Flexibility at The Forum: Inside the Arcadis LA Office Renovation

Come inside Arcadis‘ renovated LA office where variety and flexibility are at the forefront of workplace culture and design.

Designed to meet the evolving needs of a modern workforce, Arcadis’ reopened LA office provides a flexible and adaptable workspace that supports a cohesive office culture while allowing for future growth. The office design marks a significant departure from the pre-COVID model, which was centered around rows of individual desks and a mandatory five-day in-office schedule. The new layout embraces the shift in work patterns, incorporating a variety of workspaces and social areas to support different activities, giving employees the flexibility to work, meet, collaborate, and socialize as needed.

One of the highlights of the new office is a multifunctional gathering and presentation space called “The Forum.” This area is equipped with integrated technology and designed to accommodate both external organizations and internal events. Equipped with built-in audio and video capabilities, including a large retractable screen and digital projector, The Forum allows for seamless hybrid events, where in-person presentations can be easily shared with remote participants. Additionally, all conference and huddle rooms are outfitted with cameras, speakers, and digital displays, allowing for smooth video calls with clients or remote team members through wireless connectivity.

Communal banquette seating pods along the glazed edge overlooking the city offer a visual connection to the outdoors, providing comfortable settings for lunch breaks or impromptu collaborative meetings. Former principal offices have been converted into huddle rooms, enabling teams to collaborate and connect digitally with remote colleagues and clients. Smaller focus rooms have also been created to offer private spaces for individual work, conversations, or phone calls.

Sustainability was a key focus in the renovation of the office. The design team prioritized adaptive reuse of existing spaces and furniture, minimizing demolition, waste, and the need for extensive rebuilding during construction. 

Designing a Unified Office Space

Designing the office for internal use was different from designing for a client, but the same process was followed to ensure all user needs were addressed. Additionally, the merger of three different entities into the new LA office required extra time to understand the diverse needs, requirements, and standards of various user groups. Part of this process involved conducting an all-staff survey to gain insights into what employees were looking for in a workspace, how they intended to use it, and how often they planned to come into the office.

Based on these findings, the LA interiors studio led the planning and design, with periodic feedback and review from the LA office leadership and the larger Arcadis workplace group.

Standout Details

The Forum is a dynamic space designed for both presentations and team gatherings. This versatile area incorporates cutting-edge technology, making it ideal for hosting both internal meetings and external events. With its built-in audio and video systems, including a retractable screen and digital projector, The Forum facilitates seamless hybrid events, enabling in-person presentations to be shared with remote participants effortlessly.

Additionally, what were once principal offices have now been transformed into huddle rooms, allowing teams to collaborate and stay connected with remote clients and employees. Smaller focus rooms have been created to provide quiet spaces for heads-down work, phone calls, or one-on-one private conversations. For group discussions, communal banquette seating pods are strategically placed throughout the office, encouraging collaboration and interaction.

Sustainability was a cornerstone of the office’s redesign. By prioritizing the adaptive reuse of existing furniture and spaces, the design team reduced the need for demolition and extensive rebuilding, minimizing waste and environmental impact throughout construction.

Impactful Products 

• Two OFS Obeya pavilions were created as a focal point to the social/collaborative space
• Steelcase Campfire and Potrero communal tables, Coalesse lounge furniture
• DARRAN Honey workstation pods round out the rest of the social and collaborative FF&E

Smooth Renovation and Surprising Success

Because the renovation focused primarily on FF&E, finishes, and minor architectural changes, there were no significant challenges on the project. The biggest obstacle was the longer-than-usual timelines for the shipment of FF&E, but the procurement group effectively facilitated this process.

A post-occupancy survey is planned for early this year; however, initial feedback has been very positive. Despite the absence of an in-office mandate, the number of people regularly coming in has been encouraging. Additionally, there has been a pleasant surprise in the number of external groups reaching out to use the new forum space for events. This space was intended to foster internal connections as well as engagement with the external design community, making the positive response particularly exciting.

Arcadis’ general contractor, HITT, and FF&E procurement partner, Tangram, both significantly contributed to the project by closely managing costs and devising creative, cost-effective solutions. They also played a crucial role in expediting subcontractors and products whenever possible to help maintain the project schedule.

Meet the Arcadis Team

Project Team:

• Kevin Horn
• Kwi Chang
• Alex Poon
• Mandy Chan
• Boram Song
• Beverly Abraham
• Mengdie Zhou

Arcadis is hiring! Please visit the LA career page for more information.

Photography

Weldon Brewster

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