When the Federal Aviation Administration needed an overhaul of their 1970s-era multi-purpose building, they approached long-time partners FSB with the challenge of reinventing the inefficient and outdated facility as a “workplace of the future.”

The upgrade was needed to meet the technological needs of the building’s tenants, including the FAA’s data center, its payroll office and offices for the affiliated Enterprise Services Center (ESC). The latter provides vital financial services, along with information systems security and technology solutions. As a final challenge, the work had to be done in several phases, as the building was still partially occupied throughout the entire renovation process.

The renovation encompassed the entire facility, consisting of three stories above ground and a full below-ground lower level. New pronounced entrances and vertical circulation were introduced to better define the entry points of the multi-purpose building, while horizontal circulation spaces were redesigned and expanded. Aesthetically, the design team pulled inspiration from the data collection and IS services performed by the FAA employees. Both exterior and interior design features were derived from a combination of two concepts – computer chips on a circuit board and binary/Morse code – resulting in rectilinear dash and dot patterns that create an attractive abstract composition for the building’s exterior and reflect the tenants’ functions in a dynamic way.

Work areas throughout the multi-purpose building are flexible, progressive and open, with low-partition work stations, casual meeting spaces and open team rooms. This wide range of working environments serves to promote creativity, collaboration, learning and socializing, resulting in high-quality job performance. New finishes, furniture and technological upgrades throughout the building complete the client’s desired “workplace of the future” design concept.