Engineering Inc. - September/October 2016 - 37

Many engineering firms are including these elements in their new office designs. When the executives at JMT Engineering decided to build a new office complex in Sparks, Maryland, after the firm outgrew its old headquarters, JMT's VP of Interior Design Sandy Sawicki saw an opportunity to modernize the firm's workspace. "The idea is to create a very collaborative space where everyone can get to everyone," she says. JMT has incorporated many of the innovative design trends, but with some important tweaks that adapt to the engineering firm's culture. The planned four-story office building, set to open in JMT Engineering's new spring 2017, will have three office space, set to open in open staircases between floors spring 2017, includes a mix of so departments and divisions traditional workspaces and have easy access to one another. private offices for upper-level One of these stairs is a central management. gathering stair connecting the third floor reception area to a light-filled cafe on the second floor. This gathering stair incorporates stadium seating and will be the designated of your time spot for companywide "all is spent indoors hands on deck" meetings and announcements. A first floor state of the art training center, outdoor walking path and terrace are additional amenities planned for the new headquarters. 93 % Technology Consulting for the AEC Industry In the Zone The wide-open space designs of five years ago are giving way to zones that offer a mix of open, private and collaborative spaces depending on the employee's need, which suits the engineering culture well. "We debated having all open space with little to no private space but decided that total openness would not be good for JMT because there's a lot of focused work," Sawicki says. The design team also sought to eliminate walled offices in the space, but veteran JMT engineers had a hard time giving them up, so compromises were made, she adds. "A very important part of their culture for years has been that when you get to a senior level, one of the perks is a private office and as you move up the ranks, your office gets bigger," Sawicki says. The size of the office increases as senior management moves up the ranks, and after discussing the pros and cons of closed offices, the firm determined that there could be a mutiny if they were eliminated, she says. The compromise was to keep the private offices for upper-level Infrastructure Audit / Configuration Security Audit / Threat Analysis Disaster Recovery / Business Continuity Review Mobile Enterprise / Cloud Computing Walter P Moore's Technology Consulting Group understands the complex technology issues facing AEC firms today. Let us help strengthen your firm's IT systems and protocols for optimal, secure performance. JIM JACOBI, PE / TECHNOLOGY CONSULTING JJACOBI@WALTERPMOORE.COM / 800.364.7300 / WALTERPMOORE.COM SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2016 ENGINEERING INC. 37 http://www.WALTERPMOORE.COM http://www.WALTERPMOORE.COM

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