Step into BDO USA’s bright, green, collaborative home
Ken Mooney, executive director of ops, shows us inside 330 N. Wabash, BDO USA’s Ludwig Mies van der Rohe–built, Gensler-designed space for traveling accountants. Photos by Kate Joyce.
Hoteling
BDO’s accountants are often on the road, so desk assignments shift depending on who’s around. Storage lockers allow employees to set up shop when they’re in, while touch-down work stations serve as a place to stop by and crank out an hour of work.
Natural light
“One of the things we tried real hard to do was keep the window lines open so that we get a lot of natural light in the space.” BDO arranged the desks so all employees have a clear line of sight to the outside world.
Food for thought
BDO wanted spaces where employees would hold impromptu meetings. The strategy has turned the cafe into a hive of activity. “That’s a big space,” Mooney says. “If it was only used for an hour and a half a day [for lunch], that’s not particularly efficient.”
Rounding the corners
BDO wants its office to foster collaboration, not petty rivalries. So it reserves the choicest real estate for everyone. “Putting conference rooms in the corners kind of gets away from ‘who gets the corner office?’” Mooney says.
Energy efficiency
BDO’s eco-credentials: recycled carpeting, low-flow water fixtures, and lights that turn off when the sun is bright enough. “Our standards have really evolved over the last couple years,” says Mooney.
