The renovation created flexible team workspaces furnished with movable Kimball Hum furniture, allowing the layout to adapt to different groups and working styles. The existing raised floor was retained and finished with durable Tandus patterned carpet tile suited to a highly trafficked environment.
A conference room for 30 people was also added, complete with a 16:9 high-definition projection screen for presentations and demonstrations.
Mechanical improvements included removing the existing Liebert cooling units and installing a new 20-ton air-handling unit above the ceiling. New ductwork was introduced, with the ceiling cavity used as a return-air plenum.
The project moved from notice to proceed to completion in only three and a half months. To maintain the fast-track design-build schedule, long-lead equipment, including the air-handling unit and variable-air-volume boxes, was ordered during the first month. The ductwork design was then coordinated around the equipment selected for installation.
Limited space above the ceiling created an additional challenge, but the project team identified sufficient clearance to suspend the new 20-ton unit without requiring more extensive alterations.
The completed space gives Census technical teams and demographic researchers a flexible environment for close, multidisciplinary collaboration while providing an effective setting for sharing their work with outside organizations. Since completion, the facility has supported the Census Bureau’s goals for the space and performed beyond its original expectations.
