NORC
NORC at the University of Chicago is a nonpartisan research organization delivering trusted insights that inform decision-making across government, corporate, and nonprofit sectors. NORC’s work transforms data into insights that improve society.
Our design does the same, using research-informed strategies to enhance well-being and foster connection. The resulting workplace is a physical representation of the data and research that shaped it.
The design incorporates strategies from our Neuroinclusion Guide, creating a deliberate gradient of sensory experiences: high-stimulus, social zones near reception transitioning to low-stimulus, focused areas deeper in the plan.
Abstracted Happiness Wall
Branding wall visualizes 50 years of NORC’s research measuring happiness across the United States.
Architectural Endcaps
Balance order and openness, providing researched biophilic patterns of “Prospect” and “Refuge.”
Spatial Planning Gradient
Leveraging research to support neurodiversity, a high- to low-stimulus continuum supports individual workstyles.
The workplace celebrates the individuals behind NORC’s work: the analysts, researchers, and collaborators who transform data into human understanding. Inclusive planning provides a range of environments, from high-energy collaboration zones to quiet focus “cars,” empowering employees to choose how and where they work best.
Visitors to NORC’s Washington, D.C. office are greeted by the Happiness Wall, a large-scale installation visualizing 50 years of NORC’s research measuring happiness across the United States. This architectural expression of the organization’s mission—transforming data into insights that inform policy—embodies both the purpose of NORC’s work and its presence in the nation’s capital.
Project Team
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