens were designed to be reminiscent of the geometric façade of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Murals of significant landmarks or locations like the capitol building and Union Station are placed throughout the office. To incorporate D.C.’s geography, the office’s layout employs districts named after its iconic neighborhoods — like Dupont Circle, Federal Triangle, or Adams Morgan — while the larger connecting corridors were styled as avenues. Front stoops, an iconic part of D.C. architecture, were used as the inspiration for casual meeting areas at the entrance to each neighborhood. The resulting workplace supports long-term goals while fostering a welcoming sense of community, and collaboration. Further, the design, which integrates sustainable solutions that comply with the company’s existing workplace standards, achieved LEED-CI certification.
Space planning for all
The overall project consisted of two phases. The first phase was designed and built in 2019. The team gathered data as the office was first occupied to adjust the ratio of space types for the second phase which was undertaken in 2022. After analyzing which areas were being used the most, the team developed a program that included more small rooms and fewer open collaboration areas.
Expressed in a modular, future-proof layout organized around a series of broad avenues and connecting stairs, the continuously adjustable program suits changing collaborative-to-individual work. With no assigned desks, employees book workspace in advance with a web-based scheduling application. To promote interaction and productivity, the design also includes clear wayfinding and “front stoop” areas that serve as entry points to each neighborhood of workstations.
Structural elements, lighting, furniture, and traffic patterns are orchestrated to direct flow, creating organic destination points and establishing distinct neighborhoods, each accommodating a different range of team sizes. Each neighborhood allows employees to select their workspace based on need, with traditional offices, huddle rooms for heads-down work or small meetings, adjustable-height workstations, and various collaborative settings.
Visitors arriving for events are welcomed with a striking arrival sequence that seamlessly connects the two separate building cores of the large floorplate. These avenues clearly guide guests across the 11th floor before descending one level to the 10th floor event space, offering a glimpse into the workplace culture along the way.
Welcoming amenities
The robust amenities package was developed to encourage in-person work, bringing the conveniences of at-home work to the office. On-site amenities include a retail-style tech-support center, outdoor terrace with café and barista, mother’s lounge, serenity rooms, and a technology-free zone. The finish materials palette evokes a luxury-hospitality feel that combines warm tones accented by living green walls, with high-efficiency LED lighting and abundant daylight.
