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About
What does bldg stand for?
Be a good person.
Learn from your mistakes.
Do work that matters to you.
Give more than you take.
But really – it’s Bill London Design Group.
What does a workplace and interior design firm do?
Our primary work provides design services for tenants renovating or building out new office space. We provide architecture, interior design, furniture and graphic design services. If it’s featured on this web site – we designed it, or we credit the work of others.
Workplace design typically deals with professional office settings, across all fields. A modern high-functioning workplace should be an asset to the organization. Good workplace design can change attitudes, foster teamwork and create a physical manifestation of the brand and mission of an organization. We pride ourselves on working with all types of tenants, from the most pragmatic to those that want to drive change within their organizations, and see space as a step in that process.
What is a typical project process?
We are typically engaged early in the move process, when spaces are being considered. Before you look for space, you will need to develop a program of requirements. This effort helps us get to know you and your organization, and results in a document that quantifies the types and sizes of spaces you need to build, and lets you go to the office space market understanding how much space you need to take. This step has financial and functional impacts – so it’s important to take time to understand how you want your space to operate in order to size correctly.
The next step identifies potential buildings; we can contract directly with landlords to provide a test fit for your buildings under consideration. The test fit is a basic space plan, designed to help you see how your program of requirements fits in different types of spaces.
Once you select a building and sign a lease, our work begins in earnest. We work with each tenant to fine tune a design process that leads to construction plans, furniture specifications, and a plan for the project execution. Design is an iterative process, and we believe firmly that the best projects result from a process that allows clients time to consider and revise their ideas before final approvals are given.
After the project is documented and permitted, we work with clients through move-in to assist the contractors during construction and ensure the project is executed as designed.
How do I know that I will get the space I want from this process?
We develop 3-D illustrations throughout the design process, as early as possible. We know that most people don’t read plans, so we need to present design information in a way that all stakeholders can easily see what is being proposed. We don’t believe in surprise reveals – our clients see the spaces clearly in electronic illustrations before any hammers swing or materials are ordered. The only surprised reaction we expect to see is the realization that the finished space looks exactly as expected.
Do you build the space?
No – for a typical project, we provide permit-ready drawings for bid and construction. We work with a group of incredibly talented and skilled general contractors that specialize in interiors who will build your project.
Do you sell/procure furniture?
We design and specify furniture as part of our regular work. We can provide complete furniture specifications for bidding by multiple furniture dealers.
We just leased a spec suite – can you help us?
Spec suites are a common thing in big tenant markets. Landlords build shell space into a generic office, usually fitted out with some offices, open plan spaces, pantry and workroom. They are typically generically designed and finished to meet a wide range of uses. Many tenants want to bring more personal touches and furniture into these spaces to create a more unique workplace. We can provide a tailored scope of services to help transform these spaces.
Who pays for your services?
We are typically contracted directly with our clients. If you are moving your office, your landlord may offer a tenant improvement allowance, and we are often paid directly from those funds.
My project doesn’t fit neatly into a category – can you help me?
We often are asked to collaborate on projects that go beyond typical workplace interiors. These might include building repositioning, co-working spaces, shops, restaurants and all sorts of other things. We’ve sprinklered the conveyors at a FedEx sort facility, built a data center in a swimming pool, enclosed a trash compactor and created flying book art. Nothing shocks us, and we really like a challenge. Weird doesn’t scare us.
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Your workplace deserves better. We're here for that.
Take a look at what we do
Nelson Mullins
City: Baltimore MD
Size: 20,000
Photographer: Paul Warchol
Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough sought to announce their expansion to Baltimore with a high-profile view and expansive conferencing facilities. The project capitalizes on prime views of the Inner Harbor for client-facing spaces. The space provides a range of uses, from a club room to casual pantry hangout up to the formal boardroom. The palette seeks to echo the warmth of the South the firm is known for while introducing connections to the maritime elements of Baltimore. The result is a timeless palette with modern touches that assert themselves when visitors shift to work and back to relaxation.
Key elements: Wallcoverings by Calico, Floor tile by Stone Source
As you enter the space, the contrast of the black and white floor and ebony wood details frame the first of the custom artistic wallcovering elements.
Stepping back to view the reception area, the royal blue accents pop in the lighting and firm logo.
The large flexible conference room features an expansive view of the Baltimore harbor.
The lunch room ties in the bright blue accent color and utilizes a gradient film to enhance privacy.
After a long day in the conference center, clients can unwind in the club room and enjoy the harbor.
The lobby carries the ebony wood ceiling and backlit panels into the building core to reinforce the full-floor experience.
Third Way
City: Washington DC
Size: 11,600
Photographer: Paul Warchol
As a centrist think tank looking to break the mold, Third Way wanted to create an entirely new workplace concept for their growing team. To complicate this decision, they elected to lease the same footprint one floor down in the same building – although the new program quadruples the number of meeting spaces and increases the staff count by 20%. The new plan also creates an event space hosting up to 100 people, with the ability to flow into the open plan desk area for even larger gatherings.
The new plan also creates an event space hosting up to 100 people, with the ability to flow into the open plan desk area for even larger gatherings.
Third Way made a unanimous decision to give back individual square footage in favor of collaborative spaces and access to natural light and views for all.
This allowed ample space to be given to the open work stations and meeting rooms along the windows. These offices allow for heads-down work, but encourage occupants to move and utilize purpose-built collaboration spaces.
The customized work stations in the open plan create a dual level work surface, allowing employees to stand or sit, as well as giving them a sense of privacy from adjacent desks.
International Budget Partnership
City: Washington DC
Size: 10,000
Photographer: Paul Warchol
The International Budget Partnership works to bring about a world in which empowered citizens participate in open, inclusive budgeting processes to shape policies and practices that promote equity and justice on a sustainable basis.
The design team was tasked with creating a workplace that embodied the ideals of transparency and equity with a limited budget. The project utilizes a radial plan to allow for views out from any workspace within the plan, using layers of limited glass lites to save money. The depth and siting of the building made natural light a limited resource, which is budgeted equitably across the space uses.
The project introduced biophilic design elements, including a graduated scale of privacy as one moves deeper into the space. This repsonds to the human need for enclosure and protection – as do the shaped drywall elements and ceilings to create human-centric spaces and limiting a fishbowl effect from the glass.
The work of the organization is global in nature, and the project utilized a custom graphics installation within the reception area and on the columns throughout the space. The connection of color and pattern speak to the global connection throughout the space.
The reception area welcomes guests into a bright modern space, with a colorful custom art installation and built in seating area and reception desk.
The reception desk is positioned to welcome guests and support the large meeting space.
The meeting room has flexible tables and a glass operable wall to expand the room or create a prefunction space.
Circulation is held to the interior to maximize access to natural light for the personal workspaces. Each window aligns to allow views out, even from deep in the core of the building.
A functional kitchen sits along the interior circulation, expanding out to the canteen gathering space along the window line.
An interior meeting room along the corridor with aligned windows each side to allow focused views from interior out.
The open workstations are gathered into groups of 4 with dropped ceilings above for better acoustics, and to create a sense of place. The curved walls create gracious circulation pathways through the area, but allow for greater distance between individual seats to allow for greater concentration.
The offices have full glass fronts to allow maximum access to natural light, but offer unique Capitol views.
The circulation path ends in an open flexible work zone for drop in work or information collaboration.
Space Planning
One of the most important steps in building a new office is determining how to best utilize space. Whether working within an existing footprint or starting with an empty shell, the space plan is the culmination of the preliminary design process. The plan needs to find a balance between the competing needs and an overall workplace strategy.
The best plans strike a balance between pragmatic considerations and loftier expectations – the intangibles that make some spaces a joy and others merely functional.
On the pragmatic side, we consider the math – how many, how big – as well as the basics of adjacency – where is proximity important. These elements make up the Program – the guideline that helps determine how much space a tenant needs. But design is more than just drawing boxes side by side – it takes into account individual building layouts, window lines, codes, and structure – elements that cannot easily be changed. As the first step in a larger design process, the plan is the foundation for future design work, it must be developed with the end goals in mind. No amount of paint or pretty finishes can make up for a fundamentally bad plan.
When looking at proposed space plans, we recognize certain common threads in the most successful projects.
• Clarity of idea When looking at a good space plan, you should be able to grasp the flow and layout quickly, even if you don’t think you can read plans.
• Efficient – you shouldn’t see weird lumps, overlarge circulation, or labrynthian hallways.
• Spacious – if it looks tight on paper, it will be worse in person. Code minimum should not be the basis for good space, it’s just enough to get you out of a building safely. Circulating in too-tight corridors is unpleasant, unhealthy (impossible to be socially distant), and generally leads to greater wear on materials.
In the examples here, we show plans developed based on the same requirements, on the same floorplate, but with completely different strategy. Exploring options during the design process allows us to test strategies, which can lead to breakthroughs for organizations and how they think about workspace.
The most traditional version, interior offices, open plan at the windows. This type of plan is popular as it maximizes natural light and views for the most people.
The "Bridge" - a vision of a flat organization, where more spaces are provided than total employees, to allow individuals to move throughout the day as needs dictate.
The "Hive" - developed to allow for equal individual workspaces, with access to light and eddy spaces to encourage collaboration.
Space plans can also be developed with an eye toward future flexibility. Thinking in terms of planning modules, such as two offices equals one meeting room – allows for teams to build for current needs, with a clear plan in mind how to modify space should needs change. This can be expanded to full floors, where tenants may take or give back space. If landlords plan with greater uniformity, flexibility can be built in for future leasing.
"Killer Carpet"...a short story
Uber
City: Washington DC
Size: 54,000 RSF
Photographer: Jasper Sanidad
Uber needed to expand their current office to accommodate growth. space in an unusual building that was an architectural mash-up of historic townhouses appended to and contemporary office building.
The challenge was to preserve historic aspects of the townhouses but also to ensure that the space integrated with the new office building. The program was 100% open workstations with a variety of casual and formal meeting spaces, war rooms, phone booths, and dining hall. We worked creatively with classic materials such as wood, cement and steel, and brought a fresh perspective to historic spaces.
The historic area offered an unused stairwell, now newly opened and revitalized to provide the primary circulation between all floors. The wood treads and stringers remain, while new steel pipe and light elements create a modern railing system, evoking movement and energy.
Steel, concrete, wood and glass create a warm industrial feeling throughout, and connect key design elements. The wood from the historic stair is modernized in new wood flooring in the major circulation corridors, while the steel pipes are echoed in the elevator lobby framing and steel storefront glazing.
The softer color of the wood flooring is amplified in the oak surrounds used at room entries and frames used as bench seating and room dividers.
Open and flexible meeting areas are accentuated by custom art panels, denoting "heat maps" of the Uber trips taken in major East Coast markets.
The building core remains white in contrast to the surrounding elements. Phone rooms and small huddle rooms are directly accessible from the open work areas.
The solid walls at meeting spaces are denoted with cement board panels, bringing warmth and texture to a simple form.
The project provides a lunch room featuring riser style seating and a communal table constructed from the floor joists salvaged from the townhouses. The fully suspended reception desk brings together the steel, concrete and glass elements.
Halloween
Halloween is our favorite holiday of the year, so we take advantage of the fun time to create unique gifts for our friends and clients. Every year is a different theme, filled with delicious treats that we design and assemble ourselves. We relish the opportunity to be a bit creative and wicked, and definitely eat way to many treats along the way!
For 2019, we went all out for a circus theme!
The 2019 box - is there really anything creepier than a clown cake pop?
Along with popcorn and custom flavored cotton candy, we couldn't resist the single red balloon on top.
We created a custom box and printed wrap to encase our treats in their very own big top, all hand assembled by our team.
2018 - Edward Gorey set the tone for a different style and feel.
2018 - Our riff on Edward Gorey, simple packaging, tiny heads inside!
2017 - The Day of the Dead fell on Halloween, so we went all in on color and florals!
2016 - The coffin box - perhaps a bit creepy but those dismembered ears and toes are actually custom cookies made for us in the UK.
2015 - The literary Halloween, led to the bldg Anatomy Book - complete with cake pop organs. And a book of spells as the companion volume- it's still on our shelf.
Red velvet hearts or chocolate intestines, anyone?
Each year, our team starts in July planning our annual theme. We develop the content with our team of bakers and confectioners, prototyping (and tasting) all the goods. We develop the graphics, the packaging, and in the days leading up to Halloween, our office becomes a conveyer belt of activity as we assemble and prepare to deliver these treats. Definitely our favorite time of year!
ALX Communities
City: Alexandria VA
Size: 15,000
Photographer: Paul Warchol
ALX sought to create a neighborhood alternative to corporate co-working in Old Town Alexandria – and a new brand identity. The team sought to bring the color, history and scale of Old Town into elements throughout the space. The project includes a Town Hall flexible event space and conference center, as well as typical co-working amenities. Workspaces range from drop-in hot desks to fully private offices.
The color palette is filled with rich jewel tones and materials with patina throughout the two floors.
The space brings color and texture through graphics and plants to accentuate the key plan intersections - allowing space for casual interactions.
Deep saturated color brings a hospitality feel to the public spaces, partnered with materials that create a layered sensory experience. Textiles are warm and rich – a deliberate choice to bring a cozy feel to the seating areas.
Human comfort is the primary goal for workers of all ages. Chairs have arms and lounge seating and tables are customized to welcome a demographic that values comfort and ease of movement.
The team presented a solution with limited glass between offices to enhance individual privacy, while allowing for a community feel and shared natural light. The multicolor doors and divided lite windows mimic the individuality of row houses.
Exposed columns and floors connect to the age of the neighborhood, while the tiled columns and entry bring in the cobbled sidewalks.
The community provides a dedicated desk area, showcasing the custom office carpet and wallpaper to create a welcoming environment.
Exposed columns and floors connect to the age of the neighborhood, while the tiled columns and entry bring in the cobbled sidewalks.
A conference center brings similar rich tones into the furniture and finishes to create a hospitality-driven environment for meetings and gatherings.
Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries
City: Washington DC
Size: 20,000
Photographer: Paul Warchol
The Institute for Scrap Recycling Industries headquarters relocation in Washington DC was an opportunity to showcase the mission of the organization in tangible form. Our team worked closely with the ISRI staff to develop a new modern workplace with a fully integrated education center. ISRI wanted visitors to the space to have a clear tour route through the space that would feature touchpoints throughout on members and issues.
The plan welcomes visitors with a museum-style Education Center, rather than a traditional reception space. Exhibits including models and video can be explored, as well as a custom historic timeline showing the history of recycling.
Within the office space, the tour loop has supergraphics at each vista within the circulation, drawing visitors through the space with color and light. Key metrics and facts are highlighted by custom backlit ceiling panels featuring images of recycled commodities.
The lunchroom is a showcase for the end products of the recycling stream. All finishes and furniture are created from recycled materials.
The workspace itself is bright and neutral, with shared open office areas of no more than four people shared along the perimeter. Glass separates each group, allowing the spread of light while giving greater privacy and acoustical separation to each seat. Offices line the interior, with glass fronts.
The pattern wall board is an exterior cladding panel created to utilize juice and milk cartons that could not otherwise be recycled. The hybrid of the plastic/cardboard cannot be separated for traditional recycling, but when glued and placed under high pressure, it creates a water-resistant drywall substitute. Looking closely, you can still pick out the labels from the cartons!
"A Political Mermaid" ... a short story
Graphics & Brand Expression
The expression of an organizations brand identity has become expected in the modern workplace. Whether through the use of brand color, identifiable logos, icons or taglines; modern spaces proudly declare their provenance.
For corporate or product based groups, this can be a relatively simple task. But many organizations are driven by ideas or missions that can be challenging to express in simplistic form. We work with clients of all types to bring identity to their spaces and tell their story in built form.
We often begin with a logo, but the addition of materials, printing and layering elevate a traditional sign. We are then able to tie the concept into elements that tell the story of an organization.
Utilizing elements from the logo, such as shape, can also connect images to the brand.
We develop large-scale infographics for clients that tell the story of their work with real impact, and draw visitors to the space into the work.
Uber allowed us to utilize a different type of infographic - a pure graphic representation of the volume of rides taken in the DC area.
For AFF, we created a custom wall mural, overlaying images of real tree-farming families.
For a basement fitness center, we used large scale images of fitness and sport activities to bring interest to a windowless space.
We created graphics to connect to the display of historic chemistry lab equipment, connecting the colors of the space with the featured elements.
We often develop multiple options to tell a story, our outside perspective can help organizations understand how visitors to the space might interpret or react to new information.
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
City: Washington DC
Size: 5,000
Photographer: Paul Warchol
Located in the historic Capitol Hill neighborhood, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies' new office incorporates sustainable materials, oversized graphics and ample natural light to create a warm and natural work environment. This space demonstrates how commonplace materials, such as butcher block and polished concrete can be used in unique and intentional ways.
The reception area features walnut butcher block as the reception counter that becomes an entry arch. The polished concrete floors, often considered an outdoor material, bring modern warmth.
By planning open stations at the windows, all workspaces have views and connection to the outside. Forgoing traditional systems furniture, the team used drywall construction and casegoods to create open desking. Each team shares a walnut counter as a standing height alternative; encouraging interaction between employees while allowing seated visual privacy.
Custom graphics throughout the space create immersive elements that add layers to the story of this office. The project also incorporated adjustable height desks for all offices.
It was important to AFWA to have comfortable meeting spaces as an alternative to traditional conferencing. The project includes a “den” for casual meetings as well as a lunchroom with live edge wood table and stools. Modern graphic wallpapers bring wildlife into the space, and a plaid ceiling, complimented by an antler chandelier, give the den whimsy and warmth.
A Masonite peg board in the reception provides a space to display art and memorabilia from AFWA staff and their members.
National Stone Sand & Gravel Association
City: Alexandria VA
Size: 6,200
Photographer: Paul Warchol
The National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association offices showcase a refined industrial environment, connecting staff with the mission of their members. The project features a conceptual design and graphics in lieu of extensive physical materials to bring the project in on budget.
The flooring in the reception is an aerial view of a quarry; stone is the backdrop for the equipment model showcase on a gravel bed. Ceiling panels were created from metal mesh sifter material.
The design team created all the graphic elements, including a series of pictographs depicting the life span of a quarry.
Sample cases of materials are integrated in to a functional screen wall to create a casual meeting are within the large reception space.
Alliance for American Manufacturing
City: Washington DC
Size: 6,000 SF
Photographer: Paul Warchol
The Alliance for American Manufacturing needed a new space, offering an opportunity to showcase American manufacturers. The project strictly required all products utilized in construction be completely Made in America. The design team verified and documented the entire process, resulting in 35 primary manufacturers documented, with products from 23 states. All "made in the USA" labels were left exposed.
The third floor represents the history of American manufacturing, starting with the striking steel worker image from Texas.
The blue accent ring at the office fronts is a nod to the “blue-collar” workers of the union. The slice in the corrugated metal ceiling was hand torch-cut by the designer, exposing the working elements of the building structure.
Stained plywood and steel create a screen wall partition to feature custom graphic poster art to emphasize the mission of AAM.
The fourth floor represents the future of American manufacturing, incorporating bright green elements to reflect a sustainable economy. Steel was used to create custom pendant lighting in the primary meeting space, while sprinkler pipes support the cantilevered quartz coffee bar.
The space is designed to create an informal atmosphere, comfortable for everyone from steel workers to the legislators that visit.
The lobby integrates steel beams to create a custom lighting colonnade, while the material selections are designed to complement the historic brickwork.
"Lunchtime Love" ...a short story
Shape & Form
City: Washington DC
Photographer: Paul Warchol
Some of our favorite details happen when we explore shapes and forms within the architecture. While we're fond of curved walls and rounded corners for creating more gracious circulation, it's an aesthetic choice we love to explore.
The dramatic contrast makes the curved white planes really pop.
The complex curve of this ceiling - in plan and section create a graceful transition from elevator lobby to reception area.
When the building comes to a literal point, you work with what you have - but we love the emphasis of repeating the point in the construction of the interior spaces.
Creating flow within tight floor plans happens more easily when the edges are softened, allowing the expression of individual rooms.
The convex flip side opens the rooms to the exterior, creating a gently arcing circulation zone between spaces, with plenty of eddy space for casual conversations.
The sculpted archway connects two sides of an elevator lobby, and becomes the separation of collaborative space from nearby workstations.
The juxtaposition of the round windows with the olive wood planks creates a framework for the balance between the two elements.
The large round windows offer a balance of privacy and natural light, and create a simple repeating element through the plan.
Micropact
City: Herndon VA
Size: 20,000
Photographer: Paul Warchol
After years of working with existing construction and furniture, the company took on a full floor to create new work spaces for 126 staff, along with conference, training and collaboration areas. With a construction budget of just $37 a square foot, the project aimed to create maximum impact with a smart mix of materials and space planning.
In lieu of a traditional reception desk, the company chose to deploy a virtual receptionist – an electronic system that greets visitors via video link.
As a company with a young and energetic staff, the leadership wanted to vary the formality of the elements throughout the space. The formal reception area transitions into a more relaxed collaboration center and lunch room for the employees.
The sustainability efforts included working with existing materials, and utilizing green materials throughout. The project was able to salvage over 80% of the existing ceilings and lighting.
The design plays with the elements of volume, light, color and transparency throughout the space to create distinct character for the various functions.
Renovation in Place
Lease terms do not always coincide with business changes - teams grow and shrink, or change how they operate. New technology has changed the ways we utilize space, as has telework or remote work. When tenants like their locations, moving is not always the best option. These projects often have tight budgets and big goals, and are not without challenges when working in occupied space. But the end results can truly change the way an organization operates, how teams collaborate, and how effective an asset the office becomes.
America's Promise Alliance looked to reclaim natural light at the front of the building for the dark interior workspaces. We sought to bring the mission to the forefront of the design, and to create a more collaborative environment for teamwork. The budget was tight - but the results were worth the effort.
"The Upperlings"...a short story
Sustainable Forestry Innitiative
City: Washington DC
Size: 3,500 SF
Photographer: Paul Warchol
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative, known widely as SFI, oversees the largest forest management certification program in the world. SFI wanted their headquarters in Washington, DC to both reflect and respect the resources they work to protect and promote. The designers used sustainable materials and practices to create a warm, engaging environment for SFI staff and program members. The design integrates SFI-certified fiber and wood products exclusively throughout the entire space.
The live-edge wood framed entry, custom-designed MDF logo and custom SFI-sourced cardboard chairs and cardboard pendant lighting, invite visitors into a reception that emphasizes the beauty and diversity of sustainable wood products.
SFI-certified wood windows and re-imagined engineered structural floor joists create a dynamic rhythm as the main corridor arcs through the space. The materials demonstrate the viability of the market for wood products in construction – from the Tectum wood fiber ceiling tiles to the exposed particle board cabinets.
The SFI team work regionally, and the Washington DC office is the hub for lobbying and policy work. The plan balances the need for individual work space with open space for promotional events.
The conference room features wood flooring from Maryland’s local forests and wood flooring as feature wall from SFI forest in New England. All of the wood products used in the space can be traced to a manufacturer that utilizes SFI certified materials to support sustainable harvesting of trees in the US and Canada.
Heritage Foundation
City: Washington DC
Photographer: David Meaux/Duane Heaton
The Heritage Foundation has created a campus-style headquarters on Capitol Hill, including office space and a residential tower for distinguished fellows and interns. We were asked to join Nelson Architects in developing the furniture and finishes for a variety of spaces within the buildings.
The Team Lounge was created to meld modern amenity space with the traditional feel of the Foundation office space. The lounge opens directly with operable glass partitions to a large flexible event space for the active organization.
The lounge creates a range of seating opportunities for collaboration throughout the day, including casual conversations at the bar height counter, one-on-one chats at the dining style tables, and group hangouts at the large communal table.
The communal area connects back to a tucked in lounge with comfortable but elegant seating options for informal meetings.
A striking blue screen wall separates the coffee bar from the seating area, while soft cove light overhead creates a warm retreat from the surrounding office space.
The bldg team worked closely with the Foundation team to create a custom graphic display honoring the naming donor for the new E.W. Richardson Building. The prime placement in the building lobby creates a feature element for all building residents to connect with the accomplishments of the Greatest Generation, down to the floating plane wing, replicated from the plane flown in WWII by Richardson.
Within the Richardson building, we collaborated to create a new lounge space for the building residents. Massive sectional seating combines with flexible pieces to create a youthful and dynamic environment.