Offices for an Investment Firm

Project Details

Project Description

Located on the 12th floor of a 16 story, triangular shaped office building in Bethesda, Maryland, this space provides new offices for a small, prominent investment firm. The existing building is organized around a twelve story atrium. When combined with the building’s triangular shaped footprint, many of the tenant spaces result in unconventional geometries. Often, today’s office “parti” consists of oversized, glamorous entry areas and large, underutilized conference rooms that frequently have the best light, the most windows and prominent views. In the design of these offices, the prime floor area is given to analysts and staff who spend long hours in the space and not to the infrequent visitor. Unlike, the communal workspace that is open, noisy and impersonal, the analysts at this firm are given small private offices with the goal of optimizing focus and productivity. In response to the shape of the tenant floor plate, the space is organized around an eighty five foot long, curving hot-rolled steel plate wall that separates the public areas from the private offices. This 1/2” thick steel wall provides a threshold between these private and public realms. Public areas are located near the building core and the atrium space. Slots of glass in the conference room and a glass entry wall provide views toward the atrium and allow natural light to permeate these spaces. The curving steel wall combines with “blades” of white oak paneling to create a dynamic circulation space that is initiated at the reception area and incorporates access to every office and the service spaces. These “blades” are arranged to optimize natural light into the circulation space, while providing both privacy and views from the office workspaces. Depending on orientation, the wood “blades” present themselves to be almost completely solid or almost invisible. The multiple geometries and the materials selected combine to create an environment that is simultaneously dynamic and serene. Charred wood walls, wide plank white oak flooring and Pietra Serena sandstone flooring define spaces and render the space calm, with quiet, natural qualities. The curving steel element and vibrant blue glass walls in carefully orchestrated locations animate the composition and provide an unexpected juxtaposition. Secondary spaces are designed with the same high quality materials and attention to detail as the primary spaces. The kitchen shares the curving, hot rolled steel wall panels while incorporating rift wood base cabinets, white glass wall cabinets, stainless steel countertops and a blue glass wall element. The lounge area includes white oak, wide plank flooring and the same vibrant blue glass wall panels. A diverse palette of materials and the non-orthogonal geometry of this office space are intended to provide an environment unlike a proto-typical office plan. Ideally the goal is to change perspectives, physically and psychologically of both the visitor and the daily user to create an environment that is pleasant, inspiring and productive.