MKDA designed a number of prebuilt suites on behalf of Nuveen at 1300 Eye Street, drawing inspiration from DC’s largest public park, Franklin Square. Upon entering the third floor elevator lobby, one immediately senses the connection between the building and Franklin Square as the views engage users with the urban park’s canopy of legacy trees.
The design also draws from the neighborhood’s famous landmarks and the area’s long standing hospitality institutions. Through combining the significance of the space’s location with an emphasis on wellness and sustainability, the MKDA team crafted a unique, human-centric experience that will appeal to a wide variety of tenants.
The suites features elements specifically aimed at improving individuals’ physical and mental wellbeing. For example, the team incorporated biophilic design elements through access to natural light, greenery, and acoustical privacy. The glass office fronts help maintain brightness and transparency while perimeter offices with northern-facing views are glare-free to protect valuable art from direct daylight. The scattered greenery from the ceilings in combination with hospitality-grade tones and finishes bring tangible comfort and warmth to the space. Keeping the end user in mind, MKDA integrated calibrated lighting temperatures between the cool outdoor temperatures near work areas and the warm, intimate temperatures in core amenity spaces. This detail will help prevent any harsh contrast adjustments or eye strain among employees.
The team carefully selected certain materials and systems as well to prioritize health and sustainability. As such, the suite has AtmosAir bipolar ionization filters integrated with new HVAC systems, which prevents up to 99% of microbes (including the current coronavirus), from recirculating back into breathable tenant space. It also includes GreenGuard-certified soft flooring surfaces that meet the comprehensive standards for clean indoor air quality and treated these surfaces with paint, primers, and sealers with zero VOCs (Volatile organic compounds). In order to meet sustainability standards, MKDA used wood flooring sourced from one of the most sustainable forests in Europe with FSC-certification, which ensures responsible forest management.
