Problem: Using sustainable means, connect the new, modern offices of a satellite TV company to historic Capitol Hill.
Solution: Reclaimed, 4 x 4 end-grain block oak flooring, with a high compressive strength typical of industrial applications.
The end-cut wood flooring is made from salvaged materials, and adds a historical feel to the otherwise modern, high-tech offices.
The 4,000-square-foot lobbying offices for DirecTV, an offshoot of Hughes Aircraft, belie their function and historic milieu in the heart of Washington, D.C. Full of midcentury modern furnishings, varied yet cohesive patterns, and sustainable building elements, the space melds the world of high-tech entertainment with old-fashioned American politics.
“The lobbying group is totally different from the DirecTV brand, so we tried to make their offices stand alone as being very striking,” says Mark Harbick, director of design for Hunstman Architectural Group, San Francisco. “To keep it all clean, modern, and talking about technology – without being too hard-edged – we decided to harken back to a 1960s family room or den, wherever the TV would be, with soft, light finishes.”
At the same time, Harbick’s team focused on green building materials and products, selecting only post-consumer fabrics, rugs, and carpeting with lots of recycled content, and even a reclaimed edge-cut hardwood floor. A durable felt rug in the reception seating area “wears like iron,” says the designer. In the kitchen pantry, the island is surfaced in BioGlass, made from recycled bottles.
“Washington has so much traditional architecture, and we wanted to stay away from that as much as we could. So we used residential finishes in surprising ways, like the wood floor,” says Harbick, along with furnishings like the Saarinen Egg and Womb chairs, which give an instant midcentury living-room feel.
Subtle allusions to the underlying business of DirecTV – satellite television technology – come across in the patterns and weaves of the floor coverings and vertical surfaces, says Harbick. An acrylic privacy panel, for example, has a motif meant to suggest the coded signals sent back and forth to satellites, or the pixels on a TV screen. The felt rug’s dots and textured areas offer another reference to communications.
The result is an eye-pleasing mix of colors and patterns. Less noticeable are the high-tech AV systems and acoustical surfaces, such as padded walls and porous ceiling tiles, to support the TV demonstrations DirecTV’s team gives to visiting politicos. Even the branding elements are subtle and engaging, such as the large blue mural behind the reception console. Fashioned from clip art found in a company catalog and inexpensively printed, the artwork is framed in elegant stainless steel.
Architects: Huntsman Architectural Group Type: Private offices and meeting areas Product: End-grain wood floors Manufacturer: Kaswell & Company Performance: Reclaimed wood blocks from 1/2” to 4” price range Price range: $$ Website: kaswell.com |
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Recycled Glass Surfacing Manufacturer: Coverings Etc. Performance: 100% recycled glass Price range: $$–$$$ Applications: Agglomerated glass solid surfacing for countertops, walls, floors, and other applications. |
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Fiber-Optic Reactive Panels Manufacturer: SensiTile Systems Performance: 100% acrylic substrate Price range: $$$ Applications: Materials in the “Scintilla” line respond to presence of shadows and light using fiber-optic composition. For tiles, countertops, and vanities. |
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Saarinen Classic Manufacturer: Knoll Performance: GreenGuard IAQ certified low-emitting Price range: $$$ Applications: Saarinen’s Womb chair is available at 85% and 75% scales of the original 1948 size, in textiles and leather upholstery and chrome or black-powder-coat metal. |
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Quartz Surfaces Manufacturer: DuPont Performance: 7 out of 10 toughness rating Price range: $–$$ Applications: With up to 25% post-consumer glass, low-maintenance Zodiaq surfacing has NAHB’s Green Approved Product Seal. |
