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This Side of the Tracks

by G. Martin Moeller, Jr., Assoc. AIA

MOI, a commercial furniture dealer originally known as Maryland Office Interiors,
Project: MOI,
recently moved its DC office to a new building in the NoMa neighborhood near Union
Washington, DC
Station. Because the long side of the triangular building overlooks a broad expanse of
Architects: Gensler railroad tracks, much of the office space enjoys open views across the city. Those views
Mechanical Engineers: Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. gave rise to a theme for the interior design—“New Horizon”—which also served as a
Lighting Consultants: Lighting Workshop metaphor for MOI’s efforts to broaden its image and range of services.
Acoustical Consultants: Cerami & Associates, Inc. The building’s triangular plan posed challenges for the office layout. The project
Contractor: HITT Contracting, Inc.
team from Gensler, led by design director and senior associate Hansoo Kim, IIDA, felt
that a dynamic but well-defined circulation system was the key to organizing the space.
To achieve this, Gensler devised a custom-made network of oak slats suspended from
the ceiling along circulation routes. This linear array—suggestive of the railroad tracks
visible just outside the office windows—zigs and zags through the space, providing
navigational clues to visitors while also emphasizing perspectives that reinforce the
New Horizon theme. When two paths meet at an acute angle, the wooden fins collide
dramatically to form virtual arrows pointing into the distance.
Lighting is integrated into the wooden slat system, though not in the way one
might expect. Instead of specifying linear fixtures in between and parallel to the slats,
Gensler opted for perpendicular fixtures. Lights were placed with an eye toward softly
highlighting the junctures where fins of different angles come together.

All photos © 2017 Devon Banks
Views of the ceiling treatment in circulation spaces of MOI.

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