DonorsChoose.org Headquarters | EIGHT INC.

Based in New York City, the national charity DonorsChoose.org needed not only
a larger space, but one that would motivate the staff, delight visitors and serve as
a true reflection of their core beliefs and identity. From site selection all the way
through construction, the design process of DonorsChoose.org became a passion
project for everyone involved.

The selected site: An entire floor in a classic NYC loft-type building with few
structural columns, high ceilings, and original hardwood floors. This set the stage
for an open office layout utilizing functional cores and flexible work spaces, helping
to keep costs down and sight-lines open.
The design concept: Drawing influences from an iconic schoolhouse aesthetic,
the design takes the tools and forms typically found in educational spaces and
reinterprets them for the modern office. The reference to classrooms continues in
the palette of natural materials and soft tones with bright pops of color, and the use
of playful school-related iconography present throughout the space.
The space: When a visitor arrives, they are greeted by a custom oak and steel
gallery wall that highlights both hand-written thank you notes and digital info-
graphics. This gesture represents the two sides of what makes DonorsChoose.org
so exceptional- their resolve to push the boundaries of technology while remaining
dedicated to the personal and human aspects of their mission.

The steel band on the gallery wall is a modern interpretation of the classic old-school
chalkboard. It winds its way throughout the office- connecting the major architectural
elements and leading the visitor through the space. Once past reception, the gallery
wall visually leads the eye to a lively area of activity- Donor Appreciation Land. This
prominently-featured space is an energetic hub where teacher and student volunteers
congregate to organize, document and ship out the hundreds of handwritten thank
you notes from students they receive daily. It is an activity that is at the heart of the
organization’s mission.

The raw wood and steel morphs into wall cladding at the conference room block,
bracketing an open central area affectionately referred to as the “playground”. It is
here that the informal and collaborative working environment of the company shines.
A variety of flexible furniture arrangements sit in this open space, flanked on one side
by the conference room block and on the other by an open kitchen. At any time during
the day, one can find someone working on their laptop or a team of three having a
breakout session around a table. Through the use of mobile furniture and thoughtful
space planning, the space can transform to hold a variety of functions such as all-hands
meetings, work-day yoga sessions and after-hours events.

The design concept:
Drawing influences from an iconic schoolhouse aesthetic, the design takes the tools
and forms typically found in educational spaces and reinterprets them for the modern
office. The reference to classrooms continues in the palette of natural materials and soft
tones with bright pops of color, and the use of playful school-related iconography present
throughout the space.


The north and south perimeter of the floor holds all of the the desk-space for
the steadily growing staff. To allow for quick and seamless growth, custom
plywood and steel benching tables were designed. With little visual clutter and
no horizontal barriers these tables are truly flexible work surfaces. The lighting
in this area was designed to be soft and indirect by utilizing the ceiling plane to
reflect up-lights. This allows the illumination to spread evenly while avoiding
visual glare on computer screens or hotspots in one’s field of view.

Design details that reference schools and teaching are integrated into the space in
a number of ways. There are chalkboard walls that feature commissioned chalk
murals, hopscotch stencils painted on the floor of the hallways, wooden storage
cubbies in the gallery wall, custom floating shelves made from colorful vintage
books and curated vignettes of iconic educational objects on display. Additional
details that support the unique work culture of DonorsChoose.org include the
provision of “focus” and “zen” nooks for private conversations or tasks, a quiet
room that functions dually as a maternity room, bike racks for alternative
commuters and a new shower in one of the private restrooms. From large scale
to small, the details in the space simultaneously evoke nostalgia for a visitors’
school-experience from the past and an excitement for how DonorsChoose.org is
changing education for the future.