OGC at Northeastern University

Redesigning spaces to match department needs

Improving the capabilities of two departments through a collaborative master planning effort and a redesign of the spaces

Northeastern University’s Office of the General Counsel (OGC) and Office of Communications within the Division of External Affairs have much in common. They are the first fruits of an extensive master planning effort undertaken by Northeastern's planning department with Bergmeyer’s assistance to join groups that were once located in suites scattered throughout the building that serves as the University's administrative hub. They are adjacent spaces on the same floor, renovated at the same time, with an interest in aligning their spaces with current design trends. Yet, they chose to do so in different ways.

The Office of Communications advances Northeastern’s position as a leader in higher education by publicizing its accomplishments and resources to a wide array of internal and external audiences. Renovations in other parts of the building were part of the impetus for this department to take a look at how they could redesign their space to match the needs of the staff. From the get-go, the direction was the marriage of an open “newsroom” with the spare interplay of blacks and whites, two of the four (together with red and gold) primary NU brand colors. Monochromatic wall fragments hint at spatial boundaries and provide backdrops for the display of colorful graphics and vibrant projections.

The OGC coordinates all legal services at the University providing legal advice, guidance, and services to the University’s various departments. It was of primary importance to maintain privacy and confidentiality; thus, the private office layout familiar to the legal profession is preserved but within a glassy, modern aesthetic of contemporary furnishings and pushing the envelope on materiality and color. The result, a barbell of a plan with the central reception area book-ended by administrative workstations surrounded by offices. There tradition stops. Riotous color, the interplay of smooth acoustic ceilings with raw exposed structure, and soft woven wood and faux metallic wallcoverings inject a modernist vibe. These are law offices that built on precedent but forward leaning, the way a university’s and attorney’s outlook should be.