The current, fragmented configuration of the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) space is the result of nearly 40 years of incremental procurement of space for short-term workload accommodation, rather than a strategic logical plan to facilitate organizational relationships. The PTO is located in Virginia and spread out among 18 separate office locations.
As a result, PTO now has 33 separate leases and considerable disparity and disproportion exists in the assignment and utilization of space. For example, offices among similar positions, but in different organizations, range widely in size, shape, and condition. Amenities such as conference rooms, pantries, copy centers and vending machines are distributed inequitably throughout PTO’s workforce. Because there are so many different office configurations and a large proportion of the employees have union agreements that mandate a particular office size, every time an organization grows, shrinks, reorganizes or promotes individuals, renovations are required.
Since forming in 1997, PTO’s Office of Space Acquisition (OSA) has led the agency’s space consolidation project and is responsible for designing a new, more efficient and effective office environment. OSA has championed the concept of modularization and universal grid floor plans to standardize as much workspace in its future headquarters facility in Alexandria, VA, to create a quality work environment which will provide maximum flexibility and foster employee morale. This design offers equitable allocation of office and support space, maximum flexibility, less expensive build-out costs, and minimization of change orders.
For more information, contact Ms. Cathleen English at (703) 306-2700 or via e-mail at cathy.english@uspto.gov
