space and allow members of teams to work near one another while collaborating. “There will be a variety of spaces you can
‘check out.’ We will have hubs, or a general location where on a regular basis we can expect to find a good many of the people in our department,” Davis notes. “The hub for my office will be where the support people are, so I always know where to go to be around the head of the office or where I can retrieve a resource I need, even though the rest of my office may not necessarily be right there.”
GSA’S NEW HEADQUARTERS DESIGN WILL OFFER A VARIETY OF SPACES, LIKE HUBS AND ZONES, THAT WILL MEET ALTERNATIVE WORKING ARRANGEMENTS FOR EMPLOYEES.
the work is getting done and they’re being collaborative and bringing their piece into what the agency or business is doing. From a worker standpoint, that is really exciting.” For example, Davis, who calls himself
an extreme morning person, works from home several days per week, allowing him to schedule his day around when he is most productive. “I get up at 5 a.m. and can be on my laptop by 5:10 a.m.,” he says. “That’s fantastic for me; my brain is working and I’m focused on the work I’m doing. When I go into the office, I’m still getting up at 5, but by the time I get ready, get on the Metro and commute, it’s 7 a.m. before I am at the office. I’ve just lost almost two hours of re- ally good productivity time.” As a result of GSA's support for telework,
hoteling, the concept of as-needed in-office desk space, is another alternative being integrated into GSA’s headquarters. Davis says a computer system will help reserve
Sustainability Aspects Since 2000, GSA has been formally commit- ted to incorporating principles of sustain- able design and energy efficiency into its building projects. As such, GSA has made its own portfolio into a laboratory of sorts, proving out technologies before imple- menting them across its buildings. For ex- ample, GSA’s long history with planted, or vegetated, roofs has made them a viable option for new construction and reroofing alike. “We have some roofs that were plant- ed back in 1935 that still are in place,” Davis says. “When you’re getting a return on your investment that’s lasting for 80 to 90 years that is fantastic and leads to more use of that technology.” A vegetated roof recently was planted
on the Art Deco John W. McCormack U.S. Post Office and Courthouse, Boston, which was built in 1933. The high-rise U-shaped building features a 5-story base in the middle of the U. The base’s black roof only offered building occupants a view of me- chanical equipment. “From a real-estate perspective we
were able to turn the roof into an amenity for the user instead of an eyesore,” Davis notes. “This planted roof now offers plac- es for people to go outside; there’s even a solar-powered fountain on the roof. It’s
example for the other agencies to say ‘GSA central office did it, and this is how they made it work; this may be a viable option for the way we work, too.’ —Davis
28 RETROFIT // January-February 2013 What we’re doing at our central office is really a shining