FOX Populi

by Bob Fox, AIA, IIDA, LEED AP
Principal

Coworking has gained significant momentum in the modern workplace and will very soon be a mainstream real estate option for large and small companies alike.  If you are in a traditional office environment now - you have probably noticed that at any given point during the week half of your coworkers are missing, or taking advantage of “mobile workforce” technology.  If you are the CFO, you realize that you are still paying for the unused space in one form or another, whether it is lighting, air conditioning, or other recurrent costs that affect your bottom line. 

Coworking centers are popping up all over metropolitan areas, and they come in a variety of sizes, shapes and styles.  Theses Coworking facilities essentially represent a variable cost, or a “pay as you go” option; not unlike a parking space.  These facilities already

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by Nicole Antil, IIDA, LEED AP, NCIDQ
Project Designer

When you think of workplace design what words come to mind? Collaboration, interaction and branding are words that are often used and sometimes overused in describing the future of the workplace. However, FOX Architects recently completed two regional offices for CBRE and the design team put those words to great use!

Collaboration and Interaction

CBRE, a global leader in real estate services, selected FOX to design both their Bethesda, MD and McLean, VA offices. FOX was challenged to meet the global standards of the corporate guidelines, and maintain the connection to the local community that supports the needs of both their clients and employees. The FOX design team became the bridge between CBRE’s international worldview and their local client driven-mission. As the Senior Project Designer, this was such a great

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by Melanie Duhon, LEED AP ID+C
Project Designer

Revit has been a dependable tool in the FOX arsenal for many years, providing added-value to both base building and interior design projects independently. Recently the BIM Committee, which consists of select FOX team members who specialize in the subject matter, have embarked on their first, fully integrated interiors BIM model. The 30,000 square foot commercial project, which has been identified as ‘Project X’, will serve as documentation for this process.

Goals for the ‘Project X’ BIM processes are:

1. To develop a comprehensive BIM model that is supported, and contributed to on a regular basis by all parties, including the architect, engineer, general contractor and other project-related consultants;
2. To incorporate eSpecs that are supported through Revit and have built-in intelligence, i.e.; lights, furniture, equipment,

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by Sabrina Adewumi, Assoc. IIDA, PMP
Project Designer

On April 8th and 9th I volunteered to participate in a marathon, weekend-long charrette alongside close to 50 interior design students and professionals from the A/E industry. Opening with a reception at the Haitian embassy, the weekend was a collaborative effort on the part of the “A New Dawn AYITI” initiative based out of GW University Interior Design Program, along with partners from Project Medishare/University of Miami, Architecture for Humanity, non-profit organizations and local A/E firms.

The goal of the weekend was to produce a model for a new medical clinic and education center in Marmont Haiti where the existing community health care facility was damaged by the 2010 earthquake. One of the sponsors of the weekend, Project Medishare, will actually implement and operate the clinic in Haiti. The product of

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by Bob Fox, AIA, IIDA, LEED AP
Principal

Office space is an expensive proposition for any company. It is generally one of the largest expenses after people and technology. So why do so many organizations treat it as an overhead expense? The return on that investment will increase exponentially if the space is planned and implemented as a tool to increase employee productivity. To do this, the design must begin with an understanding about what the people working in the space need to do their jobs. You probably move between a variety of spaces, from your private office to the conference room to a collaboration area and back. Most people require different types and amounts of space depending on what they are doing. Perhaps there is unused square footage in your private office but your meeting and collaboration areas are always booked.
 
Take a typical 10x15, 150 square foot

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