Professional group seeking to be among the first in Washington, D.C., to have offices certified for promoting worker health

Window workstations at the American Society of Interior Designers' new headquarters in Washington, D.C., which has been designed to maximize employee health and well-being.
Photos: ASID

At the new headquarters of the American Society of Interior Designers, employees can sit at any desk they want, the CEO doesn't have his own office, and the lights mimic the natural pattern of sunlight throughout the day.

ASID debuted its 8,500-square-foot offices at 1152 15th Street NW in Washington, D.C., at an open house Tuesday morning. The society is not only seeking to make the new space environmentally friendly, but is also aiming to become one of the first D.C. organizations to receive certification for creating a work environment designed to promote the health and well-being of employees.

"The idea was to build a space where people could work the way they need to work anytime, anywhere, and it have it be fluent based upon the work they needed to accomplish that day," ASID CEO Randy Fiser told CEO Update.

That philosophy led to what is perhaps the most surprising design choice for anyone used to working in a traditional office with cubicles. The main office space consists of rows of desks that can be transformed into standing or sitting desks at the touch of the button. No one—not even the CEO—has an assigned desk, with personal items instead stored in lockers along one wall. Meeting rooms and closed offices are available for those working situations when they're needed.

Other designs include plenty of natural light along with an artificial lighting system that mimics sunlight patterns; plants in every window to maintain employees' connection with nature and reduce stress levels; and sophisticated water and air purification systems. Even the size of plates in the office kitchen was taken into account, with 8-inch plates shown to reduce the amount of food people eat while still leaving them feeling full.

ASID paid for the new headquarters by selling its previous office building at 718 7th St. NW and through $500,000 in donations from various companies. The organization is leasing its new space, which was designed by architecture firm Perkins+Will. Savills Studley represented ASID in lease negotiations.

The society is striving not only for LEED certification—a common environmental friendliness standard that's the goal of many new office buildings—but also is seeking WELL certification, which rates working spaces based on their positive impact on employees. That means ASID's roughly 40 employees will be a little like lab rats in coming months as the organization measures what effect its design choices are having on worker well-being.

Fiser noted that ASID has invested in research on why interior design matters and the consequence of design on health. "It would be disingenuous to be investing in other people's projects and do research on them and not do it on ourselves," Fiser said.

Read more about ASID's new headquarters and other real estate trends in the Aug. 19 issue of CEO Update.

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