Virginia Humanities, the state humanities council, sought to relocate its headquarters to Dairy Central, Charlottesville’s historic former Monticello Dairy building. With this relocation, the client’s main objective was to create an open work environment for all employees while establishing welcoming spaces to unite people within the community. MOI partnered with SMBW to create a space reflecting Virginia Humanities’ heritage, efficiently consolidating operations and incorporating a communal space for public discussions, exhibitions, and educational programs.
MOI worked closely with Virginia Humanities and SMBW to develop a furniture package to support the vision of promoting learning and elevating the community voices within this historic building. The holistic design incorporates the organization’s brand elements including custom artwork, sculptures, and books from Virginia artists and artisans.
This space was MOI’s first MillerKnoll installation project since their merge in the summer of 2021. With MillerKnoll’s dynamic 19 brands working seamlessly together, our team specified these product lines to exemplify Virginia Humanities’ brand and mission. The project includes a blended solution of Knoll workstations and Herman Miller ancillary selections to meet the wide range of functions needed for the space and create an eclectic art-focused feel.
With more things stored digitally, Virginia Humanities was able to reduce storage space and dedicate more areas for collaboration and community connections and ensure their employees could preserve their privacy and flexibility within their workstations. Wardrobes beside the workstations can pull out into a divider, providing employees with the option for more privacy if desired. Height adjustable solutions enhance wellness and allow employees a flexible range of motion within their work setting.
The result is a new space that embodies Virginia Humanities’ mission while providing a welcoming and open environment that promotes employee collaboration. The new location offers agile meeting spaces and a dynamic, collaborative environment for Virginia Humanities’ employees.
