Movin' On Up

Bond PR (now Bond Moroch) celebrates a big merger with new digs.

Pods, the “Blue Dog Room,” “Wonder Woman Room” and “Jazz Fest Lounge” are but a few of the terms and phrases the team at Bond Moroch on Magazine Street use to identify where to meet around their expansive new offices.

The meaning behind each will soon be revealed, but first, the reason for the move: The advertising and public relations firm, formerly known as Bond Public Relations & Brand Strategy, recently merged with the Dallas, Texas-based Moroch marketing and communications company. This prompted a long overdue relocation to a larger space. The approximately 5,300-square-foot offices are housed in a former circa-1930s movie theater — vacant since the ’50s — and provide the perfect metaphor for merging the old and new.

“If we were going to move, I didn’t want to do this again for a long time,” says Partner Jennifer Bond. “We wanted to be able to grow in this space.”

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Jennifer Bond presides over the company with her brother and company Founder, Skipper Bond, as well as Partners Jordan Friedman and Brad Hunter. Along with enough space to grow, good acoustics — so the team could freely conduct business on the phone without disturbing others — as well as great lighting and multiple meeting areas were all priorities for the design.

Wayne Troyer, partner and design director at Studio WTA, designed the layout of the space. When interior designer Alexandra Pappas of Alexandra Pappas Design joined the project, she wanted the building and interior architecture to speak for itself.
 




TOP- Art curated by Jonathan Ferrara Gallery is on display throughout the gallery-style hallways and kitchen. Allmont’s Fine Custom Framing did the majority of the framing and the LED lighting in most of the office is by Joule. A custom metal entry sign by Vivid Ink greets visitors.  BOTTOM LEFT- Partner Jennifer Bond’s office features repurposed furniture from the former location. The expansive window behind her desk overlooks the building’s backyard and floods the room with natural light.  BOTTOM RIGHT- The “pods” are workspaces which also contribute to noise reduction, but more importantly, they afford more privacy than the traditional half or full, bullpen style cubicles.

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“It has so much character and history in general,” says Pappas. “The old tin ceiling; the [color in the] brick; everything kind of told its own story. The convergence of old and new was the theme. The design goal was to keep it casual, but professional.”

Pappas opted for white walls to better highlight the architecture and some of the company’s existing decorative elements from the old space.

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“They have this amazing art collection and these beautiful area rugs,” says Pappas. “The first thing that came to mind is, ‘We are definitely reusing these and I’ll find out where.’”

Jennifer Bond says it was also important to work with and support the firm’s clients and friends in New Orleans. The majority of the furniture is from West Elm, with custom wood doors by Southern Arch, Caribbean heart-pine floors by Robinson Lumber and a custom-metal entry sign by Vivid Ink. Rotating art exhibits employing work curated by Jonathan Ferrara Gallery are on display throughout the gallery-style hallways and kitchen. Allmont’s Fine Custom Framing did the majority of the framing and the LED lighting in most of the office is by Joule.

With so many hard surfaces, Pappas added carpet tiles in all the offices to offset noise and  add color. The pod-styled workspaces also contribute to noise reduction, but more importantly, they afford more privacy than the traditional half or full bullpen-style cubicles.
 




TOP LEFT- The Wonder Woman Room off the lounge is the larger of two conference rooms. Its nickname comes from the massive, custom, black painted glass table. Prior to the table’s arrival, chairs were arranged around the “invisible table,” thus inspiring the Wonder Woman moniker in homage to the superhero’s invisible jet.  TOP RIGHT- The custom wood door to the “Wonder Woman” conference room is by Southern Arch, with Caribbean Heart pine floors by Robinson Lumber.  BOTTOM LEFT- In the Blue Dog Room, the company’s collection of George Rodrigue prints add loads of color. The George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts is one of Bond Moroch’s clients.  BOTTOM RIGHT- The kitchen and bar area feature metallic subway tiles and a vintage-style popcorn machine — a nod to the building’s movie theater past.


Exposed brick walls, peeling, decades-old layers of wallpaper and wood slats visible through a handful of holes feature prominently in the Jazz Fest Lounge, a homey meeting area named for the collection of Skipper Bond’s Jazz Fest posters and other memorabilia (Bond is on the board of directors of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation).

The Wonder Woman Room is off the lounge and is the larger of two conference rooms. Its nickname comes from the massive, custom, back-painted glass table. Prior to the table’s arrival, chairs were arranged around the “invisible” table, thus inspiring the Wonder Woman moniker in homage to the superhero’s invisible jet.

Finally, the Blue Dog Room is home to the company’s collection of George Rodrigue prints. The George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts is one of Bond Moroch’s clients.

The lease on the company’s former offices ended before the new space was completed, so for two months, the team worked out of Jennifer Bond’s shotgun house in Uptown and from their own homes. They held staff meetings in the living room and multiple people worked in the kitchen.   

“Finally being able to move into this space was not only cool, but also [it was good] to be together again,” she says. ‘That camaraderie: We’re a team. It made it that much better being in such a cool space.”
 


AT A GLANCE
 

Company Name: Bond Moroch

Address: 3308-B Magazine Street

Office completed: June 2016

Architect: Wayne Troyer, partner and design director at Studio WTA

Interior Designer: Alexandra Pappas of Alexandra Pappas Design

Furnishings: West Elm

Size: 5,300 square feet

Main goal: A larger space for the company to grow, as well as great acoustics, privacy and multiple meeting rooms.

Biggest Challenge: Noise reduction from all of the hard surfaces.

Standout Feature: The comfortable and casual Jazz Fest Lounge.

 

 


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