In the 1980s, the owner of Newsweek, Katharine Graham, reviewing plans to renovate the headquarters of the magazine, where I worked, questioned the necessity of private offices for the dozens of writers and editors.
When working with a historic building, developers can add value by expanding it or by enhancing its character, two strategies that are often in conflict.
In spite of users’ grumbling about noise, distractions, and lack of privacy, the open-plan workplace—in its post-cubicle incarnation, with flexible, casual seating, and ample places to commune and play—continues to gain dominance in office design.
Since its founding in 1919, the powerhouse law firm Covington has produced alumni ranging from Dean Acheson, President Truman’s Secretary of State, to former Attorney General Eric Holder, and it has an enviable client list within the Beltway.