Rand ready for moving experience--into its new digs.

For 56 years, Rand Corp. has conducted research to solve problems for the government and private sector clients.

Now, after a quarter century of complaints and planning, it has have finally solved one of its own.

On Oct. 1, most of the 1,100 people working for Rand in Santa Monica were to begin what is expected to be a monthlong, weekends-only trek from their crusty old Main Street offices to a new, $100 million facility next door.

No longer will they have to put up with a lack of air conditioning, a shortage of conference space or an office squeeze that in some cases had two or three secretaries and junior researchers nestled into a single space.

Architects from L.A.-based DMJM Design consulted with a number of Rand employees through a design process that resulted in a building that at 309,000 square feet in five stories is not much larger than the old two-story, 295,000-square-foot home.

"There are no dead-end corridors and the circulation in the building is a continuous loop," said Paul Danna, a design principal at DMJM Design. "It promotes a lot of interaction between the Rand staff. A very important part of their daily life is communicating with each other."

Other than air conditioning and more conference space, upgrades at the building at 1776 Main St., which bears a resemblance to the infamous Watergate in Washington, includes improved electrical infrastructure to support Rand's computer systems.

"We needed a modern facility that provided us with the ability to have very good communications and computing," said Iao Katagiri, Rand's director of community affairs. "We don't have enough power in this (old) building. It's a good thing we don't have air conditioning because we'd probably blow the lights."

(Inside temperatures would routinely reach 85 degrees during heat waves, in part because computers, photocopiers and other electrical appliances increased room temperatures by 5 degrees, according to an in-house study.)

Despite Rand's long history of research for the defense industry, the new building contains few security measures beyond those at the old offices.

Each floor is divided into four sections, requiring various levels of clearance. It's the same system that existed in the old headquarters.

And even in the heightened security environment after Sept. 11, 2001, there are no surveillance cameras, special fencing or additional lighting. Visitors need only show a picture identification, sign in and wait for a staff member to escort them into the building.

Still, said Phil Coyle III, senior advisor at the Center for Defense Information, a Washington defense research and policy group, Rand is better protected than many other consultants of its type.

"Their security is tighter than many think tanks in Washington, D.C.," he said. "Most of the security is around the information systems that they have and the computer systems that process that. Rand doesn't have hazardous materials, nuclear weapon parts or things that would make it a terrorist target in any special way."

Because the building is not substantially larger than its predecessor, not all the Rand employees are making the move. In May, Rand leased 36,000 square feet at the office building at 1733 Ocean Ave., a site that will continue to house about 100 employees.

Completion of the building ends a lengthy road that has become a hallmark of development in Santa Monica. Rand started the entitlement process 15 years ago, and architectural drawings commenced in 1998. The project broke ground in 2002.