WASHINGTON — Need to escape the confines of your cubicle? Head to Silver Spring, Maryland, and keep up with your inbox in the OUTBOX — the area’s new outdoor office.
Now through October, those looking to swap fax machines for fresh air can do so in a 20-seat pop-up pavilion on Downtown’s Ellsworth Drive.
OUTBOX is the result of a collaboration between Peterson Companies and architecture students in the Department of Applied Technologies at Montgomery College.
Dan Figueroa, regional manager at Peterson Companies, said the developer wanted to bring something outdoor-oriented to the popular pedestrian mall for the neighborhood’s nine-to-fivers.
“When you come here on a nice day, you see a lot of people — professionals and artists — working outside,” Figueroa said.
There’s no shortage of restaurant and cafe patios, but Figueroa says the idea was to set up one structure outfitted with amenities that meet the needs of professionals and an atmosphere that promotes creativity.
Instead of turning to a professional firm, Peterson Companies asked Montgomery College to partner up on the project. Students submitted four ideas, and the winning design was selected.
“We gave them pretty much a blank palette to create something that was engaging, cool, funky — everything Silver Spring is,” Figueroa said.
Inside the colorful concept, visitors will find desks, chairs, Wi-Fi and floor outlets, which are plugged into the main power grid. There’s even a conference table to accommodate larger groups.
Colleen Sagers, a Montgomery College student who worked on the project, says adding a co-working space to the downtown area helps satisfy a growing demand.
“More people are working from home and they need flexible workspaces,” Sagers said. “And activating the street — that’s what makes a healthy neighborhood.”
Of course there are some limitations to the outdoor office. For starters, there are no printers and phones. And if you plan on becoming a regular, you’ll want to stay on top of the weather forecast.
“If it’s a light drizzle you can still be out here. If it starts raining sideways, you’ll want to go inside,” Sagers said.
The structure’s roof is more to keep the sun off laptop screens.
OUTBOX is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. through October.
