This article is part of a special Maryland Inno edition of Cool Digs, a Baltimore Business Journal column that highlights new and recently renovated offices and workplaces across Greater Baltimore. To see the rest of the featured offices in this series, click here.
iNovex
Information technology firm iNovex tripled the square footage of its office when it moved to a new 11,922-square-foot space in Columbia.
The company, which specializes in software development and data integrations for cyber missions, left its Hanover headquarters of 10 years in 2019 to be closer to its customers and peers in the Columbia Gateway office park, at 6950 Columbia Gateway Drive. A spokesperson for the company said the increase in space was "sorely needed" as employees were crammed into small offices and there were limited meeting spaces.
In the new office, iNovex has "a little bit of everything," from individual and shared offices to open workspaces, collaboration areas and more. The company sought to defy drab office design and the typical cubicle farm and instead opted for something more unique and art-forward.
"The space was really purpose-built to invite people to work from every foot of it. We even found a unique furniture provider called Iron Age in Georgia that specialized in raw material iron desks, tables and workspaces that totally fit in with our design."
- Top local executive: Gary Daigle, CEO
- Employees: 250
- Office designer: Arris, a Design Studio Inc.
- General contractor: CK Commercial
- Management company: Corporate Office Properties Trust
Cool Digs: iNovex
What makes the office "cool"? Ultimately, we just want to feel different. With open ceilings, concrete and glass walls, iNovex should feel unique and our space captures that culture of iNovex creativity.
How did you start the design process? We began with pictures of cool breweries, not offices for the design. This led to decisions like leaving the I beams exposed everywhere and not even cleaning off things like the chalk measurements and markings on them. Steel, glass and concrete were the three materials we called out again and again in design meetings.
Does the office have any artwork? Yes! We have an artist on staff that specializes in graffiti artwork and he has about a dozen pieces up throughout the offices; all of which set the space apart and make it unique! He has even created an out-front signage wall, a river table and specific pieces of furniture throughout the space.
Did iNovex survey its employees to find out what they wanted in the office? Yes. It was a very collaborative process where we decentralized away from one person really leading the design, to a team of people capturing the iNovex culture and uniqueness in a physical space based on our team inputs.
Think your office is a fit for Cool Digs? Email cmilligan@bizjournals.com to apply.
