NCIDQ on the Move

The New View for NCIDQ

We have settled into our new space and we have some beautiful pictures to reveal!  

Our new space reflects our role in the design community by being both educational and inspirational. Combined with sustainably responsible design practices, the space showcases the spirit of innovative design.

All aspects of the new space tell a unique story of the profession. As you walk through the office you are taking a walk through the history of design as well - from the iconic wood, plastic and metal chairs that represent technological advancements in design, to the textiles ranging from hand loomed, wool and nylon fibers to more current recycled and sustainable materials.

"Perkins + Will worked closely with NCIDQ to plan a functional, efficient, collaborative and healthy environment for the NCIDQ staff," says Perkins + Will Principal Tama Duffy Day. "But in addition, [Perkins + Will] formed the space to allow two additional user groups of the NCIDQ office their own domain - the NCIDQ volunteers and the NCIDQ Board of Directors. The board room, work room and pantry were intentionally grouped and placed away from the workspace - allowing volunteers and the Board areas that were visually and acoustically separate."

"We are so proud of the outcome of this collaboration and are looking forward to new accomplishments made within this space in the years to come," says NCIDQ Executive Director Jeffrey F. Kenney. "One such accomplishment would be to achieve LEED CI silver for our space. Perkins + Will helped us design a space where the health, safety and welfare of everyone who steps into our office are taken into consideration. Sustainability was a key component to the design, with water reduction and energy-efficient main elements. Products were chosen carefully for characteristics such as recycled content, local manufacturing, low VOCs, FSC-certified wood and formaldehyde-free adhesives. The subway-accessible location allows every staff member to use public transportation for their daily commute. We couldn't be happier with our new space."

 Check out some of the professional photographs below.

All office photographs by Ken Hayden photography/Perkins+Will design

 

 

NCIDQ Has a New Home!

On March 31, 2009, we opened our doors for business in our new home on 1602 L Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC.

We are thrilled to finally be in our new space, and what a beautiful space it is!

The move was practically seamless, with the help of our move coordinator, MAI, Inc. and our moving company, Office Movers. We packed up our old office on Friday and arrived on Monday to see everything delivered in our individual workstations and offices.

Everyone seems to have a different favorite part of the office, from the multi-colored LED lights above the reception area, to the Celeste chairs with tablet arms in the front conference room. Having three conference rooms of various sizes allows for more teamwork and collaboration, and the kitchen bar is a great new way to enjoy lunch together or to socialize without disturbing the work area.

There were items in the new office still being tended to by the construction team, such as the DIRTT glass walls and doors and touch-up painting. We are still awaiting a few items, but overall the office is complete and work has resumed.

Check out the pictures of us moving into our new office and let us know what you think!

Move Complete!

The move is near...

With only a few more days until the move, the anticipation of the staff is high as each person cleans and packs his or her space. We can’t believe we are really moving!

The design and construction teams are also busy with their own cleaning as they get our new space ready for move day. The office furniture and workstations are now installed and the carpet is down, making the office really come to life. The crews are putting the final coats of paint on the walls, which are painted different shades of Pantone greens in the hallway.

The kitchen is nearly done, with the appliances, lighting and bar area completely finished. The only items missing from the kitchen are the bar stools and the dining table and chairs.

The biggest concern is when the chairs and glass DIRTT doors will be delivered and installed. There are several sets of chairs that will be delivered: office chairs for daily use by the staff in the workstations and offices, and modern and antique decorative chairs for use around the reception areas and offices.

Overall the space looks great and the staff is thrilled to move in.

Construction Update

Almost two months have passed since construction began at our new office space, and the process is almost complete! Since our last post, most of the ceiling tile and light fixtures have been installed. Much of the ceiling is exposed, but has been painted white for a clean and classic look. A beautiful new chandelier has also been mounted in the large conference room, framing the conference room door in a way that is visible the entire length of the hallway.

While the overhead construction is well on its way, the flooring is a different story. Carpet and tile have yet to be installed, although they are expected to be laid within the week. We are also waiting for the demountable partitions that will frame the offices to arrive. The system is not expected to be delivered and installed until March 24, which is definitely cutting it close!

The portion of construction that is most complete is the painting. Almost all of the walls are painted, with a majority of the space colored in a grayish blue, and one-side of the front office colored orange as a backdrop to the high-density file cabinets. View the pictures below to see the most recent developments, and of course, stay tuned for more updates.

 

 

Office Visits

Recently the NCIDQ Board of Directors was in Washington, D.C. for its first meeting in 2009 and got the opportunity to tour the new office space. Even though construction is still under way, the Board members were elated to see what was already established. They were extremely happy with the collaborative work area for staff and the large conference room design.

 The NCIDQ staff was also able to view the new office space mid-construction. After a meeting in the current (cramped) conference room, the staff trekked the four blocks over to L Street. Everyone was able to see exactly where his or her work area would be and envision how much more space he or she would have. The best part of the tour was the personalization of the new work space! Everyone grabbed a marker and autographed his or her space. Some chose to simply sign their names, while others got more creative, writing catchy phrases, special messages or drawing cute images. The staff then took a group photo to commemorate the special occasion. All of the staff members will take another photo in the same spot once the move is complete, as a special before-and-after photo!

The staff plans on visiting again when more progress has been made. Stay tuned for more updates on the construction and future visits.

Here are some photos from the two office visits:

The Board received a special tour from NCIDQ Executive Director Jeff Kenney.

The Board members inspected the designs carefully.

The Board posed for a "before" picture in the new office space.

NCIDQ Executive Director Jeff Kenney gave the staff a detailed tour.

The staff members asked questions about the floor plans.

Each staff member carefully signed his or her name while trying not to get covered in dust and dirt!

A few people got creative with pictures or messages.

 

One staff member was unable to attend, so we signed his space for him.



The staff posed for a "before" picture in the new office space.

Building the Blocks

The construction crew has been working very hard over the past month. The area is starting to take shape more and more each day. Gypsum wallboard has been erected, cabling lines have been mounted and electrical outlets have been installed.

Many of the NCIDQ staff are not interior designers, and they are discovering first-hand that interior design is much more than what meets the public’s eye – literally! This move exemplifies that interior design begins before the walls are painted and the furniture is situated. Designers must collaborate with architects, engineers, electricians, plumbers, building code officials, furniture dealers, etc., in order to successfully plan a safe, healthy and beautiful environment.

A designer’s plans must not only comply with codes and regulations, but with the client’s needs. A designer must complete a project within regulations and within a set time frame and budget. Our new office space must not only be completed by March 30, it must meet LEED standards. Perkins + Will is successfully designing our space to not only meet the safety and building codes, but to meet all of our needs.

Check back next week to read about the NCIDQ Board of Directors and staff trips to the construction site.

It's Official!

We have overcome the major hurdles and are in full-scale office construction and move coordination mode. This March, NCIDQ will pack up and move into its new office down the street!

On October 31, 2008, NCIDQ Executive Director Jeff Kenney signed the lease agreement acknowledging NCIDQ as the new tenants of the second floor at 1602 L Street NW in Washington, DC. The official move will take place at the end of March.

Construction of the new space began January 5, 2009. The construction will fashion the design plans of Perkins + Will, our chosen interior design firm, for the creation of our new space.

To facilitate a smooth transition and successful construction, we meet weekly on-site with the construction team from James G. David Construction Corporation and the design team at Perkins + Will.

The first meeting was held January 13, 2009, at the new office space. The meeting began with a tour of the new space, led by the construction team. With our required hard hats on and safety goggles properly affixed, the electrician, plumber and HVAC contractor walked us through the site, detailing the status of the construction. The electrician checked the recently installed power outlets and reviewed where to place power lines throughout the space; the plumber carefully inspected the proposed kitchen draining to determine if existing drain pipes could be utilized; and the HVAC contractor examined the ceilings for any obstruction to the drop-down design that is planned. As a result of the inspection, two VAV boxes were relocated to provide space for the drop-down ceiling. The Perkins + Will representatives assisted the contractors with the decision to relocate the VAV boxes, a collaborative effort that demonstrated the importance of weekly on-site meetings.

The beautifully designed space is beginning to take shape. Metal studs outline the planned rooms and offices; ceiling framing is being erected; and electrical and plumbing rough-ins are being installed, providing a glimpse of what’s to come.

As new materials are delivered and additional construction continues, the meetings become more crucial in verifying plans, adhering to codes and ensuring the planned vision is established.

Continue to monitor this blog as we update you on the construction, meetings and move news!

Overcoming (Office Move) Hurdles

Why have we been so mum lately?

As you may know, we began the search for a new office space in May 2007 in response to our lease ending March 31, 2008. Everything was going smoothly: we found a great new building a few blocks from our current location, we hired the great Perkins & Will to do the design (which we love!) and we started lease negotiations with the new building's owner.

So why haven't we begun moving? And why haven't we discussed it until now?

In any business deal, there are always going to be hurdles to clear. As it turned out, our hurdles required us to step back and look at the entire track before proceeding. We encountered a few alterations to our plans that grounded us from planning our move and discussing it with the public.

After having our attorneys review the first draft of the lease, we sent it back to the landlord and waited for a response. After a month of waiting, we learned that the building's owner changed one key aspect of the lease, no longer guaranteeing our space for the full ten years as planned. Hurdle #1.

We then discovered that the building owner was in negotiations to sell the new building. Hurdle #2. The current owner asked us to hurry up with the lease-signing in order to close the deal before the sale went through. Hurdle #3.

We were left evaluating a new lease that could force us to negotiate with new owners and potentially move from our new space earlier than planned. Given our commitment to decisions based on thorough research, we needed time to carefully study our options and financial commitments.

As negotiations stalled, we realized time was running out. Our lease in our current space was ending March 31, 2008, and we had no definitive place to move to. Hurdle #4.

Looking Ahead
In light of these hurdles, we signed a one-year lease extension with our current space. This will give us time to finalize a lease with the new owners and complete construction on our space before we move. This delay has caused our designers at Perkins + Will and the contractors to have to wait for our notification to begin construction, product ordering, etc. We aren't the first client whose plans have made the designers and contractors put everything on hold and we won't be the last.

We recently received word that the building sale did go through and we're waiting to hear from the new owner's broker to get lease negotiations started again.

We still hope to proceed with the construction in the new building and move later this year. We look forward to continuing with our planned space that we fell in love with, improving our employee workspace and commitment to a more sustainable environment.

Getting Caught “Green-Handed”

On December 12, 2007, the NCIDQ staff toured the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) headquarters in downtown Washington, DC to observe a true “green” office space. Linda Sorrento, USGBC’s Director of Education & Research Partnerships, led the staff on an educational visit of the space, explaining the LEED certification system and how it was implemented in USGBC’s office design. 

Hearing Linda’s presentation and seeing the space up close seemed to bring the concept of our new office design to life, leading to feelings of excitement and anticipation among the staff. The tour gave us ideas on how we can contribute to the “greening” of our new space. 

The USGBC space boasted wonderful lighting through numerous expansive windows, and similar to our new office plans, the space featured lowered workspaces to enhance lighting and window views for all employees. The staff was impressed with the ability to see out the windows from almost every space in the office. We loved the natural light flooding into the open workstations, but realized that this concept also resulted in a greater noise and distraction potential. We realized a conversation volume adjustment will be required in the       new space. 

The use of recycled content in the furniture and structures was a stand-out concept among the staff, and the individual commitment by each staff member to ensure a sustainable workplace, like the use of personal towels and dishware to reduce waste, inspired all of us. We hope to emulate some of their ideas, especially with regard to the little things we can do to make a difference. We want to appoint a “Green Team” of staff members who could educate the rest of us on recycling protocols and strategies.

Design Development Concept

On October 16, 2007, NCIDQ met with Perkins + Will for a Design Development presentation.  Working from the approved schematic space plan, Perkins + Will shared the concept development in 2-D and 3-D sketches. 

Perkins + Will presented photographic displays of each office area, highlighting the windows, doors and chairs chosen for our space. Perkins + Will selected glass walls throughout the offices and conference rooms, creating a warmer and more inviting environment. The workstations will have lowered walls to enhance the amount of light transferred throughout the workspace, and the pantry will be an open space for more room and light. 

 

 

                        (Courtesy of (left to right):Perkins & Will, Haworth and LTL Architects)

In celebration of design throughout the years, modern and antique chairs will adorn the new space, from a beautiful antique 1765 Robert Adam Chair in the reception area to the modern Panton Chair, designed by Verner Panton in 1960.

(Courtesy of Perkins & Will)

By celebrating this tradition of education and collaboration, the Perkins + Will design recognizes innovators of the past and their role in the creation of today’s most groundbreaking designs. NCIDQ’s new space will reflect their role in the design community by being both educational and inspirational. By populating the space with references to iconic designs of the past, present and future, the space will pay subtle tribute to the rich history of the interior design profession. Combined with sustainably responsible design practices the space will become an environment that showcases the spirit of innovative design. 

While the profession of interior design as we know it is still relatively young, the tradition of interior design dates back several centuries. For generations, craftsmen and artisans passed down the knowledge of carpentry and textiles, trades that were the forerunners of modern interior design. This tradition of mentorship and the sharing of knowledge from one generation to the next speaks to the heart of NCIDQ’s mission and the IDEP program.