Sands Capital Management relocated to the top four floors in a neighboring building in Arlington, VA. OTJ collaborated with the staff to create a design that supports the work of Sands Capital’s employees, is a reflection of the firm’s culture and brand and will allow Sands Capital to continue to grow and expand in the future. Thinking about both Sands Capital’s culture and how its staff members work, OTJ established a design philosophy that is equal parts about connection and collaboration as well as quiet and focus.

The showpiece glass interconnecting staircase serves as the conduit for these key zones. The stair was strategically placed and given prime real estate within the 80,000-square-foot office, which features some of the best city sight lines, in order to encourage staff to traverse all floors and to interact in a series of shared spaces that straddle the stair on each floor. These spaces include, but are not limited to, the following: a penthouse café, game room, library, reception and an iced coffee lounge.