The Aluminum Association is moving into a shiny new headquarters this week, literally. The outside of the building is clad in aluminum, and the interior space features construction materials and furniture made of aluminum.

The Aluminum Association’s new offices, located at 1400 Crystal Drive in Crystal City, Virginia. (Photo courtesy of Lowe Enterprises Real Estate Group)

Moving to the LEED Gold-certified building was the result of a thoughtful process to showcase the association’s industry.

“We really wanted our space to amplify our values and vision for the aluminum industry, and that includes promoting the modern and innovative aspects of our industry, and we wanted every square foot of our space to reflect that,” said Heidi Brock, president and CEO of the association.

The view from the Aluminum Association’s new office. (Photo courtesy of the Aluminum Association)

In addition to the physical building and space, the new location in Arlington, Virginia, will also help promote the aluminum industry. The new office is closer to Capitol Hill, which is important as the association continues to build a culture of advocacy, and it’s got a good view of Ronald Reagan National Airport and the planes taking off—planes have a significant amount of aluminum in them.

“Look for every opportunity to have your space reflect your values and your mission,” Brock said. This is advice other associations have taken to heart.

As an additional measure, seek staff feedback when you are considering a move, Brock advised. Before deciding on a new location, the Aluminum Association worked with its real estate partner CBRE’s Nonprofit Practice Group to survey staff on what they liked and wanted to change about the current location, as well as to take an inventory of where staff lived and how a move would affect people’s commutes.

“That feedback from our team was very important to us as we looked at different locations, different neighborhoods so that we could make this a positive experience for everyone in the organization,” Brock said.

The Aluminum Association's new office building. (Fox Architects)