Ballard Spahr is a Philadelphia-based international law firm that has maintained a Washington DC presence for more than 30 years. Ballard leased the top 2 floors of 1909 K St. for a total of 26,000 sf. 1909K is an L-shaped building originally built in the 1970’s and re-skinned in the 1990’s. Its unusual shape allows a high ratio of perimeter office to central core space, but the convoluted circulation path can make the space unsettling to occupy.

The design is focused on bringing a sense of balance to an unbalanced space. Transparent is juxtaposed against solid, wood against stone, soft against hard, light against dark. The static exterior wall is dissolved by etched glass fins that make the central space float in the building container.