Girls Lead, Girls Run
In 2020, the challenge of the annual ASID Student Design project was to repurpose and redesign an existing Girl Scouts of America building to become the headquarters of a new scouting program: Girls Lead, Girls Run, also known as GLGR. This group seeks to provide young women with strong female role models, to connect them to the wonders of nature, and to prepare them for success in their future careers.
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With this mission in mind, we decided to base this project off of the concept of NEST. Inspired by the tight-knit family structure of a bird's nest, this new space emphasizes safety, connection and community. Much like the process of building a nest, this design uses local, natural materials for the goal of sustainability. Circular geometries are dominant, and the emphasis on natural materials and natural light brings the outdoors inside. GLGR's new headquarters will give young women the resources and inspiration they need to take flight into adulthood.
The first floor of the GLGR headquarters includes a dividable classroom with adjacent breakout areas, a catering kitchen, gift shop, volunteer workstations, fitness center for employees, program and merchandise offices, and the storage and distribution spaces for all GLGR merchandise.
The second floor is the primary office space for GLGR employees. It includes an executive office suite, multiple conference and private meeting rooms, a central break area, a nursing mothers' room, and over 2000 sq. ft. of office workstations.
Remaining faithful to the goal of human connection in this project, the break area is not walled off from the office. Instead, its separation is implied in a round structure that brings individuals together, emblematic of the "nest" ideal. Its status as a nexus of employee passage also makes this area a hub of community, creating an informal space within a formal office.
The first floor of the GLGR headquarters includes a dividable classroom with adjacent breakout areas, a catering kitchen, gift shop, volunteer workstations, fitness center for employees, program and merchandise offices, and the storage and distribution spaces for all GLGR merchandise.