Children’s Hospital Association
In the face of rapidly shifting workstyles and an evolving culture, leading healthcare advocacy organization Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) partnered with OTJ Architects to redefine how the built environment can advance the realization of its mission while expressing a more authentic organizational identity. OTJ seized on the opportunity presented by the renovation and strategic reduction of space within CHA’s Washington, DC office to develop a suite of design solutions that strengthen collaboration and support continued evolution.
Our designers began by engaging CHA stakeholders in an exploration of the organization’s persona, future, daily functions, and the values that matter most in its people. This dialogue presented the opportunity to reframe, rather than merely validate, the association’s preexisting workplace strategy, shaping the program to maximize flexibility and employee engagement. This foundation allowed the project to unfold through design and construction without compromise to mission-critical objectives, even as the lease progressed through multiple iterations.
The resulting concept draws inspiration from childhood playfulness, gathering spaces, and neighborhood parks, reflecting the organization’s mission to support children’s hospitals and help ensure every child can return home healthier. Kinetic ceiling elements evoke the shape of kites, while cloud-like graphics and playful architectural details introduce moments of color, movement, and delight throughout the workplace. Rather than serving as purely decorative features, these elements symbolize the connection between CHA’s purpose and the children and families it serves.
Yet for all its nods to the world of childhood, the CHA workplace is anything but juvenile. Adjacencies, circulation, occupancy, and end-user work patterns were examined critically to ensure peak functionality from day one. Accordingly, an intuitive sequence of focus rooms, technology-enabled meeting spaces, and reconfigurable settings accelerates the exchange of ideas and supports day-to-day operations. The success of this balance between strategy and aesthetics is already evident: the workplace benchmark established in Washington, DC continues to inform the design of CHA’s broader portfolio, and support a hybrid work model across the association’s multiple locations.
Location
Washington, DC
Size
13,000 RSF
Industry
Trade Association
Services
Interiors
Workplace Strategy
I've worked with OTJ on both of our organization’s offices. Their collaborative process engaged staff, built alignment, eased change management, and created enthusiasm for the new workplace. The result is a functional, flexible, and aesthetically pleasing space that continues to drive employee engagement.
