WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?GTM Architects, a 10-year-old firm based in the Washington, DC metro area, was tasked with the challenge to design a cutting-edge office space for EYA Urban Properties, a residential real estate company. The space—a 3,500-square-foot retail property with nothing but concrete floors and wood beams—had already been selected before GTM was brought on board. This raw, empty "canvas" presented both GTM and EYA with the opportunity to be creative, innovative and experimental. EYA tasked GTM with the objective of designing an environment that reflected the urban lifestyle of their young, upwardly mobile, first-time home buying clientele.GTM provided EYA will a full range of interior architecture services including design, build-out, overseeing construction and interior design. Due to budget constraints, GTM specified durable materials such as vinyl flooring and plastic laminates. Designers also included a glass storefront to allow natural light to flood the space, as well as draw the attention of passers-by.A look inside the space reveals a chic, contemporary interior that is accented with earthy colors such as ginger, pear, moss and linen, as well as contrasting woods and chrome/stainless steel and beech wood elements. Oval and circular cut-outs in the floor visually contrast with the sculptural elements of the furnishings and ceiling planes, making for a lively ambience. Visitors entering the space are welcomed in a multi-purpose reception area complete with a functional bar and punctuated with a bright orange bench. Private office spaces were designed as collaborative work areas.
