isted, they have separated the executives from the workers, sometimes resulting in a lack of communication, loss of camara- derie and even missed opportunities to help companies operate more effectively. With a goal of creating spaces that
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actually reflect the work being done and not a staff hierarchy, the Washington, D.C.- based U.S. General Services Administra- tion has spent years researching the way workers perform their jobs. “We’re now basing space on a vastly different attitude, which allows a different freedom in the way we look at a workspace because the work is taking priority and we can design and allocate toward that,” explains Lance Davis, AIA, LEED AP, program manager for Design Excellence Architecture + Sustain- ability with the GSA Public Buildings Ser- vice Office of Design and Construction. As GSA renovates space to meet this
new attitude, it is considering the historic qualities of its portfolio, essentially “lis- tening” to the buildings’ original charac- teristics, which were designed to provide occupant comfort before engineering feats, like air conditioning, changed how we design and build. Consequently, these renovations and GSA’s support of alterna- tive workspace arrangements are help- ing the agency meet federal mandates to streamline its vast portfolio, ultimately saving American taxpayers money.
New Offi ce Layouts Many years ago, GSA asked itself whether it could take the historic buildings in its portfolio and renovate them for modern- day office capabilities while maintaining historic character. To better understand how to meet building occupants’ modern needs, GSA began conducting research studies. For example, post-occupancy evaluations included surveys with occu- pants, as well as observation of them to determine when they were in their seats, how they interacted, etc. With the results of its research, GSA
began experimenting with its own head- quarters building at 1800 F Street NW. “We
January-February 2013 // RETROFIT 25
any aspire to call the corner of- fice their own, and those who have it regard the space as a status symbol. However, for as long as corner offices have ex-