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Design for the world’s largest union of airline pilots’ new headquarters

At a Glance

  • 103K

    Square Feet

Location
McLean, Virginia
Offices

Air Line Pilots Association Headquarters

The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) is the world’s largest union of airline pilots, representing more than 63,000 pilots at 35 American and Canadian airlines. Occupying an outdated building, ALPA’s former headquarters was primarily comprised of closed offices which lacked transparency and stifled collaboration.

At the onset of their search for a new headquarters, the ALPA turned to our team to lead them through design. As we outlined the project goals, it became clear the ALPA was ready to transition to a more progressive workspace reflective of their culture and mission. We designed the new space to focus on the collective rather than a group of individuals—it is less hierarchical, featuring standardized workspace sizes and a 50/50 workstation-to-office ratio. Glass-fronted offices improve access to natural daylight and promote a sense of openness. Communal spaces from meeting rooms to lounges and coffee bars promote a sense of community and encourage collaboration. A large multi-purpose center provides space to host conferences, training sessions, and special events for members.

We carefully chose design elements to represent themes of movement, weightlessness, and journey, ultimately resulting in a more modern workplace for the ALPA’s nearly 250 employees.

At a Glance

  • 103K

    Square Feet

Location
McLean, Virginia
Offices

Meet Our Team

Mark Bowles, Senior Associate, Buildings, Workplace

I enjoy bringing technical and creative elements together to design buildings that meet my clients' needs.

Mark Bowles

Senior Associate, Buildings, Workplace

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