What We Do

Optimal Beginnings is a therapeutic pediatric treatment center for children with autism and other developmental disabilities. Their new Rockville facility provides applied behavioral analysis, speech therapy, family coaching, and psychological services through an integrated service model, and Interplan is honored to help facilitate their work. Their goal was to convert a vacant 13,000 SF single floor tenant space into a bright, welcoming, and supportive environment to support their unique mission. Ronald Paul Development brought Interplan into the project due to our long running relationship as their landlord architect. Optimal Beginnings came with the idea of painted horizontal bands in bright colors as a form of wayfinding to lead children to their various therapy rooms, which would feature corresponding accent colors - Interplan brought it into the 3^rd dimension by designing a custom flooring design with linear tiles drawing the eye in from the entryway to meet vertical lines before splitting off into the balance of the space. Those bands run up and over doorways, windows, and required fire extinguishers in a playful manner. Columns within the large open group activity areas become features with custom designed geometric patterns wrapping all four sides, and large operable partitions can separate the spaces into three separate rooms. The space was designed in relatively affordable materials, and included 29 unique paint colors, and 9 unique LVT flooring colors (each in two sizes!), and the carpet used throughout features monolithic orientation in corridors and enclosed rooms, and herringbone in large open areas to provide visual interest.

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Project team: Ronald Paul Development (landlord), DDG Virginia (MPE engineer), Mannington (LVT Flooring), Bentley (carpet), Modern Door (Modern Fold operable partition installer), Fischer and Strachan (GC), Benjamin Moore (paint).