Design Services

University Facilities Interior Designer provides assistance to campus clients in the coordination and procurement of furniture, signage, window treatments, and finish selections for small renovations and new construction projects of all ranges and sizes. Our mission is to create a sense of equality and inclusiveness while adhering to applicable building codes and regulations.

NEW — PLEASE READ: FURTHER DOWN ARE LINKS TO FORMS TO FILL OUT FOR EACH OF OUR SERVICES. PLEASE FILL THESE FORMS OUT AND SOMEONE WILL REACH OUT TO YOU.

Design Services may include:

  • Furniture space planning
  • Sourcing appropriate products, procurement planning, and coordination of delivery and installation
  • Coordination of architectural finishes including but not limited to paint, flooring materials, upholstery fabrics, architectural lighting, and window treatments
  • Support Capital Projects
  • Coordination of departmental moves
  • Identification, evaluation, and protection of historic properties
  • Signage, wayfinding, and visual communication graphics that meet campus and ADA guidelines
  • Providing pricing for capital expenditure requests
  • Coordinate with internal departments such as ITS and Project Management to ensure adequate data, electrical, audio/visual, and other technological needs are met for offices, classrooms, meeting spaces, and other areas as defined by the design program.
  • Ergonomics assessments

FURNITURE

Interior Design oversees all furniture procurement on campus. Whether it's an office or a classroom all furniture on Washington and Lee campus must meet certain criteria to comply with life safety codes in place for commercial buildings — including student housing.

  • Our reasons for using commercial grade furnishings are:
    • Commercial furniture is designed to withstand increased use and meets a higher construction standard making the furniture more durable and increase its lifespan. 
    • Commercial grade furniture has longer warranty periods and when we purchase through a dealership, we have the resources to have furniture repaired under the warranty guidelines. This is not something typically provided by online retailers.
    • Due to building code requirements, high performance commercial fabrics that, depending on need, have a moisture barrier backing to prevent liquids from penetrating upholstery foam where it cannot be cleaned, and stain resistant surfaces making fabrics easier to clean and less likely to set. These fabrics also meet required fire code NFPA 260 to be used in a commercial building.
  • How Washington and Lee makes its furniture decisions:
    • While furniture does not inherently provide equality and inclusiveness, Washington and Lee strives to use furniture as a tool to foster a sense of equality and inclusiveness by creating welcoming environments for all individuals. While every space may not have the exact same layout or pieces due to individual needs and furniture availability, our goal moving forward is to always make sure that every person feels welcome in every space on campus. See the procurement process below for more information on how we obtain furniture.
    • Furniture should meet the functionality for the user.
    • Furniture should match current building standards set in place.
    • Furniture should meet the most stringent construction and durability requirements within the budget constraints available and meet building code requirements.

FURNITURE PROCUREMENT PROCESS

Below is a typical process to obtain new furniture, but the process may change based on the individuals' specific needs, budget, timeline, and the size of the project.

  • Please fill out the forms using the links below appropriate to your individual needs. We will then begin the process of evaluating the scope of work within the existing project work load and staff available to assist on the project, as necessary.
  • Interior design will first look at the size of the space and evaluate the needs of the occupant(s) and the space allowable to accommodate those needs. We'll ask questions to learn how the person or persons work in the space, assess workflow, and create solutions tailored to the persons individual needs. If the space is changing function (from a classroom to an office for example) please submit a space request on our University Facilities home page so that the space use can be evaluated by our Architect.
  • We will then do a space plan using appropriate furniture options and present those along with any furniture and fabric selections to the occupant for review.
  • The interior designer will base selections, finishes, and fabrics, off of the building's existing furniture standards and coordinate those with existing room finishes; wall paint, flooring, etc. If functional changes are needed the interior designer will make those changes until a final space plan and furniture selections are made and agreed upon.
  • Every effort is made to keep with the manufacturer established for the building, but furniture does get discontinued. If that happens the interior designer will select an alternate manufacturer that most closely matches the established furniture standards.
  • After furniture is finalized, it will be sent off to our vendors to obtain a quote. Once the quote is in, we will forward it on to the appropriate people to review and approve.
  • If you have not provided an account number, one will be necessary in order to procure furniture.
  • Interior design will then process the order with our vendors.
  • Lead Times: Furniture on average takes six to eight weeks to ship. Then about five to seven business days for transit. We are still having periodic material shortages so certain pieces could take longer to receive. If you have a timeline constraint, please let interior design know as soon as possible.
  • Once furniture has arrived at the vendor warehouse, interior design will reach out about scheduling a delivery and installation.
  • Furniture Returns: Furniture is non-returnable. Upholstered pieces in particular, such as chairs and sofas are only made after an order is placed and are not a standard stock piece so they cannot be returned to the manufacturer.

TEMPORARY FURNITURE AND STORAGE

Facilities keeps a limited amount of furniture in storage on campus and space is limited. As the space is not temperature controlled, we are unable store furniture and fixtures for departments. Inventory is dependent on what has been removed from other spaces and what needs need immediate fulfillment. Furniture is on a first come first serve basis and we do not keep stock of new furniture on hand.

FURNITURE REMOVAL

If you have a small amount of furniture that needs to be removed from your office, please place a work order. Facilities will only move WLU property.

If you have more than a few pieces of furniture to move and it's going to other spaces, see department and office moves further down for more information.

FURNITURE REPAIR

Task Chairs: If you have a chair that isn't working right, please fill out the furniture warranty request form below. Please include picture of the entire chair (front and back) and an image of the white manufacturer's tags on the underside of the seat. If the chair is still under warranty, we can look into having it fixed. If it is no longer under warranty, the office dealership can provide us with a quote to fix the chair with any necessary parts. If the chair has been discontinued a new chair may need to be purchased.

Other Furniture: A work order can be placed to evaluate if a piece can be repaired. If you feel that a piece is unsafe, please place a work order to remove it immediately and reach out to design to see if a temporary piece is available while we work to replace the furniture item.

Reupholstery: We do have a vendor that can reupholster most furnishings. Please reach out to interior design for more information on information needed to obtain a quote. Please be aware that the pieces will be removed from campus for the time needed to complete the reupholstery.

Refinishing: We do have resources for wood refinishing. Wood pieces that have been scratched or marred have the potential to be fixed and then billed to the department. Laminate desks cannot be refinished or re-laminated. Veneer wood pieces will need to be evaluated by our vendor prior to work commencing to ensure that the damage is repairable.

Please fill out the Furniture Request Form to request new furniture. 

SIGNAGE AND GRAPHICS

Washington and Lee coordinate all signage on campus whether it's for the interior or exterior of a building. Interior design will coordinate signage purchase and replacement to ensure that it meets campus standards.

Please fill out the Signage and Graphics Request Form for all signage requests.

GRAPHICS

If you are looking to add large format graphics please reach out to interior design for more information on the process, costs, and lead times.

Please fill out the Signage and Graphics Request Form to begin the process.

DEPARTMENT AND OFFICE MOVES

Washington and Lee University has a Space Request Form on the main Facilities webpage for change of use as well as multi-person move coordination assistance. Our architect keeps track of all staff/faculty placement to ensure that enough room is available and that occupancy regulations are maintained. As needs change it may become necessary to move an entire department. Below is some additional information. If you have an upcoming move, please fill out the space form or reach out to interior design so the appropriate people can be brought in to assist in this coordination effort.

TIME: Interior design will reach out to our resources through an outside company to assist in moving furniture and boxes. However, they do require advanced notice and will provide us with a quote for the cost of the move. Summer months are when movers are the busiest so the more time you can give us in advance, the better equipped we will be to help you with your move.

PROCESS: Interior design will assist in the coordination of the move and evaluating existing furniture, fixtures, and equipment that will be moving over to the new space or spaces. Move information will be provided on boxes, tape, and labeling standards as well as furniture inventory and coordination of electronics and phones with ITS. A ‘from-to' move form will be filled out to assist in coordinating this effort. You will also get information on what will happen on move day and to coming days after the move.

ERGONOMICS ASSESSMENTS

Comfort and safety are our top priority. If sitting at your desk is causing physical discomfort, we want to help resolve it. Interior design can assist in evaluating your workstation and provide suggestions to eliminate causes of discomfort. In some cases, an evaluation may result in the need to replace a piece of furniture to resolve an ongoing issue.

Please fill out the Ergonomics Assessment Form if you need assistance.

WINDOW COVERINGS OR WINDOW FILM REQUESTS

The design department assists in the procurement of new window blinds or shades as well as adding window frosting or tinting films to glass. We also assist in replacement of custom ordered blinds and shades on campus.

If you need a new blind or roller shade, have a broken one that needs replacement, or have a location that needs a window film, please fill out the Window Covering or Film Request Form. 

NEW DESIGN PROJECTS AND CAPITAL EXPENDITURE REQUESTS

Every year we have a certain number of projects that require more than just furnishings. Changes to walls, floors, windows, doors, wiring and electrical, lighting and ceilings, and mechanical systems require an evaluation by a project manager, as well as architect, engineer and director of MEP services, and other staff members to determine the overall scope of work, costs, feasibility, and timeline.

If you have an upcoming project that may require potential changes to a building and could exceed $5,000.00, a capital expenditure request should be made in the fall to obtain approval and receive funds for a project. Requests will go up for approval in the spring.

*Please note that interior design does not handle construction. We are merely a part of the overall design team. You will be assigned a project manager as a point of contact for projects.

Please fill out the New Projects Request Form and someone will be in touch. 

ALL REQUEST FORMS

CONTACT INFORMATION

If you need assistance or have questions please reach out to Shelly Czernicki, CID, NCIDQ in interior design at sczernicki@wlu.edu or 540-458-8187.