One of the first design tasks to be undertaken by the Design/Builders for Capitol Area East End Complex is to meet with the Departments of Education and Health Services. This process is coordinated through the Project Management Branch of the Real Estate Services Division and includes specific individuals from each of the future tenant departments. Work sessions are held to validate preliminary space planning completed during the early planning stages of the project. In the design and space planning completed during the early planning stages of the project.
In the design and space planning of various office spaces, special attention will be given to the programming requirements that best solve the needs of the tenants of the office and the ongoing needs for making future changes in the office space. Consideration will be given to the cost of frequent reconfiguration and the inherent nature of the organization to utilize and implement changes as necessary.
In approaching the design of the interior office space, the intent will be to maximize the open feel of the office and create opportunities for teaming, office interaction, and casual conferencing. To the greatest extent possible, hard wall areas will be concentrated to the interior of the building and open workstation areas will be located around the perimeter of the building to maximize the amount of natural daylight that penetrates the office environment.
Power, data, and telecommunications devices will be integrated within the furniture systems. Artificial lighting will be used to supplement the natural lighting and will be clean-lined and unobtrusive. Task lighting at workstations will help reduce glare and the potential for eyestrain.
Tenant Interiors:
The finishes throughout the space will balance durability with comfort and be a part of the overall 'green' effort. To the greatest extent possible, interior finishes and materials will be made of recycled or recyclable materials. This concept will also extend to the materials that comprise the workstation components themselves.
Color tones will be light to emphasize the open feel of the space and help reflect light within the space. Use of frosted glass in some areas will also allow more light to penetrate into the interior areas of the building.
Current analysis indicates that the use of natural daylight should be of prime concern in the design of the office space and should be explored and viewed as a benefit to employees. The ability to see and experience daylight has proven to be stress reducing and comfort giving especially in the office environment.
Separate ducted exhaust systems will be provided for special areas and rooms, such as the coffee bars/kitchenettes and the copy room/work rooms, in order to mitigate the circulation of offending odors into the office areas.
Flooring
The majority of the spaces - open offices, private offices and conference areas will feature carpet with a minimum 45 percent post-consumer recycled content. Carpet tiles allow for a maintenance program that will provide for rotating tiles from high-traffic areas to low-traffic areas, thereby increasing the life of the carpet and minimizing resource usage. In addition, the carpet tiles can be returned to the manufacturer for refurbishing or recycling into other products. Lobbies and toilet rooms will have durable hard surfaces of natural stone or ceramic tile. Back-of- house workrooms, including telecom and data rooms, will feature low VOC-emitting, resilient flooring.
Walls
The principal material for the walls will be recycled paper faced gypsum board with a low VOC painted finish. For increased durability we will use ceramic tile for the restrooms and non-vinyl, non-chlorine wall coverings at high-use and sound-attenuated spaces such as boardroom, conferences, corridors and key offices.
Where used, fabrics will be selected to provide acoustical properties as well as being manufactured with recycled or recyclable materials. Natural fibers will be used in combination with fibers that provide fire retardancy.
Ceilings
A suspended ceiling system will be provided in the open and private offices. Lay-in tiles will be 2X2 sound attenuated, high acoustic, high-reflectance panels with a minimum of 79 percent post-consumer recycled content.
The lighting will be by suspended indirect fixtures, to provide even, glare-free lighting that is uniform throughout. Future space plan changes can be accomplished without changes to the lighting system. Lighting in the office spaces will be a combination of direct and indirect light to maximize the benefits of both types of lighting.
Natural lighting will extend across the ceiling plane and along the interior corridors, both vertically and horizontally, providing visual access to the entire office space, yet maintaining acoustic privacy where necessary. Interior offices will benefit from an increased openness to the overall work area and will give the opportunity for visual access to all individuals.
Specialty Materials
Wood and wood veneer paneling: All finish wood proposed for use must be certified as sustainably harvested.
Tenant Web Sites:
To learn more about the tenants that will be occupying the Capitol Area East End Complex, visit their web sites by clicking on the icons below.
