When founding the Brick Factory back in 2011 one of the first (and biggest) decisions we had to make was about our new office.  The decision was made difficult by a number of challenges:

1. We decided to launch the firm in the Summer with a firm start date of October 1, 2011.  As a result we only had a few months to find the space, which meant we were limited to offices that were immediately available and didn’t require long build outs.
2. Finding office space was one of a million things we had going on at the time.  Simply starting the new company was our primary focus, so didn’t have the time to devote our full attention to the search for a new office.
3. As a new company with a limited credit history, we didn’t have much leverage in our negotiations with prospective landlords.  
4. We wanted to be in downtown DC, which is a market priced for corporate clients.  There were (and still are frankly) a limited number of office buildings we could afford as a small business.  

We ended up finding a nice pre-built space at 1726 M Street NW near Dupont Circle.  We tore down a wall or two, slapped some paint on the walls and filled it with the nicest furniture we could afford.  And we got to work.

1726 M Street was never our dream office.  It had ugly carpet, limited windows and an eccentric heating/cooling system.  But I’ll always remember if fondly since it was our first office.  It served us well.

In early 2015 we heard that our landlord was planning to tear down 1726 M Street and a few other buildings nearby. The plan was to build a fancy new mega building with rents way out of our price range.  Our landlord exercised the eviction clause in our contract and we had to be out in nine months.

This time around we had a lot more time to find our new space and also a better idea of what we wanted:

1. A boutique building with character as opposed to a nameless office building like our old space.  We wanted a building small enough that we could have our own floor.
2. A downtown DC location with metro access.  We loved our old location so didn’t want to move too far away.
3. After years working in a dark office with windows on one side, we wanted windows on all three sides if possible.
4. The opportunity to design the space to our specific needs.

The search took a few twists and terms, but we found our new space and today we moved into our new office on 925 15th Street NW.  The space is right on McPherson Square and not far from the White House.  Our new office has our own floor, windows on three sides and was built out to our specs.  It is kind of awesome.  

While leaving the old space is a little bittersweet, all and all we are thrilled with our new office. For me personally, moving into this new office represents the beginning of a new phase for the Brick Factory.  To borrow from Swingers, “our little baby is all growns up.”

We look forward to hosting our clients and friends in the coming weeks and months in the new space.  In the meantime you can see some photos of the new space here.