Boston – Margulies Perruzzi Architects (MPA) was commissioned by Interaction Associates to design not only a new workspace, but a new workplace concept – one that would inspire both employees and clients to work together in a truly collaborative fashion.
A 40-year innovator in advanced methods for developing facilitative leaders, Interaction Associates (IA), together with its not-for-profit sister organization, the Interaction Institute for Social Change (IISC) wanted to move to 11,460sf of office space in a former warehouse building in Boston’s Seaport Center. As the business and culture of both firms is focused on interaction, the design team had to ensure that the new fit-out provided a variety of flexible workspace solutions that would showcase the collaborative work styles of both companies to their clients as well as enhance the way the firms worked internally.
MPA designed IA/IISC’s new office to make use of the “alternative workplace” concept, defined by the Harvard Business Review as “the combination of nontraditional work practices, settings, and locations.” Common characteristics of an alternative workplace include smaller and accessible workstations that encourage interaction and communication, hotelling or hot desking that provide shared work spaces according to employee schedules, virtual offices/teleworking along with technology-enhanced capabilities in the home office to connect with colleagues and clients, and common areas supporting formal and informal communication, interaction and knowledge sharing.
As an alternative workplace, IA’s new office features private cubicles with shared meeting tables, “continuous desks” that offer flexibility for employees who are frequently in and out of the office, a series of multimedia-enabled conference rooms, and a unique collaborative work area that features multiple seating configurations and interactive technology.
The height of the existing window sills at five feet above the floor would have prevented employees from having access to outdoor views. MPA solved this problem by placing 5,100sf around the office perimeter on raised flooring, elevating the finished floor to a height of 18 inches and giving employees views to Boston Harbor from their offices and workstations. The remaining area in the center of the office, at the original elevation, became a “sunken living room” or “Collaboration Area.”
Two ramps and three staircases transition associate workspaces to the Collaboration Area. A half-height angled wall was introduced along the top edge of the Collaboration Area to further contain the space and to define a distinct route for members of the public to access IISC’s two large co-joined meeting rooms located in the northern corner of the office without disturbing activities taking place in this important central area.
Featuring multiple seating configurations and close proximity to a coffee area, the Collaboration Area is the perfect spot for organized meetings or happenstance gatherings. The space is outfitted with brightly colored retro/mod sofas and ottoman seating, small moveable worktables topped with tear-off writing paper for brainstorming sessions, and semi-private lounge seating with large funky overhead lights.
An oversized worktable in the vicinity of the coffee area serves as a hub for a variety of purposes, from consultant work area, to breakout sessions to group lunches. The Steelcase media:scape table also located nearby has laptop hookups where associates can share information dynamically on an attached flat panel screen.
IA’s new office includes public space for on-site leadership events, quiet workspace for associates, private conference areas, and a vibrant and centrally located Collaboration Area for informal discussions with clients and in-house working sessions. Margulies Perruzzi Architects transformed a once raw warehouse space into a flexible, collaborative environment that has transformed the way Interaction Associates works.
Written by Kimberly Smith, AIA, LEED AP, is a senior associate at Margulies Perruzzi Architects.