Commercial Architects at OTJ Share Benefits to Conducting Vision Sessions

Washington, DC (PRWEB) January 23, 2014

When beginning an interior commercial architecture and design project, the initial programming phase has long served to guide the direction of the design. But according to the commercial architects and design professionals at OTJ Architects, becoming increasingly popular and effective is the idea of taking the programming phase one step further by conducting a vision session.

The firms architects and designers have seen first-hand that one of the best ways to learn about an organization and its space needs is through full client interaction; conducting interviews with key personnel is fundamental to obtaining information regarding space usage, projected growth or organizational changes including the following:

And while a program summary details all space requirements, a vision session can help to visually communicate design aesthetics for those same space requirements. The vision session, which showcases photos, drawings and specifications from previous projects, helps to determine various options for the overall look and feel of the new space. This collaborative meeting allows the project team to effectively discuss and target design objectives. Once the priorities of an organizations vision are fully understood, the project team can apply this knowledge to the design and ensure the vision aligns with the overall project goals as well as the established budget.

We use feedback from the vision session to document the projects future direction with keywords and images and also update the programming materials if necessary, said Lance Jaccard, Partner at OTJ Architects. This session gives us a real-world glimpse of what type of space the client is looking for with direct comparisons to previous project work.

Which is just what happened with OTJ client, Analytic Services, Inc. OTJ held a vision session for the group to review images from previous projects exemplifying the following areas of design: transparency, open areas, specialty spaces and company branding.

Staff members tagged each photo with a colored sticky note based on his or her preference - red for dislike, blue for like and yellow for lets discuss leading OTJ to discover that employees enjoyed the concepts of writeable surfaces, subtle finish palettes, a variety of seating types, workstations as communities/enclaves, library workspace and a reception area that doubled as meeting space. This vision session helped the project team understand the design goals of the organizations employees, while also promoting ways to effectively utilize the space and achieve a decrease in square footage.

So, what are the results of thoughtfully designed office spaces that take into account the needs and wants of its employees? According to YFS Magazine, when employees enjoy a workplace concept that appeals to their senses and is conducive to smooth operations, they feel proud of working at a company that caters to their needs and values an environment that aids them in successfully accomplishing their work.

So when looking to renovate or re-design your existing office space, consider a vision session as a way to keep employees happy and spirits high the dividends will be seen in increased productivity and improved recruitment and retention.

Contact OTJ Architects to discuss your architectural needs today.

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Commercial Architects at OTJ Share Benefits to Conducting Vision Sessions