The Urbanization of America: How Institutional Evolution is Changing the Landscape of Architectural Design
Where and how you work today is vastly different than the average worker’s environment in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. In the 80s, firms like DCS Design were creating office spaces to the tune of five to six million square feet per year. It was the era of corporate excess, and the office building designs and demands reflected that.
Enter the 1990s and the tech boom. Suddenly, efficiency was driving commercial architectural design. There was a movement towards consolidation and lowering overhead to increase efficiency. This required re-engineering a decade’s worth of trends.
How we work is dictated by a number of facets, including urbanization. In the past ten years, there has been a large shift in how we use office space. The architects at DCS Design have seen a decrease in the need for the typical office space. This is partially driven by urbanization, but also by technology, telecommuting, virtual offices, hot-desking, and simply having the flexibility to work from wherever and whenever you’d like has dramatically changed what we want in commercial office design.
The New Office
The digital era hasn’t made “office space” completely moot. Instead, it’s simply changed how we think of office space. We have the flexibility to work on the move more than ever, but an increasing number of studies have also shown that the environment where we work can make a huge difference in worker happiness and productivity.
For example, some studies have shown that an office space that uses eco-friendly materials can benefit employee health while increasing productivity. Other studies have shown that workplace quality plays a big role in whether or not a candidate accepts a job or if an employee stays. You can’t please every top candidate or employee but prioritizing what the best employees need and want in a workplace can be a big part of retention.
The physical design and layout of a workplace is foundational. The United Nations estimates that 68 percent of the world’s population will be living in an urban environment by 2050. This means architects need to plan for this shift now. Urban design needs to blend efficiency and maximize space while considering the interior architecture that people find most appealing and productive.
A Spiritual Business
Similar levels of change are being experienced by institutional uses, including churches and educational facilities. Keep a close eye on these types of institutions for insight into what we can expect in the future. Traditionally, urban congregations have occupied prominent locations. However, many urban congregations are shrinking, but maintain a viable purpose. Will churches be able to hold onto that land as urbanization continues? If they can, will that suit their purpose? What do you do when a congregation is shrinking but the physical presence of what is often a well-established church remains impressively large?
Churches and other institutions situated in an urban environment are sitting directly in the path of progress. There’s intense pressure to densify the areas around them. Some institutions might be landmarks and may be protected by historical societies and regulations. Those that aren’t may be able to take advantage of infill opportunities and create an endowment for themselves, thereby being able to continue their mission and having it paid for via monetization.
Some churches choose to expand their mission through the realization of real estate potential. Monetizing the land an institution already has can be a sustainable avenue.
Urban Trends on Tap
Already, over half of the world’s population lives in urban centers. People now choose to live in these environments. As part of this socio-cultural situation, people also expect all the amenities to be close to where they live. They want accessibility to public transportation, especially in areas like Northern Virginia where DCS Design serves institutions.
Commutes are getting longer around the country, and everyone is getting tired of them. By removing long commutes, you’re effectively removing wasted time and stress. Whether it’s work, church, school, or a grocery store, having everything you need just a few steps away makes living in an urban hub more appealing. In fact, it’s the reason many people relocate to a metro-centered development, such as the fast-growing Tysons Corner area of Northern Virginia.
In the past few years, there has been a shift as people put a premium on place over space. You can even see this change in suburban areas. Increasingly, the suburbs are creating urban areas with places like The Mosaic District and Reston Town Center.
The introduction of transit-oriented development, along with the mass adoption of Lyft and Uber as well as scooters, Jitney buses, and ZipCar, are also indicative of the acceptance of urban transportation. In Northern Virginia, DCS Design is working in the realm of both institutional architecture and institutional interior architecture to usher in the new era of urban design.
Local Projects to Watch
Currently, DCS Design is working with two American Legion projects in premium locations. There’s the design of Expectation Church on Braddock Road, which, enabled by sale of the 20 acres they owned in their previous location, sold the land to create an endowment and build a new church complete with a 980-seat theater and an attached building for Sunday School classes. Central United Methodist Church on Fairfax Drive in Arlington is taking a different approach, using their land to build a now 8-story mixed-use building which will contain a new church (replacing the existing church), daycare center, fellowship hall, and 119 apartments above these facilities. These are just a handful of similar projects the firm is working on.
Take a look at all of the current projects by DCS Design for some inspiration and a peek at what to expect in your local urban metro.
