ABOUT FORM

We’re 20!
Since inception in 2003, FORM has continued to invest in quality over quantity, providing staff with year-round educational opportunities through our FORM University program. Opportunities for designers to flex their creativity are abundant and continue to result in strengthened services. Our ‘work hard, play-harder’ mantra landed FORM on the Washington Business Journal’s Best Places to Work list and has led to the development of various annual events that include family, friends, and clients. It is hard to pick a favorite event, but one thing our team can agree on is that Judy knows how to throw a party! Outside of the office, our community outreach program, Warm with FORM, has aided more than 25 local organizations that benefit causes important to our industry, clients, and individual employees. Similar to our project approach, regardless of whether we are running in a charity 5K or making sandwiches for the homeless, we work as one team, always focused on people.

ABOUT
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TIMELINE
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THE TEAM

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"I find inspiration for my designs in textures."

MinJae Chong, LEED AP ID+C
Principal, Technical Director

“I’m inspired by nature. I love to be out in it, or to bring it inside – whether just an open window or a fresh and fragrant bloom.”

Judy Shaffer, SHRM-CP
Principal, Chief Operating Officer

"I find design inspiration in patterns and geometry."

Ronza Rebert, NCIDQ
Senior Associate

"Being surrounded by intelligent, proactive problem-solvers inspires me to always put my best foot forward. Laughter doesn't hurt either."

Matt Gannon
Associate

"I'm inspired by my everyday surroundings and how I can do something different to push the design industry to the next level."

Nicole Blunt, NCIDQ, LEED Green Associate
Senior Associate

"The influence of fashion within design inspires me. It drives creativity beyond typical limits to help foster the creation dynamic and timeless environments."

Machele Sanders
Senior Project Designer

"I'm inspired by solving problems. I like to face challenges head-on and find creative solutions."

Kimberly Davis
Marketing Manager

"My inspiration comes from life itself. Designs are ever-evolving, and I continue to learn from new experiences as I take in a world of inspiration."

Michael Cipriani, AIA
Principal, Owner

"I am inspired by people's unique needs and problem solving through design.

Mary Armintrout
Designer

"I am inspired by people. Listening and helping clients solve design problems and creating a truly unique experience."

Katherine Cramer
Senior Project Designer

"I draw my inspiration from books. Reading allows me to see the world through different perspective while expanding my own mind and creativity."

Anna Gangsaas, SHRM-CP
Manager, HR and Operations

“I'm inspired by the challenge of solving complex problems and creating beautiful, effective solutions.”

Madeline Frost, NCIDQ
Senior Project Designer

"I’m inspired by organic movements, like brush strokes on a canvas and flowing water, and apply them to create human motion-oriented designs."

Ana Inestroza
Project Designer

"My inspiration comes from creating ever-evolving designs."

Rob Wiersberg, AIA
Principal, Owner

"I find inspiration in the myriad of beautiful elements in our world, ranging from the timeless traditions of diverse cultures to the vivid hues and tactile richness of materials."

Julia O'Hara
Designer

"Travel inspires me. Finding a fresh perspective and studying the local architecture helps me generate new design ideas."

Kelsey Hutton, NCIDQ
Senior Project Designer

"The great outdoors is where I find my inspiration."

Liz Wimer, IIDA, LEED AP ID+C
Principal, Director of Design

"I’m inspired by experiences. Creating unique and unforgettable experiences in the built-environment has always been my passion."

Hunter McDaniel, NCIDQ
Senior Project Designer

"Travel inspires me to expand my design perspective and refresh my creativity."

Marisa Vinson
Associate

"I find inspiration in hearing people talk about why they enjoy what they do. I find it both important and useful to take those elements and incorporate them within the final design."

Isabelle Russell
Project Designer

"Nothing inspires me more in my work and hobbies than listening to someone talk about something they are truly passionate about."

Kyle Finn
Designer

"I draw inspiration from being outdoors and incorporating natural design elements into interior spaces."

Katherine Long
Project Designer

"I’m inspired by the art of brevity, marrying contrasts (especially old and new), and seeing people in their element."

Koren Stauffer, CPSM
Principal, Director of Marketing
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CASE STUDIES

Apex Clean Energy Headquarters

DESIGN CHALLENGE

Located within the most sustainable, multipurpose mass timber building in the United States, Apex Clean Energy challenged FORM to think beyond Cradle-to-Cradle and provide the safest space possible for their employees.

GOAL

Apex wanted their space to not only inspire minds today but educate those for tomorrow.

SOLUTION

Interior designers used space planning and materials to tell Apex’s story.
To help illustrate Apex’s mission, a grey granite wall in the atrium, representative of fossil fuels, parallels True North, which represents the mission that Apex orients themselves around. The story goes, that the wall is the barrier Apex must overcome, and there are different ways to break through – using the stairs, the portal, or the hallway. This represents Apex’s daily challenges and the many ways they work to overcome them.

 The reception desk shows the juxtaposition of fossil fuels (grey granite) and clean energy (white portion). It shows breaking through traditional energy sources). The white portion also aligns with True North.

 Designers collaborated with the building architect, William McDonough + Partners, to create a lobby skylight which illuminates a stainless-steel, ‘True north’ line across the floor when the sun is overhead.

 

To ensure its success, every piece, down to the sprinkler heads, were modeled using BIM software.
Designers found this step to be crucial as Mass timber construction is still a new concept with few examples to model after.

95% of the interior products specified beyond that were BIFMA or Cradle-to-Cradle certified. To ensure air quality and healthy circulation, more offices, wider hallways, a near hospital grade filtration system, and easy-to-clean surfaces were prescribed.

 

Revealing as much timber as possible while hiding the infrastructure, designers conjured an atmosphere of quiet remove.
While many solutions were deployed, one of the most significant was the team’s response to the above-beam chases being value engineered from their original design. Collectively, the team determined that the infrastructure could still be hidden by running bulkheads around the perimeter at a perfectly calculated angle.

HIRSCHLER

DESIGN CHALLENGE

FORM was challenged to transform modern shell space into an extension of Hirschler’s industrial headquarters.

GOAL

Reinterpret the traditional law firm.

SOLUTION

Designers peeled away excess space, furniture, and noise, leaving only the necessary requirements for a highly functioning space. The office also continues the industrial aesthetic of Hirschler’s Richmond headquarters through a modern D.C. lens.

 By designing around the users’ needs instead of status quo, Hirschler’s new office reinforces their non-competitive culture. Eliminating the association between hierarchy and office size, each lawyer has the same sized office and three furniture layouts to choose from; this adaptable architecture and furniture approach can flex and flow as needs change and workstyles evolve. The best views are shared with the entire office and accessible from the pantry. By leveraging virtual resources, Hirscher further modernized their space by replacing their on-site library and document storage with creative meeting spaces ranging from open, built-in banquettes to enclosed lounge inspired vignettes.

 Glass wall systems help achieve Hirshler’s desire for an approachable, transparent office; however, due to the sensitive nature of their work, this created a layout challenge. Designers responded by strategically placing an accent wall, and wooden doors, allowing them to also function as privacy barriers, and oftentimes art, adding interest along the corridor.   

 Deep purples paired back to earthy natural stone feels sophisticated. Glass Modernus Lama wall systems punctuated with large, wooden doors, are unexpected. Every corner unveils juxtapositions of tradition and modern, which is uniquely Hirschler.

 In addition to honoring their headquarters space, materials help the office seamlessly blend into the existing, adjacent amenity space, giving visiting clients the perception that Hirschler has ownership of the full Penthouse floor.

CAPREIT

DESIGN CHALLENGE

CAPREIT wanted their office to prove that a built environment can positively impact human health and wellbeing. They also desired an industrial space which presented acoustic issues which negated the overall wellness factor of the space.

GOAL

Achieve WELL certification and install the first carbon negative flooring in the Washington D.C. metro area.

SOLUTION

To absorb the sound and layer in warmth, Sound Transmission Class rated partitions were incorporated and lighting was wrapped in Designtex felt. For additional acoustic control, an Arktura ceiling system was installed above the open workstations and Interface carbon neutral carpet tiles, with carbon negative backings, were installed underneath them.

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