February 13, 2018
Reinventing ASTM International’s Space.
ASTM is a non-profit standards development organization that impacts individuals across disciplines, countries, and ages. They harbor an integrated society of dedicated members who volunteer their personal time to write standards for more than 140 technical areas. ASTM sets around 12000 standards, globally, and this number continues to increase over time. As a result, countless lives are saved and improved each and every day through these beneficial standards – ensuring that consumers have the utmost confidence in the products they choose.
The ASTM building, located in Conshohocken, was built in 1995. After 22 years, work has changed, the way individuals work has changed, and so ASTM needed a freshening, reinvention of the building. The VP of Finance and Administration/Treasurer states, “We needed to reorganize how we work, the spaces that we had, and… we wanted to use Formcraft going forward.”
As the space for the IT department, it was an area where our team chose to experiment with new ideas and new features and doing that in this renovation on the floor has, in turn, sparked ideas and energy in the employees at ASTM. Managers have shared that employees are collaborating and working together slightly differently and a lot more effectively. The Director of IT Services at ASTM states, “It is important for IT development to generate and attract the best talent. To attract the best talent, in particular, young talent, you have to have new and modern office spaces. Now we have a new and modern office space thanks to Formcraft.”
Our goals for this project were to establish an environment that facilitated collaborative thought and to bring in as much natural light into the space as possible. The removal of the segmented and disconnected offices helped to create a more airy, open feel. Using a blend of intricate details including curved, lit soffits around the entire space along with segmented walls throughout, illustrates our heightened attention detail. The space includes a center collaborative area with five distinct areas where employees can meet and converse.
Each of these areas includes a personalized, digital platform that allows employee customization, sound proof walls for noise cancellation, and ample room for innovative thinking. The digital platform makes it easier for employees to schedule meetings, alerts them if a room is being occupied, and effectively integrates technology into the space. The sound proof walls for noise cancellation eliminates distractions and helps employees share and collaborate on ideas more efficiently. Integrating technology into the space allows the office to keep up with current design trends and truly benefit from a functional, innovative space. This collaborative area is the first thing one sees when walking in and hence, makes the area feel more dynamic, active and open.
At Formcraft, quality, consistency, and satisfaction are vital to us. The Director of General Services at ASTM states, “We chose Formcraft because they have a great knowledge of the building and what we’re looking for. They understand what our vision is and they are very helpful in bringing that vision to reality!”
Want to learn more?
Click here to contact our team