WASHINGTON, DC–The American Society of Interior Designers has unveiled the new look for its 8,500-square foot headquarters located at 1152 15th Street, NW. Not surprisingly given the association and its mission, its newly-designed digs hit all of the high notes of modern office design principles, from collaboration to health to energy efficiency.
Indeed, the association is gunning to have its headquarters become certified to both LEED Platinum and WELL — a first for the DC area — according to Perkins+Will, which completed the design.
WELL, or the WELL Building Standard, measures buildings based on how they impact the health and well-being of the people who live or work in them. It is administered by theInternational WELL Building Institute, with which ASID recently partnered.
Occupancy Studies with IWBI, Cornell University
As part of the partnership, ASID and IWBI are collaborating on a pre- and post- occupancy study with Cornell University on the health impact of ASID’s new headquarters. As part of the initial occupancy evaluations, ASID staff members volunteered to wear monitors that measure speech patterns and body movement. ASID will also measure how interactions may change as a result of the new office design, which has integrated a number of sensor and software applications to capture such changes in the internal environment as electrical load consumption, air quality — including particle count — sound levels, and water quality.
The WELL standard was behind the design of several systems in ASID’s headquarters, including a circadian lighting system that mimics the daily color temperature cycle of natural daylight and automated shades that raise or lower in response to the sun’s position and current weather conditions.
There is also a reservation system that offers employees the choice of several workplace environments based on what they are doing that day, from collaborative meetings to private work.
An office herb garden was part of a larger so-called biophilic design strategy meant to reduce stress. As Perkins+Will explains:
Natural materials, dynamic architectural forms and patterning that evoke natural sequences and spatial configurations the evoke feelings of mystery and refuge were all employed to resonate with occupants on a subconscious level, and improve their experience in the space.
