woman relaxing in sofa with hanging chairs

Driving new collaborative ways of working

Teach for America, Washington DC

Teach for America (TFA) is a non-profit organisation advancing educational equity and excellence. When TFA’s workforce outgrew its existing office spaces, spread across multiple buildings in downtown Washington DC, it decided to consolidate into a single new location. We created a new workspace for TFA designed to support collaborative ways of working.

Project highlights

  1. The design improvises on the concept of a schoolhouse to echo TFA’s mission.
  2. A variety of meeting settings encourage team collaboration.
  3. Integrated project delivery approach helped to minimise costs.
entrance to teach for america workplace

The design of the new space reinforces TFA’s mission around education and collaboration. Co-located with other affiliated groups at Progression Place in Washington DC’s Shaw neighbourhood, the new workplace offers collaborative settings for small and large group meetings.

Larger rooms are equipped with video conferencing to support TFA’s regional network. Drawing on an old-fashioned schoolhouse setting, the hub location echoes TFA’s mission and values. The design uses TFA’s brand colours and materials such as weathered wood to reflect the heritage of the schoolhouse.

polished concrete floor leading to phone booth
close up of phone booth curtain

We collaborated with TFA using 3D modeling to visualise the entire project during schematic design, including space planning, furniture and materials selection and lighting design. With a proven track record working with TFA in the past, an integrated project delivery approach was taken, helping to fast-track the project with a single point of responsibility.

Careful management of a limited design and construction budget was critical. This involved creative approaches such as specifying cost-effective building materials and reusing furniture.

lounge area separated by wooden palettes
cafe space with red shipping container
close up of hanging chairs
Status

Completed

Completion date

2014

Location

Washington, DC

Area

25,300 sq ft

Photographer

Eric Laignel

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