Discovery Offices – Silver Spring
Discovery aims to connect their Silver Spring office with the NYC headquarters in a new agile and flexible space that showcases the media brand's legacy.
Hickok Cole was engaged by mass media company, Discovery, to design their offices located in Silver Spring, Maryland.
After relocating its headquarters to New York, Discovery Inc. was in pursuit of a new office that would offer flexibility to its remaining employees in Washington DC as well as provide a variety of opportunities to showcase the media brand and create a tangible connection between the two offices.
Management viewed this relocation as an opportunity to implement a shift from a traditional office to a fully agile one, which allowed for unassigned desks, storage lockers, and 14 different types of meeting places that ranged from focus rooms to open-collaboration spaces, all of which required seamless, plug and play technology. Several break out areas are found throughout the office including a large café with park views – which can support four types of seating arrangements and be converted into an event space, when needed – and a lounge on the floor below, connected by a communicating stair.
A neutral palette allows Discovery’s internal branding elements to shine, including a dynamic entrance video wall displaying imagery from the networks. Neighborhoods for each channel are indicated by branded signage, allowing for customization and creating a platform for way-finding. Specific lighting and finish palettes for each type of meeting room help staff distinguish between space types.
Of high importance was employee wellness, which was achieved through the incorporation of biophilic design elements including increased access to natural light and planters that provide both a sense of nature and privacy between workstations. Finally, Discovery requested that a small medical facility be incorporated, something they felt was important to maintain from their original headquarters.
Design: Hickok Cole
Design Team: Amy Shavelson, Matthew Rohr, Grace Blackstock, Sean Wayne, Mariko Iwatani
Photography: Ansel Olson
