New Shared Office Concept Opens Near The White House

The coworking industry has faced significant headwinds this year from the coronavirus pandemic, but a new shared workplace concept is welcoming workers in the nation's capital. 

Oval Offices DC announced Monday it has opened in a 13K SF space at 800 Connecticut Ave. NW.

The brand was created by Mark Wiatrowski, an industry veteran who has been working on shared office concepts in D.C. since the late 1980s. It began marketing in January but was then delayed by the pandemic, and it brought in members after Labor Day, a spokesperson said.

The space is now about 40% leased, the spokesperson said. The company said its members include lobbyists, management consultants, lawyers and other professionals hailing from multiple countries. 

The Oval Offices concept features a series of private offices that can be reserved for as little as one day or rented by the month, with rates beginning at $800/month. It offers office furniture and conference rooms with built-in Zoom technology. 

The building sits at the corner of Connecticut Avenue and H Street NW, just north of Lafayette Square and the White House. The building's perimeter windows can open, a factor Wiatrowski said has become more important to tenants during the pandemic. 

Wiatrowski has a long history in the coworking industry. In 1989, he founded McPherson Square Executive Suites, which occupied the 12th floor of 1133 15th St. NW. Over the last 30 years, he has opened a variety of shared office concepts in Downtown D.C., Georgetown, Alexandria, Tysons and Herndon. 

"There is strong demand for private offices today and we have created an executive suite environment that offers professionals many of the benefits you would find in Class-A office space, including private offices and private hallways," Wiatrowski said in a release.