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 FORM
FORM
Year 1
FORM’s first address was the basement of Rob’s house.
“Building a company from the ground up has been a rewarding and humbling experience. We realize now that there is no exact formula for creating a successful firm and that we were fortunate to have built our firm around a great team of dedicated, talented, and resourceful people.”
– Rob Wiersberg, AIA
FORM ARCHITECTS, Owner, Principal
Year 2
Moving out of the basement, Mike and Rob signed a lease at 3333 K Street.
“When choosing the location for our office in 2004, Georgetown was the natural choice for FORM. It had energy, interesting architecture, and was the design cachet of the city. It was an exciting and terrifying time for us, I still remember getting our keys and thinking we’re really doing this!”
– Mike Cipriani, AIA
FORM ARCHITECTS, Owner, Principal
Year 3
FORM completed more than 100 projects in 2005, tripling the number from the year before.
“Very seldom do you get the opportunity to work with an organization that makes you feel like you’re their only client. That is what FORM has done and due to that type of customer service, they’ve successfully completed more than 10 major projects for me within four years.”
– Jim Burghard
BAE SYSTEMS, Former Senior Director of Facilities
Year 4
MinJae joined FORM in 2006 and is currently our longest tenured employee!
“I’ve had the unique opportunity to work for several young firms that experienced immense growth, What I appreciate most about FORM is that despite its growth, the integrity of the firm has remained the same since I joined 12 years ago.”
– MinJae Chong, LEED AP ID+C
FORM ARCHITECTS, Associate Principal, Technical Director
Year 5
Judy completed her first year at FORM in 2007 as FORM’s first-ever non-billable employee.
“What drew me to FORM when it was a young firm was the sense of family, an inviting collaborative environment and the integrity and entrepreneurial spirit of the partners. Despite our growth, those traits are the veins that run through the bedrock that defines FORM.”
– Judy Shaffer
FORM ARCHITECTS, Principal, Chief Operating Officer
Year 6
With the help of Jim, FORM renovated its office in 2008 to accommodate its growing team.
“Congratulations Rob, Mike, and the entire FORM team! As an industry partner, it is clear why you all are such a force to be reckoned with in the Washington D.C. Real Estate Community. The culture and teamwork you have created is top notch. Wishing you continued success!”
– Jim Bognet
BOGNET CONSTRUCTION, President
Year 7
Laurent and his teammate Adam “ham and egged it” to the number one spot during FORM’s first ever FORM Open in 2009.
“FORM produces extraordinary design solutions for all levels of sizes and budgets for our clients, with lots of laughs and fun along the way. Congrats to FORM for 15 outstanding years… Looking forward to the next 15 years of continued excellence!”
– Laurent Myers
SAVILLS STUDLEY, Executive Managing Director
Year 8
With the help of Tribe in 2010, FORM spruced up their brand identity.
“As the owner of a branding and design agency, I always jump at the chance to work with creative, like-minded professionals with a passion for what they do. That is exactly who FORM is – an extremely talented group of design thinkers with the company culture and personality to match.”
– Seth Sirbaugh
TRIBE DESIGN & BRANDING, Principal
Year 9
Thanks to Adrian’s help, FORM completed its largest project since inception; a 100,000+ SF space in D.C.
“What I appreciate about FORM is the high level if energy and commitment they bring to all their projects, regardless of its size. FORM is authentic, transparent, and honest. They are a ‘go-to’ strategic partner, and I am happy to consider Rob and Mike my friends and business partners.”
– Adrian F. Conforti, LEED AP
CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD, Senior Managing Director
Year 10
In 2012 FORM won back-to-back NAIOP awards for the first time!
“We finished the Gate Group CDs on my birthday. It was the first project our office completed on Revit, which was a major accomplishment at that time. The entire office went out to celebrate. The only thing to beat that feeling of accomplishment was winning the awards from NAIOP and IIDA after the project was complete!”
– Erica Cummings, NCIDQ, LEED AP ID+C
FORM ARCHITECTS, Principal 2012
Year 11
In 2013 FORM helped GPI design their new office space which earned LEED Platinum certification.
“FORM’s innovative and creative designs, with their willingness to work through obstacles and barriers, made it possible for our office to obtain the highest level of LEED certification! Our staff truly loves the space and environment that FORM helped create!”
– Brian Burke
GPI, Project Manager/Senior Electrical Engineer
Year 12
FORM laid the groundwork for Building Information Modeling in 2014 by transitioning from AutoCAD to Revit.
“I am so proud to work with a team that is consistently evolving and is not afraid to take risks. Through the implementation of Revit, FORM proves that they not only want to stay at the forefront of design technology, but they also recognize how being open to change will benefit their clients.”
– David Laughlin, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
FORM ARCHITECTS, Associate 2014
Year 13
Attracted to its energy, FORM packed up the Georgetown office and moved across the river to Rosslyn in 2015.
“We have loved working with FORM since their move to Rosslyn in 2015. They are a dynamic presence in Rosslyn and a collaborative community player, always ready to partner and engage; whether it’s participating in one of our 160+ neighborhood events or letting people tour their amazing office.”
– Michelle Tierney
ROSSLYN BID, Development Director
Year 14
FORM made the Washington Business Journal’s Best Places to Work List in 2016.
“I love that I get to be surrounded by passionate and talented people who support and challenge me every single day. The people here are what make FORM so special.”
– Carrie Adcock, NCIDQ
FORM ARCHITECTS, Senior Associate 2016
Year 15
In 2017 FORM hired its 51st employee, Leigh!
“When deciding to move to FORM, the pros instantly piled up: good reputation, team work mentality, employee empowerment, engaged owners/principals, work style independence, office culture, professional development growth, design opportunities, but mostly the coffee bar … Definitely the coffee bar.”
– Leigh Fayfich
FORM ARCHITECTS, Senior Associate 2017
Year 16
People have always been at the heart of our brand. In 2018 FORM launched Warm with FORM, a philanthropic effort that supports our local community by promoting a feeling of “warmth” all year long.
“Making meals for the homeless, visiting colleagues with our mobile espresso bar, or even spending extra time with family with our unlimited time off policy; since inception, FORM continues to shape the community we’re proud to call home and the people we’re honored to call teammates, in more ways than one. The idea is simple – when we put our talent and hearts together, we can make meaningful change with and without construction documents.”
– Koren Stauffer
FORM ARCHITECTS, Director of Marketing
Year 17
Channeling warm shores and picturesque sunsets, FORM designed a space in Honolulu, HI for repeat client NA ALI’I, Inc., the furthest project in the firm’s history.
“We worked on our first project with FORM in 2018, and we were immediately impressed by how they seemed to understand our culture, our business, and the type of space that best fit our unique culture. They did such a great job that we used them again…and, we will now complete our fourth project with FORM in early 2020 and are already looking forward to the next big project together.“
– Jason Greenawalt
NA ALI’I, LLC, Executive Vice President
Year 18
FORM began collaborating with SmithGroup on the interiors of the new 11-story academic building which is part of Virginia Tech’s 3.5-acre Innovation Campus outside – FORM’s biggest interiors project to date!
The building has an iconic, geometric shell which features PV fins and floor slab pull backs, making no two floors the same. FORM created an extensive pallet for the interiors which pulls colors and textures from Virginia Tech’s campus in Blacksburg making this space a true extension of their brand.
Year 19
FORM completed the design of Apex Clean Energy’s new office headquarters. Located within the most sustainable multipurpose building in the United States which was designed by William McDonough + Partners, the 80,000+ RSF design is quite literally, a breath of fresh air.
“No stranger to thinking big, Apex challenged the entire design team to think beyond cradle-to-cradle. This space needed to do better. It needed to not only inspire minds today but also educate those for tomorrow.”
– Liz Wimer
FORM ARCHITECTS, Principal
Year 20
FORM completes its first WELL Building Standard (WELL) certified project which includes the first installation of net zero flooring in the DMV using Carbon Neutral flooring.
“Starting prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the needs of CAPREIT continued to shift and we proactively revised the design to best accommodate any new requirements along the way. The finished space achieves prime circulation and with ongoing testing and monitoring, the space is truly designed not only for today, but for the indefinite future.”
– Ana Inestroza
FORM ARCHITECTS, Project Designer
Year 21
FORM celebrates 20-Years!
Year 22
FORM Launches Employee Wellness Initiative
“In today’s corporate landscape it isn’t enough for a business to have a standard benefits package. Prospective and existing employees expect an emphasis on culture and overall wellbeing. With that in mind, FORM developed one of it’s most successful initiatives, our annual wellness month. Typically held as a kick off to the new year, this is a month dedicated to promoting wellness trends that we strive for our employees to embody all year long. Whether it’s teaming up to see who can accumulate the most steps or playing a bingo board that is geared toward all facets of health, these activities encourage comradery, healthy competition (because who doesn’t love prizes), social engagement, and above all, reminds our team of the importance of taking care of themselves and each other.”
– Kimberly Davis
FORM ARCHITECTS, Marketing Manager
THE TEAM
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.
STUDIES