PBS Headquarters, Arlington

OTJ Architects reached out to us during the planning stages for their work in relocating and redesigning the Public Broadcasting Station headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. The project designers “drew on the history of their own formative relationships with PBS’ programs to propose a warm and sophisticated “living room” concept that would welcome staff and visitors into the workplace much as viewers have welcomed the broadcaster’s series, characters, and personalities into their homes since 1969.”

In the original inquiry to Submaterial, the designers were first looking for a large wall panel with felt on-edge details. They sent along a semi-abstract interpretation of the PBS logo as the design, rendered in greys. Through the sampling/design iteration process, the product changed from a wall panel to a cork-backed felt wall covering (an architectural finish we have perfected through years of fabrication experience). Also, the planned design in three tones of grey switched to a brighter palette of two light greys and a rich blue with thin vertical yellow stripes placed seemingly at random. 

While the entire PBS project spanned roughly 130,000 square feet of space, the two-story felt wall that we created became the focal backdrop of the interconnecting stairway and attractively brought into the space the organization’s supporting brand colors and assets.