STOBG Insights Magazine, Issue 1, 2024

THE COMMERCIAL SECTOR:

Dynamic Change in the Industry

What a time for our industry. It’s probably an understatement to say that the last few years have seen “dynamic” change for buildings and construction, but that kind of disruption always brings opportunity. In this issue of STO Building Group Insights, we’ve highlighted some of the exciting ways we’re seeing dynamic change in action, particularly in the commercial sector.

Building repositioning, for example, continues to thrive. We’ve been working with Google to transform the historic Bolands Mills building in Dublin into its European headquarters and a new public marketplace. Our New York-based team recently worked with Amazon to repurpose a landmark Lord & Taylor department store into a new tech hub. These kinds of projects are monumental, both for what they say about the state of the modern office and the ingenuity and innovation in constant motion in the built environment.

From responding to adjusted expectations of the workplace, to embracing new ways to use technology to deliver projects more efficiently, to serving clients in growing sectors like food and beverage, the evolution underway is thrilling. We’re inspired by change, and we hope the innovation you see coming to life through these stories inspires you as well.

On that note, we must also say a few words to celebrate the lasting legacy of Alan W. Layton, who founded Layton Construction 70 years ago. In this issue, you can read more about Mr. Layton and the principles he established for his company, which are still the foundation for the company as it has expanded into the industry leader it is today.

Please enjoy this issue, and welcome to the new year.

James K. Donaghy Executive Chairman

Robert Mullen CEO

s This multi-story stair for a confidential financial client extends throughout the floors. Fall protection —consisting of railings, mid-railings, toe boards, and netting—keeps workers safe around the open spaces during the subsequent phases of construction.

A Story About Stairs: A Showcase on the Feature Staircase

As the trend for more open, collaborative workplaces moves into the post-pandemic era, the feature staircase continues to add a “wow” factor to an office. But it’s also becoming more than a mere statement piece. Today, businesses use interconnecting steps as a unique design element to promote corporate culture, to encourage wellness, and to inspire collaboration and cooperation.

BOSTON

WHEN BUILDING A FEATURE STAIRCASE, REMEMBER S-T-A-I-R

Given the important role a feature stair plays in a finished workplace, building a signature staircase takes a certain level of expertise— and lots of planning—to get it right. Every staircase, no matter the size or scale, requires a tailored approach, from the schedule to the assembly to the finishes. The following lists out five critical elements to consider when taking on an approach to steps.

S is for Schedule. “Central staircases are usually the first thing to start and the last thing to finish,” says Jim Custodio, account executive in Structure Tone’s Boston office. From timing out ceiling work to tying the fire shutters into the fire alarm system, everything hinges on the progress of the stairs.

But there are always exceptions to the rule. During the build-out of a large corporate headquarters in one of downtown Boston’s newest high-rises, Structure Tone’s team proposed an atypical, out-of-sequence plan to help keep the project on track. “The building was far behind schedule in terms of the core and shell,” Custodio explains. “During preconstruction, we proposed to scan the floors and bid out the stair package almost immediately upon award. We figured if the design was finalized, why shouldn’t we get that work started right away? The client agreed and we got started. For the first time in my career, we completely installed the stair prior to starting construction. It saved the schedule quite a bit.”

T is for Trades/Procurement. As the schedule allows, taking advantage of the precoordination phase to review the staircase design in detail with the architect and ensure the proper trades and subcontractors are included in the schedule is crucial. Historically, there are multiple trades involved that require careful coordination. However, during a recent fit-out for a large financial company in Boston, Structure Tone’s team took a different approach, working with the subcontractor on the entire stair package, from the design-build to the millwork. This subcontractor came in early, scanned the floors, and created a model that could be shared with other trades. Building a model or mock-up of a portion of the stairs helps everyone—from the design team to the subcontractors to the client—see exactly how it all will come together, and what potential

issues need to be addressed, all before the real staircase goes into fabrication.

A is for Access and Assembly. Building a massive staircase in an opening that spans several floors can get tricky. Do you start at the bottom and build up? At the top and move down? It all comes down to planning—mainly, access and assembly.

For a financial office fit-out in Boston, the team designed the stair so that it came pre-assembled in large sections; everything—stringers, treads, risers—was welded together in the shop and then broken down into sections. The on-site project team then bolted the pieces together using a slip joint and used chain falls to raise it into the base structure. Custodio breaks it down more simply. “We had the company completely assemble it in their shop, break it down into four big pieces, make custom dollies for these heavy pieces, and then rolled them into the building for installation.”

I is for Interior Finishes. Even the most meticulous designer can’t predict precisely how the finishes and materials of a staircase will align with each other, leaving a lot to the interpretation of the construction team. That makes coordination between the designers, contractor, and tradesmen critical. The designers

can help the construction team make informed decisions on thickness of materials, angles, and other factors so that the transition is entirely seamless.

Structure Tone teams are also noticing an evolution in staircase trends and finishes. Transparent glass walls are being replaced with metal and mesh panels and intricate millwork. Custodio likens it to home kitchens, “You know how you can walk into a kitchen that’s 20 years old and tell exactly when it was built? Corporate stairs are going through a similar design cycle.” For example, his team is building a stair that features continuous millwork wrapping around both sides, emphasizing fine millwork details and how it links the openings together.

R is for Results. Every staircase truly does necessitate a unique approach. But designers, construction managers, and subcontractors can’t forget about the most important aspect of building a stair—the end result. What does the client want? While interconnecting staircases are certainly still the focal points of an office, they’re also being utilized in multiple other ways: as collaboration areas, for wellness, and to provide accessibility to other amenities. “Most of the stair installations I’ve managed recently have been built with cafés or fitness centers around them, says Custodio, “whereas years ago, I think the focus was more about coming into the reception area, seeing the stair combined with the view outside, and impressing both employees and visitors.”

And then there is final secret weapon—a project team. Building these kinds of staircases is complex, so engaging a team who has done it before is a huge advantage. Having a team that understands what goes into the process, the scheduling involved, and how to manage it all helps clients avoid complications and build the showstopper everyone envisions.

Amazon’s new tech hub in New York City provides another example of a grand and functional staircase. In fact, that office has two staircases—an eight-story staircase that is flooded with natural light and encourages employee wellness by walking among the floors, and a shorter spiral staircase that provides easy access to a café, outdoor terrace, and open-air courtyard with an exercise path and dog run.

r Check out more about Amazon’s new tech hub on page 21

r Confidential commercial client central stair

Building Well-Being: Insights from LEED Fellow

Jennifer Taranto, Vice President of Sustainability, STO Building Group

Jennifer Taranto

The built environment plays a pivotal role in shaping our wellbeing. Here Jennifer Taranto, vice president of sustainability at STO Building Group and a recently appointed LEED Fellow, discusses what she is seeing—from the influence of workplace design on healthy habits to the evolution of green building motivations over time.

It is said that the average American spends a significant portion of their life indoors. What does that say about the importance of the built environment?

The actual statistic is that we spend around 90% of our time indoors—that’s a lot. Your physical and social environments have the greatest effect on what determines your health and well-being. So, when we think of well-designed places and spaces, we think about how they can provide places for movement, active transportation, and/or access to clean air and water. But it’s more than that, too. They can also have a positive impact on mental health through thoughtful design elements that reduce stress, enhance mood, and foster a sense of well-being, such as access to natural light and nature.

What does wellness in the workplace look like?

Wellness in the workplace can look like a wide variety of things. It’s in the health promotion activities and policies that support positive employee health and behavior. It’s in providing services that help employees in need, whether that be mental health support, access to fitness facilities, or counseling services. It can also be seen in the cultivation of a positive work environment that encourages work-life integration, stress management, and flexibility in schedules.

If you’re thinking about it from a more tactile perspective, you’d have a workplace that incorporates plenty of natural light, proper ventilation, ergonomic furniture, and dedicated areas for relaxation or quiet heads-down work, along with biophilia, those elements that connect

us to nature. But at its core, wellness in the workplace involves fostering a culture of open communication, support for diversity and inclusion, and promoting overall well-being—not just physical health, but also mental, emotional, and social wellness.

How has the focus on wellness and sustainability in buildings reshaped corporate interiors?

Over the last decade there has been a paradigm shift in how we perceive and design spaces for human health. It’s like the entire commercial sector collectively decided, “Let’s make buildings that won’t just stand the test of time but will also entice us to use the stairs.” And we’re doing it, people. We are all in.

Certifications such as the WELL Building Standard have played pivotal roles in driving this transformation. WELL focused on creating environments that do more than just prioritize occupants’ health and well-being, challenging us to create spaces where people can thrive. It provides a comprehensive, science-based framework that addresses many facets of well-being.

Construction has changed as well. We’re helping to advise design teams on healthy materials and sustainable construction practices to reduce the carbon footprint and promote a healthier indoor environment. Our safety programs now extend to the mental well-being and psychological safety of our staff and trade partners on our jobsites.

As a LEED Fellow, what would you say is a misconception people have about the LEED rating system?

A big myth is that LEED is dead or fundamentally irrelevant to the industry. It turns out that LEED is still a valuable market differentiator not just for new buildings, but also for existing buildings and commercial interiors all over the world. Still today it surprises people that over one third of STOBG’s own annual revenue is tied to LEED projects. Over the last two and a half decades, LEED practices have become our best practices—which is why it feels so normal.

Another misconception is that LEED is just equivalent to code these days. The truth is that it depends where you’re building. In some places, the code is stricter than LEED, but it’s still not in plenty of others. The USGBC recognizes this and LEED continues to ratchet up the thresholds and move toward a greater focus on carbon, health, resilience, and equity, which is coming with LEED v5.

Tell us more about LEED v5.

LEED v4 prioritizes minimizing carbon emissions through sustainable design, energy efficiency, renewable energy use, and carbon offsetting. LEED v5 takes a significant step in mitigating carbon emissions and incentivizing building owners towards ultra-low carbon. It addresses operational, embodied, and transportation-related emissions, promoting accountability, carbon sequestration, and net positive outcomes. LEED v5 empowers design teams to achieve organizational net zero goals.

How can the construction industry collaborate with partners to create more sustainable and healthy workplace environments?

When we all work together—leveraging the strengths of architects, designers, builders, environmental consultants, and employers— we take a synergistic approach to advancing occupant health and environmental stewardship. Each stakeholder’s expertise contributes to this collective effort to integrate energy-efficient building systems and adopt low-carbon, health-oriented materials. By working together and embracing a shared vision for sustainable construction practices, we and our industry partners can effectively create environments that not only support the health and productivity of occupants, but also align with broader environmental stewardship goals.

DOING THE SAFE THING FOR GOOGLE

Safety is more than an obligation: it’s a mindset. At Structure Tone New York, safety also means looking out for one another, particularly during projects, resulting in minimal injuries and incidents on jobsites.

Safety is paramount for one of Structure Tone’s most recent frequent collaborators— Google. While Google keeps billions of people safe online, Googlers need places to work and safe construction partners to build those spaces. To that effect, Google’s Construction EHS Team designed a Construction Stewardship Safety Award, recognizing general contractors who demonstrate a cultural commitment to safety, including innovative programs with active employee participation and training, zero worksite fatalities, outstanding hazard identification/control, and mindful injury prevention.

“The very essence of this award is to illustrate Google’s dedication to safety. We’re excited to honor the general contractors who have successfully integrated safety into their businesses and have exceeded expectations,” explains John Brix, global EHS program manager, consulting for Google.

In September 2023, Structure Tone New York was awarded Google’s Construction Stewardship Safety Award for the East Coast Americas region, as well as Best Overall for the Americas.

“These awards highlight Structure Tone’s dedication to promoting a safe work environment, which utilizes innovative approaches, to achieve a truly interdependent safety model, all the while exceeding Google’s contractual safety obligations,” Brix emphasizes.

This is the first year the award has been given out and it’s a huge recognition for the Structure Tone team, as 17 different contractors from across the country were in the running to win. Next year, Google plans to roll out a global program and Structure Tone will have eyes on that prize.

Structure Tone was also honored for their approach to safety by the Building Trades Employers Association of New York (BTEA) with a Project Safety Award for Project

With over two years of work and over 1.9M hours completed, Google Martha had a total recordable incident rate (TRIR) of 0.64 significantly lower than industry average of 2.8 and the lowest recordable incident/injury rate in the global Google construction portfolio.

Peak workforce levels hit 889, with average headcount hovering around 555. The team completed over 8,000 daily pretask plans, submitted 1,300 toolbox talks, conducted 3,200 safety orientations, and performed over 2,400 third-party safety audits. Structure Tone also assigned a site-specific safety manager, responsible for maintaining a safe work environment and coordinating directly with Google.

PHOTOS, TOP LEFT AND RIGHT: © CONNIE ZHOU

Martha, the renovation of St. John’s Terminal at 550 Washington Street, a 1.3Msf joint venture with Turner Construction.

Feeling Right At Home in Cypress Waters

As a company built around the importance of home design and decor, At Home knew that they wanted their headquarters to be beautiful and functional—and they needed it fast. Structure Tone Southwest helped them realize their vision—a versatile and comfortable workspace to energize and inspire their employees.

The new 260,000sf At Home corporate headquarters in the Cypress Waters campus near Dallas is a stunning workplace that features a 78,000sf design center with a model store, photo and video studios, training rooms, collaboration and co-working spaces, wellness facilities, and a coffee bar. It also contains 182,000sf of office space for its current staff of 400, with room to grow and house another 600 employees over the next 10 years. The structure is also green building certified, and the entire project was tracked using the ED3 Carbon Footprint Tracking tool.

“We had outgrown our existing home office and wanted to create a modern work environment that allows us to expand, retain, and attract the best talent out there,” said Lee Bird, Chairman and CEO of At Home. “We chose Cypress Waters for its central location and amazing amenities. We designed the space to have a lot of energy to inspire creativity and working together. It will also provide the right tools for our flexible workforce.”

Time was of the essence because the client had a hard move out date from their previous location. “We proposed using a tilt-up wall panel system that would allow completion within a year and help them meet their timeline while using a curtainwall system with a sophisticated design that harmonizes with the rest of Cypress Waters,” says Structure Tone Southwest project executive, Chris Shackelford. Each floor is emphasized with a metal panel soffit system extruding approximately 12” to match the curtainwall.

MAKING THE GRADE

The lot had an existing grade that fell over six feet from one end to the other. The team added provisions in the structural foundations to accommodate the slope. They also faced

tough conditions on the site, including a constricted amount of space for staging all of the materials, so they had to be extremely organized. “It was a very muddy site,” says Damon Renaud, STSW senior superintendent. “We had to use over 50 crane mats.” The project was also built next to a neighborhood park. Through careful coordination of concrete deliveries and precise location of tilt-up castings, they were able to keep the park open for the entire construction duration and had no complaints from the neighbors.

SUPPLY AND DEMAND

Post-pandemic supply chain shortages affected everything from materials to labor on this project. Pent up demand meant that subcontractors and vendors were scrambling to cover all of the jobsites in the area. Concrete, rebar, and form work were scheduled well ahead of time to ensure that the supplies and the crews were available.

DETAIL-ORIENTED

The building exterior features unique and particularly complex assemblies including a window wall, a curtain wall, stainless steel fins, and aluminum panels which demanded precise alignment. The long fa ç ades required great attention to detail so that the panel soffit system retained its integrity. Each of the trades partnered with the Structure Tone team through BIM.

Safety was communicated early on and throughout the project by a site-specific safety and environmental plan. According to Shackelford, the plan went beyond inspection and identification of hazards.

THE TILT-UP ADVANTAGE

Tilt-up wall systems represent 75% of all new commercial construction in Texas. Owners appreciate disaster-resistant structures with excellent indoor environmental quality. The long-term benefits include energy savings, low maintenance costs, and durability.

“We completed this project in just 14 months from foundation to grand opening, with zero recordable accidents,” Shackelford says. “This achievement was only possible with the speed of tilt-up construction.”

r The interior focuses on bright colors and open spaces to inspire creativity and collaboration

PROJECT DETAILS

Location: Coppell, TX

Size: 260,000sf

Client:

Billingsley Company/At Home

Architects: GFF, Inc./Corgan Architects

Engineers: Datum Engineering (structural); Landev Engineers (civil); Venture Mechanical (MEP)

“We worked to increase trust and develop relationships between safety inspectors and our crew that focused on ensuring a safe and healthy work environment,” he says. “Our safety orientations emphasized worker well-being and task focus.”

AT HOME INSIDER PERKS

The interior that supports the company’s creative teams is filled with natural light, vibrant colors, and open spaces. The company’s distinctive logo and blue color scheme are featured throughout the lobby and common areas. At Home products are featured in the spacious cafeteria and coffee bar area. A large blue custom mobile suspended in the two-story atrium welcomes visitors. The new At Home headquarters is truly an inspired home for this interior decor superstore.

Sector: Commercial

Completed: Spring 2023

PHOTO, LEFT:

©KEVIN BOWENS PHOTOGRAPHY

Under Construction

ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS NORTHWEST TRANSPORTATION CENTER

Ajax Building Company has kicked off a project with the Atlanta Public School (APS) Transportation Department to help create a new, more centrally located bus terminal. The new Northwest Transportation Center will accommodate employee parking spaces for 210 cars and 210 buses, along with an Operations Building. This center will service their traditional diesel vehicles as well as their new propane and electric buses.

Included in the development will be a four-bay Service Center, two diesel fueling stations, a propane fueling station, and over 25 electric charging stations for their new fleet of electric buses. The project will also include perimeter security features and visual barrier fencing with access control to strengthen security measures. Ajax is already working closely with their project partners to make sure each essential site element— including the landscaping, hardscaping, storm management, site lighting, and canopies—will be strategically integrated into the project’s functionality and aesthetics.

In total, the facility will span approximately 9.8 acres and 16,000sf of building facilities, providing a safe and efficient transportation hub for the benefit of students and the community.

r Atlanta Public Schools’ new Northwest Transportation Center covers roughly 10 acres

r The APS site will include an Operations Building and Service Center

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA HOLMESHUNTER ACADEMIC BUILDING

History is coming alive at the University of Georgia (UGA). Honoring the trailblazing legacy of Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter-Gault, the first African American students to enroll at UGA, the 50,929sf Holmes-Hunter Academic Building is set to undergo significant improvements, led by Ajax Building Company. Beyond enhancing functionality, these renovations will restore the historical features of the building, paying homage to both Holmes and Hunter-Gault’s impactful journeys.

Originally comprised of two separate buildings, the facility, which includes student and administrative functions such as the Office of the Registrar, the Office of Student Financial Aid, and the Office of Institutional Diversity, also houses academic units such as the Institute of African American Studies.

Renovations to the building include restoring the courtyard, integrating all new MEP systems, and installing an elevator and upgraded staircases to bring the building into code and ADA compliance. The renovation also optimizes the building’s square footage while showcasing the cast iron in the structure and creating a new classroom from the original building design—seamlessly bridging historical elements with contemporary components. The restored Hunter-Holmes Building is expected to be completed in summer 2024.

r The reconstruction of UGA’s Holmes-Hunter Building is underway, with freestanding walls in place to make way for new spaces

Flocking to the Sunshine State

New office projects thrive in Florida

Beaches. Warm weather. Low taxes. There are a lot of reasons Florida is the fastest-growing state in the US. As more people move in, companies across the state are competing for this influx of talent, from relocating to more trendy locations to upgrading to modern, amenity-heavy workplaces.

THE PLACE TO BE

Take tax consultant firm RSM, for instance. The firm recently moved to a brand-new office building in the Water Street Tampa community. As North America’s first WELL Certified community, Water Street Tampa has become a hot spot for residents, tourists, and employers alike.

“There is a lot of new building going on in that area,” says Ray Neary, Ajax operations manager. “It’s right on the water, very trendy, and offers really nice, high-end workspaces. It’s the place to be.”

More growth, however, means more construction which did pose some project challenges, according to Neary.

“The Water Street building was brand new, so a lot of contractors were working on fit-outs in the building at the same time,” he says. “But the building owner laid out ground rules for things like sharing dumpsters and freight elevators, and we all worked within those parameters.”

In Jacksonville, Ajax faced a similar challenge for space, but this time with existing building tenants. While renovating space for TD Bank’s

s RSM’s new Tampa office was built for collaboration

new Jacksonville Contact Center, the team not only had to orchestrate several utility shutdowns and switchovers around the building’s occupants, but also had to manage a number of infrastructure and site upgrades. The team removed walls and sections of the exterior to install generators, for example, and reworked some of the site to run new electrical equipment. Ajax’s expertise in large-scale ground-up projects became even more crucial.

“We could really tap into our experts for the heavy engineering elements of this project,” says Neary. “Our deep relationships with local subcontractors was also key. It’s hard to find available skilled labor right now, and we were thankful those relationships paid off here.”

FLORIDA AT WORK

Client:

Confidential Client

Location: Tallahassee, FL

Size: 25,000sf

Duration: 9 months

EXPERIENCE AT WORK

While the office sector has certainly been challenged since COVID, it appears to be alive and well in Florida. And as the Ajax team has led more of these projects, they’ve found their ground-up construction experience is helping them approach fit-out projects—in some mon ey-saving ways.

For TD Bank, for instance, Ajax was able to find alternate equipment suppliers to help expedite equipment delays and avoid some scheduled shut-downs, shaving time and money from the project plan.

Client: RSM

Location: Tampa, FL

Size: 20,000sf

Duration: 16 weeks

“We managed these projects well, and our clients were thrilled with these beautiful new spaces,” says Neary. “The fact that we were able to give a little time or money back to them too was ic ing on the cake.”

Client:

TD Bank

Location: Jacksonville, FL

Size: 26,000sf

Duration: 8 months

Amazing Spaces

The STO Building Group companies are working on projects of all shapes and sizes, across sectors and across the globe. Here’s just a sampling of some of that work.

s BetMGM

s BetMGM

s Mithun Corporate Headquarters

s BetMGM

s Mithun Corporate Headquarters

NEW JERSEY

NEW JERSEY

NEW JERSEY

s Pendry Manhattan West

s Mithun Corporate Headquarters

s BetMGM

s Pendry Manhattan West

s Pendry Manhattan West

The Layton Way

The same principles that Alan W. Layton instilled in the company in the early years continue to guide Layton Construction today—70 years after he founded the company.

In February 1953, Alan W. Layton took a giant leap of faith. With a new mortgage, five small children, and just $1,600, Alan left a secure government job and hired two retired neighbors to start Layton Construction’s very first project. Back then, there were no written contracts, no cost

reports, and no job progress reviews. It was just lots of hard work and long days with the hope there would be a little money in the checkbook after the project was completed.

That was the modest beginning of an organization that is now 1,300+ employees strong, with projects from Maui to Miami in virtually all sectors of commercial construction. Together with trusted trade partners, Layton has built the places where hundreds of thousands of us live, work, play, and heal.

A decorated WWII veteran and model of America’s Greatest Generation, Alan instilled in the company timeless values and a commitment to constructing with integrity. Seventy years and thousands of projects later, quality, safety, honesty, and unity continue to guide Layton Construction today.

QUALITY

Layton’s product is superior service. Our projects should stand as symbols of quality and first-class craftsmanship long after we’ve left the jobsite. And we work to ensure all stakeholders leave every interaction with Layton feeling our commitment to excellence.

SAFETY

Construction can be complex and dangerous. In constructing with integrity, we prioritize safety above all other considerations, as there’s nothing more essential than the health and well-being of Layton staff and associates.

Honesty builds trust, strengthens rela tionships, and arms people with the right information to make the best decisions possible. Layton is focused on being open and forthright, even when it’s difficult, so all parties can achieve a successful outcome.

UNITY

Unity requires mutual respect, listening to understand, and a willingness to collaborate.

When we are unified, we are engaged and feel more connected to each other. And we accomplish more than we could ever do alone.

ALAN W. LAYTON’S TIMELESS VALUES

Shortly after he retired, Alan sent a letter to his sons, who’d taken over the company. In it, he offered some management advice and counsel, including these five touchstones that still guide Layton today.

1. The company hallmark has been and should always be quality.

2. Safety is good business. Insist on a clean, safe workplace.

3. Employ quality employees and work with skilled subcontractors.

4. Get involved with all employees. Let them know you care about their well-being.

5. Modern tools and equipment, well maintained, complement a tight schedule and a good job.

PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE Layton’s projects tell the stories of these principles in action. From Olympic venues to recordsetting concrete pours, read more on the Layton website.

The Presidio Bay Foundation & Scholars Program

Giving back is a full-time passion for the STO Building Group network of companies. One of the ways BCCI Construction has fostered its relationship with the San Francisco community is by partnering with a local foundation that helps students discover their own passions in the real estate and AEC industries.

The Presidio Bay Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit focused on empowering underserved youth through educational and career opportunities in commercial real estate. Their mission, alongside BCCI’s commitment, is to forge pathways for youth to become future leaders in shaping more equitable neighborhoods and cities by providing resources to pursue careers in real estate, architecture, engineering, and construction. Each summer, the program hosts a cohort of students who engage in an intensive 10-week curriculum that exposes them to various facets of commercial real estate, including finance, design, management, city planning, development, sustainability, and retail. Beyond education, each student has the unique opportunity to network with industry professionals and mentors. Excitingly, the foundation will soon be launching a workforce ready initiative to assist young adults in having direct access to additional internships and entry-level roles.

According to Mallory Wall, vice president of client services at BCCI, Presidio Bay prioritizes community building by supporting cultural, racial, and gender diversity and providing Scholars with comprehensive training and connections for future success. Wall has

volunteered as a construction mentor for the program for the last three years and says their unique approach to fostering new generations of leaders sets them apart from other, similar programs.

“It brings me so much joy seeing the students in the program really wanting to learn and understand how real estate development works,” she says. “Presidio Bay is genuine and passionate about instilling confidence and creating a launching pad for students to have a voice in shaping the future of their communities.”

The students agree. “Even if you don’t come from a background with exposure to the real estate industry, you feel embraced, encouraged, and empowered for the future,” says one recent participant. “The way this program is structured, it’s like the difference between receiving a handshake and a hug.”

Since 2021, the program has graduated 32 students and invested over $280,000 in scholarships and program growth. Looking ahead, the Presidio Bay Foundation aspires to expand its influence across the Bay Area and, ultimately, the US. And while these ambitions will undoubtedly make a tremendous impact

on the future of commercial real estate, Wall knows that the local, individual interactions within the program are the ones that truly make the biggest difference.

“Whether it’s giving these young people the confidence to speak or sparking curiosity to seek a future career path in the industry, if you just touch one person, that’s what matters.”

WATCH: DEVELOPING OUR FUTURE

Hear from students and see the Presidio Bay Foundation’s impact in action in this documentary. You can also learn more about their accomplishments in their annual report on pbvscholarship.com.

From Lord & Taylor to Hank: Amazon Revives Historic Fifth Avenue Landmark

Built in 1914, the Lord & Taylor Building in Manhattan served as the retail giant’s flagship store for over a century and helped shape the city’s identity, including introducing Fifth Avenue as a premier shopping destination. In March 2020, Amazon purchased this landmark, transforming the department store (along with the neighboring Dreicer Building), into a modern, dynamic workplace for more than 2,000 employees. This new tech hub is known as “Hank.”

Working with the project team, Structure Tone managed the construction of this mas sive renovation project, turning the space into a cutting-edge office, combining the building’s architecture and historical elements with contemporary ideals of sustainability and wellness, while focusing on safety and schedule.

“This was an exciting project. Not only were we working for one of the largest companies in the world, but the scope had a bit of everything: interior fit-out, façade restoration, infrastructure upgrades, exterior terrace work,” explains Structure Tone senior project manager Josh Thompson. “The schedule was also super important; it was extremely fast-paced, with construction completed in just over 15 months.”

There’s an expansive event space capable for up to 200 people on the top floor while an impressive terrace invites employees outside with a perimeter pathway and dog run. Inside, a spiral staircase makes it easy for employees to access the café, terrace, and courtyard.

BUILDING AMAZON’S WORKPLACE

Following WRNS’ design, Structure Tone fit out 17 floors that include four interconnecting staircases, training rooms, meeting rooms, lounges, and conference areas with operable windows and configurable seats that promote comfort, space efficiency, and flexibility.

The centerpiece of the project is an eight-story grand staircase that stretches from the second floor to the rooftop courtyard and connects the former department store to the neighboring Dreicer Building. With this staircase as the heart of the office, Structure Tone organized workspaces around the steps and arranged open desking near the perimeter for easy collaboration. The team also built public-facing training rooms, helping to advance Amazon’s commitment to the professional growth of its community and industry-academia partnerships. Various

classroom spaces will be used by different local institutions, including the City University of New York (CUNY), for lectures and other academic events.

In addition to the interior fit-out, Structure Tone was responsible for a substantial infrastructure program. “We took over a good portion of the base building work that wasn’t initially in our scope,” describes Tom Patterson, account executive. “We checked out and commissioned the mechanical systems and made sure other systems were turned over properly without any extension of schedule.” Additional aspects included the creation of two new skylights, including one atop the feature staircase, and the demolition and installation of the structural steel and concrete for four feature staircases, the longest of which ran 8 stories high and was fabricated in 16 pieces off-site. The team then lifted these pieces into the building via crane and trolley beams.

Structure Tone also managed the façade restoration, which required approval by the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission. “We put up scaffolding on all four elevations and made detailed repairs to the building’s exterior,” recalls Thompson. “Restoring the decorative eagles was especially intricate, using a process that included gently removing each statue, using resin to create a mold, then pouring a replica using pins and rebar for reinforcement. The new ones look just like the originals from the early 1900s.”

Another significant improvement to the building’s infrastructure was the basement’s grout injection program. “There are four floors below grade, and because of the age of the building, these subcellars would fill up with water with heavy or moderate amounts of rain,” Thompson says. “We drilled the perimeter walls and injected a grout-like urethane material that basically fills in the cracks and slowly stops water infiltration. Now Amazon has a dry basement, even when it rains.”

OLD IS NEW AGAIN: AMAZON’S COMMITMENT TO HISTORY & SUSTAINABILITY

Prior to starting construction, the plan and design showed an intention to honor both the building’s fashionable roots and original design, while still providing a collaborative and sustainable workspace for Amazon employees. And that’s just the space the project team built. Well-preserved architectural elements were given new life: cast iron arches and glass windows now form an arched banquette; the new solarium features a restored skylight; and decorative terracotta in the ceilings and column capitals has been left exposed. Tiles from the former flower market now frame the signage for a restaurant that pays homage to Dorothy (Dot) Shaver, the first woman to lead a major retail company in the US. Wood panels imported from Scotland grace a new fireplace and brass lintels salvaged from old elevators create a sculpture. Selective new materials, colors, furniture, and fixtures also reflect the historic craftsmanship and incorporate current practices. The central staircase is capped by a transparent lantern, channeling natural light down to the lower floors and encouraging employees to move about different floors. This in turn supports Amazon’s goals for energy efficiency, minimized carbon, and employee wellness.

Updating a 110-year-old landmark isn’t without its challenges. The building is made of terracotta, which can be tough for installing advanced MEPS systems and architectural finishes: “sometimes, there’s good bearing for attachment, but other times, you have to try a couple times to find good anchor,” explains Patterson. Flooring also proved tricky, as the old substrate wasn’t consistently level. Structure Tone’s on-site staff put together extensive existing conditions reports and WRNS walked the site with the team weekly to confirm what was on the drawings, update the flooring if necessary, and ensure that construction proceeded according to schedule.

In terms of sustainability, the Structure Tone team was responsible for tracking embodied carbon and worker transportation emissions. Benchmarking environmental metrics is the first step before setting reduction targets. With goals like achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, this tracking aligns with Amazon’s broader sustainability

PROJECT DETAILS

Location: 424 Fifth Avenue, NYC

Client: Amazon

Size: 695,000sf

Owner’s Rep: Seneca Group

Architect: WRNS Studio

TRIR

Engineer: Hargis

Sector: Commercial/ Building Repositioning

Completion: 2023

Total Recordable

Incident Rate: 0.91

Worker hours: 874,535

initiatives and demonstrates their commitment to reducing the carbon footprint associated with their buildings and operations.

Benefits included:

l Optimized Material Selection: By requesting as-built material quantities from subcontractors, the project team made informed decisions on material choices, emphasizing low-carbon alternatives.

l Improved Supply Chain Efficiency: Understanding the embodied carbon within materials helped foster partnerships with suppliers focused on sustainable sourcing and led to a more efficient and environmentally conscious supply chain.

l Data-Driven Decision Making: Data collected from tracking embodied carbon and emissions associated with worker commutes will inform future construction projects, enabling better decisionmaking processes to further reduce environmental impacts.

In the end, the project team built Amazon a tech hub that utilizes and breathes new life into a historic piece of urban infrastructure. Thoughtful planning, imaginative interventions, efficient construction processes, and repurposing of materials cements the New York City landmark’s second act. Thompson agrees. “At first glance, it might seem unusual that Amazon wanted to take over an old department store. It’s remarkable how Amazon used the building’s history of retail and innovation as the vision for its NYC tech hub and inspiration for a new generation of employees.”

r Safety is always a priority for Structure Tone and Hank was no different. Last summer, the team held a full building evacuation drill with over 500 workers, successfully evacuating the site in less than 10 minutes. The group was rewarded with ice cream.

PHOTOS: © BILYANA DIMITROVA

MEET

Stephen Callender President, Bass Installation

QUICK FACTS

Ÿ Year established: 2003

Ÿ Location: Head office in Mississauga; projects primarily in Toronto

Ÿ Number of employees: 75–100

Ÿ Notableprojects : The Well Canopy, First Canadian Place, CIBC SQUARE

Ÿ Years of partnership with Govan Brown: 5+ years

Natasha Callender-Wilson

Vice President, Bass Installation

Tell us about your company.

Steve: Bass Installation is a glazing company who supplies and installs curtainwall, windowall, windows, and entrance systems. Coming to Canada from Barbados in 1976, my first job was in a glass factory in Scarborough, on Barbados Boulevard, of all places! By 1983, I changed focus and became an ironworker, working for a curtainwall company. During the recession of the 1990s, I was laid off. So, with a colleague, I started my own glass and curtainwall installation company. There were a few bumps starting a business at that time, but by 2003 it officially became Bass Installation. We were unionized, which gave us the ability

PHOTO, CENTER: ©NIC LEHOUX

r Bass Installation worked with Govan Brown on the CIBC SQUARE tower

to scale employee numbers up or down depending on the needs of the jobs. A year or so later, my partner retired and I decided to expand and go after bigger jobs.

Natasha: By 2004, I joined the organization while still in school. I managed payroll for the company while also pursuing a bachelor of administration degree. As the business grew, I wore many hats as the health and safety manager, bookkeeper, HR manager, project coordinator, and owner, to name a few. This demand led to the need to build a strong team of experienced and qualified people who have been by our sides to help build this company.

What achievements are you most proud of?

Natasha: One of the most rewarding things is to drive downtown and see the way the skyline has changed over the years, knowing that we have contributed to that.

Steve: I agree. Also, in 2019 I got involved with a nonprofit organization that focuses on getting community benefit agreements into construction contracts, and getting Black, racialized, and disadvantaged persons into the construction industry. In 2021, that organization became the Afro Canadian Contractors Association (ACCA). I took on the role of president because I thought my experiences might help other Black immigrants to Canada who want to start a business. ACCA wants its presence in every province across the country and currently includes more than 160 contractors.

What else could the industry do to help promote MWDBE-certified businesses?

Steve: First, help us tell our stories! We’ve all been faced with adversity, and we are still standing. For example, while I was fortunate not to have experienced (extreme) racism throughout my career, early on I still avoided posting my photo on the company website.

Others need to hear these stories and how we’ve overcome the challenges. Second, I encourage companies to utilize organizations like ACCA to help fill the gaps of labor shortages and skilled tradespeople.

Natasha: Another action that could help is to assess and update company policies so that they are more inclusive to other cultures and genders.

Do you have any advice for someone starting their own business in our industry and beginning the MWDBE process?

Steve: Be true to your roots. Often it attracts like-minded individuals who will be the foundation of your business. People are your best asset. Treat them with care.

Natasha: Listen to other people’s stories on how they got to where they are. Take some of their good, listen but do not repeat the bad, and find your own recipe on how you want your business to run.

s Bass Installation worked with Govan Brown on the CIBC SQUARE tower

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Food & Beverage Manufacturing Booming in Texas

Inherently complex, light manufacturing projects—especially in the food and beverage sector—often involve highly specialized systems that demand the coordination of skilled tradespeople in power, cooling, process piping, ammonia-based refrigeration, and low-voltage controls.

In 2012, Structure Tone Southwest began working for clients like Vision Works and Nature’s Bounty on these types of projects. Fast forward to today, and light manufacturing is now approximately 60% of the revenue for Structure Tone Southwest’s San Antonio office as they added such projects as a new refrigerated food process and distribution facility for Project Hoops, an authentic French baked goods company, and a barrel aging facility for Garrison Brothers Distillery, Texas’ first and oldest bourbon distillery.

“All of a sudden we were immersed in the light manufacturing business,” says Mark Jones, regional vice president for STSW San Antonio. “We’re proud of the fact that virtually all of our manufacturing clients are also repeat customers.”

CRAFTING COLLABORATIVE SUCCESS

One of the factors that makes building light manufacturing facilities successful is their inherent fit with the design-build approach to construction and the cost savings and efficient project delivery that often result. In this process, the preconstruction team plays a crucial role in the design phase by providing designers and clients with real-time pricing and schedules, helping them make informed decision and establishing a seamless connection between concept and construction.

“

Having our team actively

involved

in

the process

early

on enhances

the project’s overall efficiency and helps us create a smooth transition from design to execution,” says Jones.

For example, with the expansion of whiskey maker Garrison Brothers’ distillery in Hye, Texas, early communication and collaboration were a huge part of the project’s success. The project had three critical main components that needed to be addressed before initiating the facility’s production area. The

FOOD & BEV IN TX

Some of Structure Tone

Southwest’s

recent food and beverage clients include projects like these

first part of construction was providing fire protection to all the existing structures on the property. The existing structures have been here since the Garrison Brothers first started making bourbon. Structure Tone installed a water loop around the entire production area that consisted of 3,800 lineal feet of underground piping to each building, seven fire hydrants, nine fire riser rooms, a 210,000-gallon tank holding water, and a fire pump.

The second part of construction was expanding onto their existing mash/distilling house and adding eight new cook tanks. This project was the main driver behind expanding their bourbon production by 50%.

The third part of the construction was building a storage barn that would have the capacity to store nearly 15,000 barrels of bourbon. The STSW team was able to collaborate with the electrical contractor from the beginning, which allowed them to contribute to the plan to integrate a brand-new building and electrical and riser room to an aging barn. All of this early collaboration also allowed the team to keep on top of deliveries and coordinate plans, which helped keep the budget on schedule and at budget more easily.

Structure Tone Southwest also took a design-build approach to the 140,000sf commercial bakery they constructed for Project Hoops. The

architectural plan for the dual-story steel-framed facility included a concrete foundation resting on drilled piers complemented by a mix of insulated metal panels (IMP) and concrete wall panels. The project also featured specialized electrical gear and refrigeration equipment and incorporating a glycol loop HVAC system for cooling instead of chilled water. The specialized systems involved several specialized subcontractors from Europe, so collaborating and communicating early with the design team and client was key. During the seven-month GMP process, the team was able to value engineer some efficiencies and divided the project into different work packages to accommodate the rapid changes in the supply chain.

ON THE HORIZON

As the demand for light manufacturing continues to grow, Jones sees even further specialization coming down the pike—and he and his team are ready to meet the need head-on.

“We’re definitely seeing more of a need for cold storage solutions in the future,” he says. “Overall, our light manufacturing construction process has been proven to be successful and efficient, and we look forward to future opportunities in this sector.”

r Project Hoops

r Confidential Client

r Garrison Brothers

A New View of London:

Structure Tone’s New Home

After eight years, Structure Tone London’s office no longer aligned with the way their team works. With a maturing lease and a full slate of new projects to work on, the London team used their workplace expertise to find a new, even more productive, inspiring, and collaborative home.

OUT WITH THE OLD

Located in the heart of the city, Structure Tone London’s previous office sat on the first floor of a building near Leadenhall Market. Surrounded by narrow roadways lined with charming shops, bars, and restaurants on all sides, the space was well-placed but severely lacked natural light.

The layout was another pain point. At 6,700sf, the office dedicated too much space to circulation and reception areas, and three large, formal meeting rooms hogged the only windows within the footprint.

To make sure employee needs and desires for the new space were being considered, Structure Tone London surveyed staff members to assess their employees’ top priorities. From the responses, it was clear Structure Tone Londoners wanted easy access to

natural light throughout the day, a good location along popular transit routes, and a solid network of dining and coffee options. With this wish list to guide them, Structure Tone London’s leadership team began the process of finding a new space.

LOCATION MATTERS

After touring more than 20 office spaces, the site selection team landed on a winner—a building only 300 yards from the company’s old office. With slightly less square footage, encased in floor to ceiling windows, and surrounded by the staff’s favorite coffee spots and along familiar commuter routes, the space seemed like the perfect fit. Before signing the lease last summer, managing director of the London office, Justin Fahy, brought 20 employees to do a walk through and gauged their reactions.

“I don’t think any of us felt like we had any ownership or felt connected to our last space,” says Fahy. “With this new office, I wanted it to feel like we were all part of the journey.”

FORM AND FUNCTION

With buy-in from staff, Fahy turned the project over to his trusted team—including design manager Stephenie Whitton.

Based on input from staff, the layout prioritizes access to natural light for everyone. In the new office, employee desks were placed around the perimeter of the floorplate so most staff can see the London skyline all day. Less space is allocated to the reception and circulation areas, a variety of meeting rooms accommodate different meeting styles, and the layout in general intentionally encourages casual collaboration.

LONDON

PROJECT DETAILS

“I think the new office’s configuration has already begun to change behaviors around the office,” says Whitton. “We’re making the space work harder for us because we’ve got less of it.”

On top of delivering a new look and feel that the London team could take pride in, function was also key. The new space features a total IT upgrade, with double monitors and wireless equipment at each desk, as well as better acoustics. This change allows any employee to seamlessly work from any desk in the office any day of the week and have a very similar experience.

A FRESH START

Structure Tone London officially moved into the new office in October 2023—at the same time the team won a number of new projects. The excitement around the office is palpable.

“The new space has really reminded us what we love about our work and about London,” says Fahy. “It’s like a home away from home, and that’s what we needed.”

Scan to view a Matterport dollhouse of the new London office

Location:

London, UK

Size: 5,000sf

Sector:

Commercial

Completed: October 2023

M&E: MCS

Glazed Partitioning: City Concepts

Dry-Lining & Joinery: Landmark

TECH and the TEAM:

Revolutionizing Design and Construction Project Delivery

By Vincent Poon, VDC Manager, Structure Tone

In today’s fast-paced construction landscape, persistent challenges haunt project schedules and budgets. Delays and cost overruns often arise due to fragmented communication among stakeholders, design discrepancies discovered during the construction phase, and the need for latestage change orders.

Imagine a world where technology, construction, and design converge seamlessly to mitigate these issues. It’s possible! Through collaborative efforts using virtual design and construction (VDC) tools, our New York team offers what we call “enhanced design assist,” which aims to eradicate traditional construction challenges while improving efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

In an industry where precision and collaboration reign supreme, this enhanced design assist process represents a conceptual shift that harnesses the synergy between technology, construction, and design to streamline the project delivery lifecycle.

A TEAM EFFORT

In this approach, the owner, architect, and contractor form a cohesive team from the project’s initial design phase. The team operates on Lean principles, like target value design, aiming to eliminate the need for late-stage value engineering by consistently evaluating design options against a

predetermined cost target. Supported by an integrated VDC technology ecosystem, this approach helps projects stay within budget while preserving their inherent value.

BEYOND BIM

At the core of this approach is what we in New York term an “integrated virtual design and construction” (iVDC) technology ecosystem, an advanced and holistic construction project management approach, combining Lean construction and integrated project delivery principles with VDC technologies. Leveraging building information modeling (BIM), stakeholders collaborate, coordinate, and visualize the project before physical construction to eliminate discrepancies and reduce risks, leading to time savings. This process emphasizes seamless collaboration and communication among all project stakeholders—including architects, engineers, contractors, subcontractors, and owners—helping prevent delays and added costs by enabling early insights and informed decisions.

This approach leverages technology for cost reduction, progress tracking, and forecasting, simplifying project management and providing owners with comprehensive overviews. The introduction of AI-enabled construction progress tracking underscores the industry’s commitment to efficiency and employing AI algorithms and machine learning to improve project management, decision-making, and overall efficiency.

ENHANCED PROCESS, ENHANCED OUTCOME

This approach is more than a process—it’s a mindset. Our team here in New York and my colleagues across our STOBG companies were early adopters of this mindset and see its benefits in action. Embracing this integrated approach marks an exciting era for the construction industry—a time of enhanced efficiency, collaboration, and ultimately, success.

ALL IN: Philadelphia Law Firms Invest in the Workplace

While stories of the shrinking office still make headlines, two of Philadelphia’s most reputable law firms are doubling down on the physical workplace—but now with a new outlook on what role the office plays in the firm’s success.

MORGAN LEWIS: FLEXING NEW MUSCLES

Morgan Lewis, a top-10 Am Law firm founded in Philadelphia 150 years ago, recently moved to 2222 Market Street. The building is the first new office tower in Philly since the 2017 Comcast Technology Center (built by LF Driscoll). Fit out by Structure Tone Philadelphia, the 19-floor, 305,000sf Market Street building represents a new era for the firm, combining the power of in-person collaboration with the flexibility that now defines workplace culture.

“We’re trying to future-proof by making the space as flexible as possible,” said Morgan Lewis chief real estate operations officer Valerie Pearce. “We want to make it a collaborative and positive experience for all employees.”

MORGAN LEWIS DETAILS

Location: 2222 Market Street Philadelphia, PA

Size: 305,000sf/19 floors

Architect: HYL Architecture

Engineer: Bala Consulting Engineers

Sector: Law

Completion: Fall 2023

PHILADELPHIA

r Morgan Lewis’ building

r Troutman Pepper

While many private offices remain, several floors feature open work areas and collabo ration spaces. The 16th floor is a dedicated coworking floor for use by visitors from the firm’s other 32 offices and for employees not requiring assigned addresses. New amenities—from a full kitchen, servery, and dining spaces to a larger fitness center equipped with locker rooms, showers, and a studio classroom—create a variety of places for people to meet, think, and become inspired.

A project of that scale and size, however, came with a few challenges.

Core-and-shell completion. As the Structure Tone team began the interior fit out, the core and shell builders were still working on the building. “We were limited to where we could start work on floors where they still were storing materials they needed for completion, and we couldn’t integrate any systems with the building until coordination was done and worked out in the field,” says Rocco Novellino, Structure Tone project manager. “We essentially had to make our schedule work with theirs and coexist with their trades so that everyone could complete their work with the least impact.”

r Morgan Lewis

Sound control. Privacy is one of the number-one focus areas for every law firm workplace—and the Structure Tone project team has honed that skill down to a T. “From office to office, the demising walls and office fronts have to be sealed so there are no voids to limit any sound transmission,” says Novellino. “It’s critical for the everyday work environment with law firms.”

Floors. The Structure Tone team had to coordinate a large amount of floor prep on each floor to accommodate the details of the design. Conference room floors, for example, were majority stone, where specific features had to align with the grout joints. That meant the tile installer had to be the first trade on the floor, followed by the wall layouts. “Tile layout dictated much of the design layout,” Novellino says. “Even on a job this size, the devil was in the details.”

TROUTMAN PEPPER: MODERN MOTION

Troutman Pepper has similar goals for the renovations they have begun in their Philadelphia offices at 2 Logan Square. The

firm is reinventing their workplace with the modern aesthetic and flexible options that today’s employees expect. They hired their own client—LF Driscoll—to fit out the 15,000sf construction law department floor as a pilot. The LFD team removed the cubicle system and some private offices to create a more open workspace and added collaboration rooms with DIIRT partitions to allow for more flexibility down the road. The team also upgraded all of the finishes and created a large entertaining and lounge area near the entrance to add a “wow” factor for visitors and employees alike.

“Combining our healthcare standard operating procedures on things like sound control, dust mitigation, and utility coordination with the high-end finishes of a law firm office was really interesting,” says LF Driscoll project manager John Mazzochette.

While at a different scale, the project shared similar challenges with the Morgan Lewis effort, including:

Sharing the space. Troutman Pepper occupied the adjacent floors, so the LF Driscoll team was able to work closely with them to communicate each step of the process and coordinate work to keep disruptions to a minimum.

Floors. The biggest challenge, says LFD superintendent Ray Kirby, was managing the added surprise of an extremely off-level slab.

“We were upgrading the floor to hardwood from their previous carpet and tile. Natural wood has a much higher flatness requirement than carpet, so we had very tight parameters—a quarter of an inch—for getting that floor level and keeping the project on schedule. But we made it work.”

MAKING THEIR MARK

Both firms are now proudly working from their new and improved offices, and the effects are obvious to anyone in the space.

“In the final weeks of completion, the regional office manager would walk up to us, smile, and hold her heart,” says Kirby. “It’s really satisfying.”

For Morgan Lewis, the prominent new location reinforces their role in the Philadelphia business community. Structure Tone even worked with them to incorporate a high-end Lutron lighting system to create exterior light displays for holidays, sporting events, and other observances.

“The Morgan Lewis team was so great to work with,” says Novellino. “They understood the challenges of a big job like this. They valued our team approach with them, the architect, and their consultants. That really made all the difference.”

TROUTMAN PEPPER DETAILS

Location: 2 Logan Square Philadelphia, PA

Size: 15,000sf

Architect: Stantec

Engineer: Stantec

Sector: Law

Completion: Summer 2023

PHOTO, TOP LEFT: © JEFFREY TOTARO

Google’s Bolands Mills: Reimagining an Irish Icon

After decades of vacancy, Google is transforming the historic site of Bolands Mills in Dublin into a new commercial center and vibrant city quarter. As one of the largest regeneration projects in the Dublin Docklands, the project is already bringing an influx of business and buzz to the city’s tech hub.

DUBLIN

THE BOLANDS MILLS STORY

Originally built in the 19th century and purchased in 1873 by local baker Patrick Boland, the Bolands Mills buildings were formerly used to mill flour, sugar, and animal feed along Grand Canal Dock—a center for trade and commerce in Dublin. During the 1916 Easter Rising, a rebellion against British rule in Ireland, the mills were occupied by a group of Irish volunteers led by Éamon de Valera, who later became the president of Ireland.

Despite the historical significance, the mills were closed in the 1960s and the abandoned structures soon fell into disrepair. In 2018, Google purchased the complex and partnered with Henry J Lyons and Structure Tone Dublin to turn the protected buildings into flexible workspace for the company’s European headquarters and provide a new marketplace for the public—all while maintaining the historic and cultural value of the old mills.

CREATING HISTORY

Google and the design team went above and beyond to balance the functional needs of a modern office space with the original character of Bolands Mills. The buildings’ 19th century brick and limestone structures now house high-tech collaborative meeting spaces for Googlers, and state-of-the-art, LEED-approved MEPS that align with the company’s overall sustainability commitments.

“The flour mills embody the design concept of ‘creating history,’ embracing the complexity of the historic structure while ushering it into the future as a vibrant, functional, and sustainable workspace,” says Rebecca Wadsworth, senior interior architect at Henry J Lyons. “The design prioritises inclusivity and sustainability, having achieved LEED v4 Platinum certification, a remarkable feat for a 19th-century building.”

As a nod to the mill’s prior life, the new office’s colors reflect the specific colors of paint the team found on the original miller machinery, which now sits in the office’s reception area.

RESPECTING HERITAGE

The Structure Tone team also played a critical role in maintaining the charm of the original buildings. Limited head-heights, small windows, and narrow doorways made bringing material to site a constant challenge, particularly when it came time to install the office’s feature stair and additional mezzanine floors.

The focal point of Google’s Bolands Mills office space is a one-ofa-kind copper-finished spiral staircase. Typically, the steps of spiral stairways are welded to a central, structural post running through the middle of the stair. However, the Bolands Mills staircase’s core is a helix, so the panels running along the outside of the staircase is what holds it together. On top of this feat of engineering, the staircase’s design was too large to build and install on-site. “We had to build it off-site, test it to make sure it was structurally sound, Issue 1 2024 STOBG Insights

and then cut it into sections in order to bring it to site and reassemble it within the building,” says Des O’Toole, Structure Tone Dublin project director.

Structure Tone also installed an additional three mezzanine floors. Unable to use a crane within the protected building, the construction team built a scaffold outside of the building, removed one of the small windows, and lifted the steel onto the scaffold and through the window in order to get the necessary steel for the floors onsite. “It was quite a lot of large steel going though very small windows, and then the steel had to be manually moved into position,” O’Toole explains.

All of the updated building systems also needed to be installed extremely sensitively. In some cases, Structure Tone had to disguise where the flues and extracts were within the office, and used the mill’s existing brick chimneys rather than penetrating the roof.

“Balancing the preservation of heritage with modern functionality, the project seamlessly integrates Google’s high standards for security, acoustics, AV integration, and smart building technology,” says Wadsworth.

SHAPING THE MARKETPLACE

The new Google office space is just a portion of the vision for Bolands Mills. When complete, the area will boast three signature buildings, apartments, cafés, restaurants, shops, and a waterfront plaza open to the public. A new footbridge is being built to connect the Bolands Mills area to the main dock, and Google enlisted Structure Tone to help prepare some of the areas they plan to allocate to new business tenants.

In an area designated for a bar/restaurant, arches mark the top and bottoms of the doorways. Not wanting to cover up such a unique original design element, the Structure Tone team installed a feature glass floor so when patrons are walking across the doorways, they’ll be able to see the original inverted brick arches below.

A DOCKLANDS DESTINATION

Structure Tone Dublin completed their portion of the work in August of 2023. The full Bolands Mills development will be complete in 2024—just in time for the 20th anniversary of Google’s arrival in Ireland.

PROJECT DETAILS

Location: Dublin, Ireland

Size: 25,000sf

Client PM: Cogent Associates

Architect: Henry J Lyons

Structural Engineer: CORA

Consulting Engineer: Ethos Engineering

Sector: Commercial Completed: August 2023