Arium provided full architecture design services for the Columbia Association’s new headquarters in Columbia, MD. One and a half floors of an outdated suburban office were transformed into a vibrant workspace focused on flexible collaboration spaces used by both staff and the community.

The program required large member services areas, which were to be open and welcoming. A large board room and an adjacent conference room utilize movable partitions to open and make a large space where community members can meet. The office space follows an open floor plan with glass-front offices along the interior and workstations along the perimeter. There are casual collaboration spaces in the open office areas and multiple conference and meeting rooms for more focused discussions. The main break room is large and open, perfect for team members to gather for lunch or work sessions. The finishes are contemporary, with color pops to reflect the company branding. These pops of color also contribute to wayfinding throughout the space. Arium also assisted with the furniture selections for the offices and workstations, which enhance the corporate branded image and have customizable height desks to allow both sitting and standing.

“Our staff is interacting with other departments more than they ever had before… Everybody that comes to visit remarks on how beautiful it looks.” – Susan Krabbe, Columbia Association