FOX Populi

by Bob Fox, AIA, IIDA, LEED AP
Founding Partner

The workplace environment is evolving rapidly. Traditional private offices, based on hierarchy, are a thing of the past and are being replaced with creative workplace designs that better support organizational performance. 

Recent economic struggles, newly developed technology, and multi-generational dynamics are among the many catalysts impacting today’s shifting office model. The latest studies show that most private offices are underutilized - meaning these spaces are empty more than half of the time. While private offices are still necessary for certain types of work, we see the need for a greater variety of different types of workspace. To achieve a highly productive work environment, designers need to create multiple work environments – creating “places and spaces” for people to come together to share ideas, inspire

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by Laura Platt, LEED AP
Project Designer

Not every company gets recognized by leaders from two of the world’s superpowers in the same year. In 2010, just prior to his election as British prime minister, David Cameron acknowledged Opower in an address at the London TED (Technology Entertainment and Design) conference. A month later, President Obama made a personal appearance at Opower’s headquarters in Arlington, Virginia to deliver a speech and to praise the organization’s achievements in the clean-tech industry. The following year, Opower received recognition from the New York Times, The Washington Post, and CNN for its leadership in promoting energy efficiency through software. Opower ended 2011 on Forbes’ top 20 list of America’s Most Promising Companies. Not bad for a company that hasn’t even hit its five year anniversary. 

Founded in 2007, Opower develops software

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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 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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