Data center projects like this one in Utah leverage the combined expertise and geographic reach of STO Building Group’s mission critical specialists. It’s the power of our platform at work.
Content Contributors: Breanna Ahern, Leah Collie, Colette Finnerty, Sarah Hoff, Hilda Jara, Dhara Kanakia, Benjamin Patterson, Carol Whetstine*, and Megan Wojcik
Proofreaders: Kari Mullen, Caryn Norton
Special thanks: to the STOBG Corporate Marketing and Business Unit marketing teams.
*External Contributor
STO Building Group refers to a group of separate legal entities including:
Structure Tone, LLC
Structure Tone Southwest, LLC
Structure Tone International Limited (UK)
Structure Tone Limited (Dublin)
STO Mission Critical
Pavarini North East Construction
Pavarini McGovern, LLC
L.F. Driscoll Company, LLC
L.F. Driscoll Healthcare
Govan Brown
Ajax Building Company
BCCI Construction
Layton Construction
Abbott Construction
RC Andersen
as well as their subsidiaries, joint ventures, divisions or affiliates. Each member company is an independent legal entity operating and providing services solely under its own name.
STO Building Group is an equal opportunity employer.
Imagine if a team of the world’s top contractors agreed to come together, pool their expertise and resources, and take on your challenges, no matter how big or small?
The possibilities would be endless.
That’s exactly what we envisioned when we set out to create the STO Building Group, a privately-owned family of top-tier builders who operate collaboratively, innovate uniquely, and join powerfully to put our clients first.
Now almost seven years in, this vision is fully in practice. We have created a platform that allows our builders to stay true to their local client base and heritage, but also share coveted construction resources with each other and our clients—like real-time data, lessons learned, trade relationships, bonding, and buying power. That means our clients get the best of both worlds: personalized experience with local experts, supported by an unrivaled network of global problem solvers. Our employees benefit too. They have the opportunity to share knowledge with each other, expand their careers, and work in the sectors and project types they’re interested in.
This issue of STOBG Insights highlights just some of the ways we’re seeing the power of the platform in action. From the clients we’re able to serve across the globe and the projects we deliver together to the data, information, and experience we share, we continue to build on each other. We hope this issue gives you a glimpse of what the power of our platform can offer you too—our clients, our partners, and our employees.
James K. Donaghy Executive Chairman
Robert Mullen CEO
A Tale of Two Cities: Riot Games’ Remote Broadcast Center Journey Continues
If you’re an esports player or fan, Riot Games is a household name. Founded in 2006 with the mission to make it better to be a player, Riot Games released the company’s first game, League of Legends, in 2009. As the title gained momentum, Riot Games expanded its popularity with esports, delivering world-class experiences to players around the world.
In 2020, the company launched an impressive effort to develop Remote Broadcast Centers (RBCs) powered by AWS around the globe. Developed under the codename Project Stryker, the plan was for the RBCs to remotely support the broadcast production of live es ports competitions happening anywhere in the world. True to the essence of the fast-paced, adrenaline-driven esports arena, Riot Games didn’t waste any time kicking off this ambitious plan. The company has already completed construction on two RBC locations on accelerated schedules—so how did they do it? According to Allyson Gormley, global operations director of remote broadcast & production at Riot Games, it boils down to trust, transparency, and partnership.
PHASE ONE: DUBLIN
Gormley joined Riot Games’ RBC effort in January of 2020 with the goal of jumpstarting
phase one: the site selection, design, and construction of the broadcast center located in Dublin, Ireland. Having worked with Structure Tone Dublin on previous Riot Games fit-outs, Gormley connected with Structure Tone project director Des O’Toole and design partner Henry J Lyons Architects to scout locations.
After finding the perfect building, a former nightclub in Swords, Structure Tone, Henry J Lyons, and Riot Games transformed the five-story structure into a 49,000sf state-of-the-art broadcasting facility equipped to operate 24/7, in just six months. Even with scheduling challenges due to the pandemic, Riot Games’ Dublin-based RBC was up and running for its first broadcast the following January.
PHASE TWO: SEATTLE
Thanks to the Dublin facility’s resounding success, Riot continued full steam ahead. By July of 2022, Gormley and her team were already
r Riot Games Dublin RBC
DUBLIN
s Riot Games Seattle RBC
gearing up for Project Stryker’s next RBC in Seattle, which happens to be the home of another STO Building Group company, Abbott Construction.
Understanding the Riot Games team culture and what building an esports broadcast facility entails, O’Toole suggested Riot Games consider Abbott for the Seattle project. He even arranged for project executive Ed Santander to fly to Dublin to meet with Gormley and see the Dublin facility. Reflecting on the trip, O’Toole and Santander both felt the Dublin and Seattle offices had similar values.
“I thought that Abbott was really closely aligned with what we do and how we do it,” says O’Toole. “Emphasizing the fact that we’re completely client-focused, and we want to help every step of the way.” After spending just one day in Dublin, Santander came to the same conclusion: “Before flying to Dublin, I didn’t know how aligned our Seattle office would be with Structure Tone Dublin, but what I saw there was a natural cultural fit.”
Riot Games agreed. After Santander’s trip, Abbott responded to the Riot Games RFP and in Gormley’s own words, “They nailed it.”
TRUST DURING TRANSITION
Once the job was awarded, Gormley began spending six weeks at a time in Seattle, working with and getting to know Santander and Abbott. Building in a new market with a new construction team, Gormley recalls leaning on her existing relationship with O’Toole to help her and her team make the best decisions for the project.
“I have a ton of trust in Des,” Gormley says. “While things may not have always suited us exactly, I always defaulted to him as the expert in the room.”
O’Toole’s relationship with Riot Games was key during the design phase. When the project team was trying to make the budget align with the vision for the space, Des joined the Abbott crew in Seattle. “Having someone Riot Games knew on our team that they already had a strong working relationship with was invaluable,” Santander says. “Des was the friendly face they could trust at the start.”
BECOMING ONE TEAM
It wasn’t long before the Abbott and Riot Games teams began building that trust themselves. They put effort into laying the foundation of how to work well together from the very start.
“At Riot Games, we think of ourselves as a sports team— we either win together or lose together,” says Gormley. “Showing up for each other, having each other’s backs, and being transparent is all part of our process and it came so naturally to the Abbott team.”
Abbott and Riot also grew comradery amongst the group with regular joint social outings.“The bond we’ve formed with the Riot Games team is the biggest takeaway for me,” Santander says. “It’s more than just a contractor/client relationship; it feels like we’re part of their organization.”
For Gormley, the personal relationships made for a more efficient, more enjoyable project. “Building relationships offsite helped us have difficult conversations throughout the job and allowed me to trust in the team’s decisions when I was in a different time zone,” says Gormley. “Plus, the Abbott team uses all our gamer lingo and acronyms now. They’re fully invested!”
The 73,000sf Seattle project, which included the construction of an additional 20,000sf mass timber mezzanine within the existing building, was completed in September of 2023.
Layton Construction may be the next STOBG company to join the organization’s group of esports enthusiasts. Abbott and Riot Games have been working with Layton VDC coordinator, Nathan Shaw, to create 3D visualizations for an exciting next step on the West Coast—talk about power of the platform!
Eataly: A lively Italian marketplace that brings made-in-Italy products and restaurant experiences to foodies around the globe. STO Building Group: a family of builders who are ready, willing, and able to help clients build out their vision anywhere in the world. Since connecting nearly 10 years ago, the two companies have together built seven new Eataly locations, bringing the lessons learned, partner relationships, and more to every project.
EATALY DALLAS
1st location in Texas
46,000sf
Marketplace, to-go counters, and pizza/pasta restaurant
“ Going through the grand opening, to hear the Eataly team say this is the smoothest build they’ve had in Dallas was definitely something I took away with me. It spoke volumes to the level of collaboration and execution of the team overall.”
—Eduardo Linss, senior project manager, Structure Tone Southwest
EATALY TORONTO
1st location in Toronto
50,000sf
Marketplace, grocery store, bars and restaurants
“ After the project, we wanted to highlight any lessons learned that our STOBG teams needed to incorporate to make their builds successful. We find that these sessions are beneficial to both client and construction manager.”—Tom Mason, account manager, Govan Brown
EATALY LONDON
1st location in the UK
42,000sf
Pizza bars, grab-n-go food markets, wine cellar, bar area, and an outdoor terrace
Winner, 2021 Mix Interiors Bar and Leisure award
“ The key to delivering Eataly’s first UK store was utilising the benefits gained from STOBG’s global partnership with Eataly.”
—Nik Quarm, senior project manager, Structure Tone London
2nd Eataly location in Toronto 25,000sf
Restaurants, quick-service counters, mozzarella lab, and marketplace
“
Eataly Sherway Gardens was a tremendous success based on several factors: experience gained from completing multiple Eataly projects; thorough planning; a dedicated project and consulting team with a collaborative approach to achieving budget and schedule goals; and lastly, hard work from high-quality subcontractors.”—Tyler Brown, project director, retail & hospitality, Govan Brown
EATALY DON MILLS
3rd Eataly location in Toronto 9,800sf
Restaurant, marketplace, quick service counter, outdoor patio
“ We’re excited to continue our partnership with Eataly on this third location. It’s been a great relationship for us over the past 5 years and can’t wait to continue to build more great projects in the future.”—Tyler Brown, project director, retail & hospitality, Govan Brown
EATALY SILICON VALLEY
1st Eataly location in California 45,000sf
Restaurants, cafés, bars, and to-go counters
“ The fact that Govan Brown built in Toronto and Structure Tone Southwest in Dallas gave Eataly confidence to partner with BCCI on the Silicon Valley location and the certainty we would deliver the same level of service in terms of execution, responsiveness, and quality.”
—Dave Herskowitz, senior program director of integrated services, BCCI Construction
3rd Eataly location in New York City 20,000sf
Restaurant, specialty marketplace, café, bar, and grab-n-go food counters
“
Eataly SoHo sets a new standard for future mid-sized Eataly locations. Collaborating with Govan Brown and Structure Tone Southwest, our NY team was able to couple their lessons learned with expert schedule, logistics, and quality management to complete this space for Eataly nearly a month early.”—Tom Patterson, account executive, Structure Tone New York
EATALY SHERWAY GARDENS
EATALY SOHO
NEW YORK
PROJECT DETAILS
Location: Tacoma, WA Size: 262,000gsf
Client: MultiCare Health Systems, Inc.
Architect: Earl Swensson Associates, Inc. (ESa)
Owner’s Rep: Turner & Townsend
Delivery Method:
Integrated Project Delivery Sector: Healthcare
Completion: Early 2026
Building Bridges: MultiCare Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital
In the heart of Tacoma, Washington, a transformative project is underway with a promise to reshape healthcare for the community’s youngest members—the MultiCare Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital. And with the strategic partnership between Layton Construction and Abbott Construction to build it, the project stands as a testament to the power of collaboration and shared healthcare construction expertise.
BUILDING A SAFE HAVEN
Established in 1955 through the dedication of the Tacoma Orthopedic Association, now recognized as the Mary Bridge Brigade, the Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital has long been devoted to providing care to children and their families. Sixty-four years after its founding, the hospital needed an upgrade—and that need led to an unexpected partnership between Abbott and Layton.
Slated to be completed by early 2026, the 262,000sf new facility will soon provide 82 private patient rooms with shelled space for future needs, six operating rooms, a pediatric intensive care unit, and a hybrid interventional cardiology and radiology
r The facility will incorporate recent technology such as artificial intelligence, wayfinding, wireless internet, smart rooms, and a digital check-in
suite. The suite will have a dedicated MRI, CT, ultrasound, imaging, state-of-the-art infusion center, and more.
Before the new hospital transitioned from a concept to a reality, Abbott was considering how to pursue the project with a competitive edge. They then were introduced to Layton, who had recently joined the STO Building Group family of builders. Abbott had worked with STOBG as an Alliance Partner and was intrigued by Layton’s aligned business values and extensive healthcare experience. Recognizing the potential for a unified front, Abbott and Layton approached Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital with a proposal showcasing Abbott’s expertise
and local presence in the MultiCare community and Layton’s excellence in managing large-scale healthcare projects, highlighting the strengths of both companies.
“The owner was very receptive to our proposal,” says Josh Mays, senior superintendent at Layton. “Essentially, we went from not being considered for the project to successfully securing and winning it together.”
FOSTERING UNITY
Unifying two construction companies as one team presented significant opportunities, which Layton and Abbott have now successfully implemented on multiple projects together—especially after Abbott officially joined the STOBG family. Their shared corporate services, use of common CMiC platform, and aligned leadership have been crucial to streamlining this proven partnership.
At Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, not only has the team overcome operational hurdles together, but they have also fostered a cohesive culture, both on- and off-site. Layton and Abbott nurtured personal connections among team members through team-building exercises, monthly barbecues, and activities.
“ Together, the Layton-Abbott teams worked diligently to create a unified front,” says
Mays. “We even went as far as changing email signatures and truck decals to show that we were proud to work together in this partnership and that we’re both part of the STO Building Group family.”
A SHARED CLIENTCENTRIC APPROACH
Lessons learned from the partnership became one of the cornerstones of the project’s success. Drawing from Abbott’s past experiences in Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) methods, the Layton-Abbott project team gained valuable knowledge that paved the way for smoother operations and enhanced risk management.
Abbott’s and Layton’s commitment to sharing risk and fostering relationships with the design team, owner, and trade partners created a unique collective environment based on a client-centric approach that has positively impacted the overall client experience, setting a precedent for future projects.
“It’s been a career growth opportunity for our team,” says Abbott project manager, Ryan Burt. “I started in the realm of small projects, so working with Layton, who has completed large-scale hospitals, is a unique experience that will benefit both sides.”
THE FUTURE OF TEAM BUILDING
Looking forward, the collaborative experience gained with Layton-Abbott is seen as a stepping stone for future cross-business partnerships within the STO Building Group family. As the Mary Bridge Children’s project progresses, the collective experience spirit between Layton and Abbott promises not only a state-of-the-art medical facility but also a blueprint for successful collaborations in the future.
“At the end of the day, this will probably serve as a good role model for other units that may look at doing similar ventures together,” says Mays. “We consider ourselves the same company. We’re all part of the STOBG family; it’s about learning from what worked well and building off that into the future.”
A Revolutionary Approach to Facility Construction Services
It’s exciting to open a flagship headquarters, unveil a major renovation, or announce a new office in a new city. But as much as clients look for capable, solutions-driven partners for those extensive capital projects, they’re just as—if not more—interested in construction partners who can serve their facilities for life.
That’s the driving principle behind STO Building Group’s Facilities Construction Services (FCS) team. Designed to navigate small capital expenditure programs and bridge the gap between a client’s facilities team and their construction manager, this group includes construction experts from across the organization who have the experience to foresee facility needs before they become critical and leverage efficiencies and relationships to tackle them effectively.
“FCS takes pride in our ability to meet challenges head-on,” says STO Building Group FCS director, Ryan Eisenhauer. “We’ve developed longtime relationships with our clients and work hard to help anticipate their facility needs and make sure we do everything we can to stay ahead of them.”
One of the biggest struggles for clients’ facility managers is the socalled “day two” project flow. From anticipating the moves, adds, and changes that come with a company’s evolution to managing the various service providers involved in the work, the process can be inefficient and overwhelming—especially in the middle of a fully functioning, occupied space. And while a number of project management tools have been introduced in recent years to help, none solved the exact issue, or they were geared toward larger-scale work.
STOBG’s FCS team has set out to overcome that challenge. By working with clients over the long haul, they aim to essentially be strategic members of a client’s facilities team. And with the addition of a one-ofa-kind technology solution called the “M” platform powered by Day 2 Plus, the team also has the benefit of historical data, a shared interface, and quick and efficient systems that all parties can access to stay on the same page and keep projects moving.
“This service line is all about the efficiencies we gain by leaning on a platform that minimizes the administrative burden these projects often come with,” says Structure Tone director of special projects, Marc DeLuca. “We are passing these efficiencies on to our clients based on the long-term partnerships we build with them, no matter the size of their projects.”
Some of the benefits of FCS and the unique M platform include:
l Transparency. Clients can view the details of their projects at any time, including status, financials, labor management, and annual reporting.
l One source of truth. With all of a client’s projects in one hub, it’s easy to access real-time reporting, understand the true status of a project, and make faster, more informed decisions based on real data.
l Virtual self-perform. This FCS approach to managing projects enables grouped resourcing, which, in turn, helps drive down external project costs. With the use this platform, operations teams have enhanced data and insights into subcontractor operations, supply chains, and labor management and can deliver more predictable, timely outcomes.
l Faster delivery. Leveraging the capabilities of AI, IoT, and predictive analytics, a unified project team can develop more predictable schedules and work with each other to make decisions and solve challenges quickly.
“By serving as our clients’ construction experts and being embedded team members, we learn their business, people, values, and definitions of success,” says Rob Leon, STOBG chief innovation officer. “Through this powerful data-driven platform, we establish KPIs to measure against and execute safely, efficiently, and with excellence.”
THE TECH IN OUR TOOLBOX
To hear more about FCS and the technology they use to streamline project delivery, listen to our podcast episode, “Transformative Tech.”
Rolling Out the Gloves: STOBG’s New 100% Glove Policy
Construction requires constant and meticulous attention to safety—which also means constantly looking for ways to improve and innovate. That’s where being part of a large organization with a diversity of geographies, practices, and perspectives comes in.
Many of STO Building Group’s builders have had a 100% glove policy as part of their PPE for years. But in some geographies, it wasn’t a reg ulatory mandate, and teams didn’t necessarily see a need to require them for all tasks. But, says Keith Haselman, STOBG senior VP of corporate safety, the data was showing they may want to reconsider.
“We saw the overall number of safety incidents going down in our companies that mandated gloves,” he says. “We took that information back to the rest of the organization, and everyone agreed it was worth making a change to improve.”
This spring, STOBG’s safety team rolled out a new glove policy which states that protective gloves are mandatory on all new project jobsites. The mandatory glove policy requires that all personnel, including visitors and staff, wear protective gloves with a cut level of 4 or higher when they are on the construction site. Exemptions to this policy can only be applied if the workers are placed in situations that are deemed unsafe or their quality of work could be impaired by the gloves.
According to Haselman, the policy has already gained a large amount of support and traction among STOBG builders and their subcontractors—and it’s continuing to set STOBG above the rest as a leader in safety protocols and culture.
“It’s very important that STO Building Group and all of our builders walk the talk and take leadership of safety in this industry,” says Haselman.
“It’s our responsibility to share the lessons we learn with our partners and help this industry continue to progress. This 100% glove policy does just that.”
Amazing Spaces
From the clients we share to the sectors we support, we build amazing spaces across the globe.
s Caesar’s Republic Scottsdale (AZ)
s University of Florida Malachowsky Hall for Data Science & Information Technology
s Google MARTHA
s Wells Fargo Building Founders Club
s Grand View Hospital
NEW YORK
s The Georgian Hotel
s Pavarini McGovern and Structure Tone New York worked together to build the brand-new Tempo by Hilton hotel in the newly opened TSX Broadway complex in Times Square, NYC.
s Uwajimaya - Bellevue | Supermarket Remodel
s Conestoga College Institute for Technology and Advanced Learning
s AIA San Francisco/Center for Architecture + Design NEW YORK
What do we mean when we say,
POWER of the PLATFORM?
We are a family of builders. When you hire one of us, you unlock the resources of all us. Those shared resources and benefits include:
• Access to industrywide subject matter experts
• A national network of subcontractors
• Market analyses of the supply chain, cost trends, and more
• Buying power
• Bonding
• Real-time data
• Predictable outcomes
• A shared client-first culture
Together, we build the extraordinary. That’s the platform at work.
STOBG Cares: A Year of Impact
What does it meant to be a socially responsible organization? As builders, we literally affect how people interact with the world. As members of our own communities, we understand we have a responsibility to ensure our work and our behavior contributes to the greater good.
STO Building Group has published its 2024 Corporate Responsibility Report, which shares the organization’s commitment to, goals for, and progress on being a socially, environmentally, and ethically responsible organization.
Whether our teams are helping clients achieve their sustainability goals or supporting diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives across our family of builders, this year’s report highlights the many ways we collectively work to support our culture of responsibility.
Here are some of the highlights:
DOING MORE FOR DEIB
We are committed to building a more diverse and inclusive workforce in our offices, on our jobsites, and in our partnership. From developing talent in underserved communities in the Southeast to launching a new Trade Partner Equity Program in the Northwest, in 2023 our teams have continued making strides in their communities.
CUTTING CARBON
STOBG teams are currently working with clients across the globe to deliver buildings that support carbon reduction—and even net zero goals. Read more about the path to carbon neutrality with clients that span from Dublin, Ireland to Seattle, Washington.
WIC’S MENTORING MOMENT
Our organization’s Women in Construction group launched a six-month pilot mentoring program to link women within the STOBG family of companies to professionals outside of their usual circle for inspiration and advice.
MASS TIMBER MOVEMENT
Building materials account for nearly 40% of global carbon emissions. This year, STOBG teams have continued to build complex mass timber projects across North America and Europe—helping clients take charge of embodied carbon.
CROWD-SOURCING EXPERTISE:
Virtual Design & Construction at STO Building Group
Virtual design and construction (VDC) has been around now for decades. But the tools, software, uses, and skills change rapidly and vary widely across the industry. It can be hard to keep up with, especially for teams with only one or two VDC professionals onboard.
s STOBG’s VDC experts range from visualization designers to coordination specialists
As STO Building Group grew and add ed experts to its network, a stronger VDC community started to emerge, and VDC practitioners and leaders across the organization began to understand the full depth of expertise and experience within their own ranks.
“As we got to know each other more, we started hearing about the different, exciting ways teams were using VDC across the organization,” says Roger Saleeby, senior vice president in STO Building Group’s Global Services team. “We knew our businesses and our clients could benefit from us tapping into that experience more to learn from each other and continue finding even smarter, more efficient approaches to our projects.”
CONNECTING THE DOTS
to pull those leaders together in a more formal structure with measurable goals and widespread executive support. The team created a charter for itself, including a value statement, organizational chart, and short-term and long-term goals. STOBG leadership approved the idea, and the team got to work, hosting a live, in-person summit in 2021 to set some baseline goals and meeting in person each year since (plus monthly virtual meetings) to keep moving the exploration, innovation, and collaboration forward.
That’s when the STOBG VDC Center of Excellence & Innovation (CEI) took shape. As a
leader of the company’s Global Services team, Saleeby had exposure to what different STOBG builders were doing with VDC tools and techniques, and he launched an effort
At the heart of the VDC Center of Excellence & Innovation are four action groups: Guidelines & Practices, Technology & Innovation, Marketing & Communications, and Field Operations—all tasked with the goal of sharing information and helping support the company’s key VDC skills and deliverables.
“We have incredible talent within our organization, but it felt overwhelming to try to
s Visualizations are helpful for explaining build logistics to stakeholders
figure out how to connect all of those dots,” says Jon Ferguson, vice president of visualization services at Layton Construction and chair of the VDC Center of Excellence. “Establishing the CEI, our committees, and goals for how to make those connections has really helped us move the ball forward.”
COLLABORATION AT WORK
While the needs and skills vary between each STOBG business and the types of buildings they build—visualization and logistics, for example, play a much bigger role in a large, ground-up project while MEP coordination and reality capture may be more the focus of a shorter interior job—VDC specialists from across the organization have been sharing information and even directly supporting each other’s projects to help solve challenges.
For example, Brian Dover, VDC design coordinator at RC Andersen, was inspired by Layton’s visualization team to improve his own capabilities in the visualization process.
“I’ve collaborated with the Layton team to find better ways to produce the high-quality images that are required for proposals, and I’m proud to say that so far, this has led to multiple project wins for RCA,” he says. “The quality of the product has exponentially grown, which would not have happened without this STOBG collaboration.”
In another example, the Structure Tone London team has made reality capture a standard practice, thanks to learning about it through the VDC Center of Excellence & Innovation.
“Through our discussions in the CEI, I heard about how Structure Tone Southwest and others were using tools like OpenSpace to capture project progress, validate subcontractor deliverables, confirm material quantities, and more,” says Chris Bailey, creative design manager for Structure Tone London. “I thought, ‘We have to try this on our projects.’ And today, we’re using it regularly and both our project teams and our clients love how it’s streamlined our work.”
Read more about London’s use of OpenSpace on page 32.
s Models also visually explain phasing
COLLABORATION FOR THE WIN
Each of the businesses in the STO Building Group family of builders has VDC capabilities, and the goal has always been to use those skills to deliver the best possible outcomes for clients. And now with the companywide VDC Center of Excellence & Innovation, a built-in mechanism for leveraging an even deeper well of know-how is making that goal even easier to attain.
“We long-ago embraced BIM and virtual construction technologies on our projects,” says Walt Cichonski, director of engineering at LF Driscoll. “But as this community of experts has grown across STOBG, we’re finding the collaboration and knowledge sharing has taken what we can do to another level. It’s a game changer.”
What’s the Value of VDC?
Collaboration. Efficiency. Success. Those are the driving forces behind STO Building Group’s Virtual Design & Construction team. From faster decision making to cost-saving innovations, our team harnesses the power of technology to provide the coordination, document management, and visualization services that help our teams deliver predictable and successful outcomes to our clients.
Ask the Experts: Tapping into a Network of Expertise
With a robust network of over 4,700 construction professionals, the STO Building Group is rich with experts spanning all facets of the construction industry. That means local project teams can readily access that companywide expertise and experience for the benefit of their clients and projects. Here, we highlight just a few of these experts and their areas of specialization.
JENNIFER TARANTO Sustainability
Sustainability has evolved beyond a mere trend; it now serves as the cornerstone of modern construction practices, profoundly influencing how we design and inhabit spaces. Jennifer Taranto, STO Building Group’s Vice President of Sustainability, champions sustainability, health, and wellness within the built environment. She specializes in crafting strategies that seamlessly integrate sustainability throughout every phase of a project’s lifecycle, from conception to completion. Taranto’s collaborative approach ensures that projects meet rigorous environmental standards while preserving functionality and aesthetics, thus paving the way for a greener and more sustainable future.
Collaboration across our industry is pivotal in prioritizing sustainability and wellness in both job sites and offices. When architects, designers, builders, environmental consultants, and employers unite to emphasize humancentric design and adopt sustainable practices, remarkable results are achieved.”
BROOKS MCDANIEL Building Repositioning
tifies untapped potential within existing buildings and unlocks their value through strategic renovations. His approach encompasses not only cosmetic enhancements but also eco-friendly design principles that align with sustainability goals while maximizing carbon reduction. By revitalizing structures into thriving commercial spaces and community hubs, McDaniel enables businesses to make informed decisions that drive long-term sustainability.
“
By repositioning a building to be more attractive to tenants or buyers, the building’s occupancy rate can be increased, thereby reducing the overall carbon usage per person.”
CHERELLE CORTEZ
Trade Partner Supplier Diversity
DAVID HAMILTON Supply Chain
A pressing question for anyone embarking on a construction project: “What’s happening with the supply chain?” David Hamilton, STO Building Group’s Vice President of Strategic Sourcing, understands the critical role of supply chain management in driving efficiency and reducing costs. With a keen eye on emerging trends and challenges, Hamilton fosters strong relationships with suppliers and distributors to optimize supply chain operations. His meticulous analysis and proactive strategies empower businesses to navigate uncertainties and drive resilience in the face of supply chain challenges.
“ There is always a need for agility, collaboration, and innovation as industries grapple with supply chain challenges. However, proactive strategies and cross-functional teamwork are essential for navigating uncertainty and driving resilience.”
PETE KOBELT
Mass Timber
Supplier diversity is essential for fostering inclusivity and equal opportunities within organizations. To effectively implement and advance supplier diversity programs, organizations often enlist experts like Cherelle Cortez, Layton Construction’s Vice President of Trade Partner and Supplier Diversity. Driven by a passion for promoting inclusivity and empowering underrepresented groups, Cortez has dedicated her career to spearheading strategic initiatives that bring about meaningful change. She has been instrumental in establishing new trade partner resources and training programs, including Layton’s Trade Partner Equity Program, which helps MWDBE businesses enhance their competitiveness. Leveraging Cortez’s expertise, insights, and strategies can enable organizations to succeed while creating economic opportunities for underrepresented communities.
“
Innovation thrives where diversity thrives. By embracing supplier diversity, we not only open doors for underrepresented businesses but also unlock the potential for unparalleled creativity and success within our organizations.”
In our rapidly evolving industry, a rising star is quickly emerging: mass timber. STOBG Director of Mass Timber Solutions, Pete Kobelt is at the forefront of this movement. With expertise extending beyond environmental benefits, Kobelt harnesses mass timber’s structural advantages to implement innovative solutions across various projects, particularly in higher education. From lecture halls to dormitories, engineered wood products resonate deeply with academic institutions, offering a harmonious blend of aesthetic appeal, structural integrity, and eco-consciousness.
“Innovations like mass timber can be leveraged to meet emerging and increasingly urgent environmental and social goals. Commitments like these are no small tasks. Reimagining how our clients build, what they build with, and how they operate their buildings—including strategies like CLT—is critical to helping them achieve these ambitious goals.”
Creating the Next Generation Law Office: A Strategic Playbook
Over the last ten years, workplace planning for the legal sector has seen some significant changes. As study after study proved the benefits of an open office to collaboration, culture, and efficiency—not to mention cost—several firms began making the shift.
Now that many firms have adjusted to a more open environment and are balancing new ways of working, how do they best position their workplace for the future? Developing an office design and construction “playbook” that captures lessons learned, provides guidance on a tailored procurement strategy, and helps provide more predictable outcomes allows law firms—particularly those with a global footprint—to better plan, design, and build offices that accommodate flexibility, support inclusion, diversity, and employee wellness, and foster productivity.
As far back as 2017, a Cushman & Wakefield survey of law firm clients reported that 62% of respondents would work remotely more often in five years. Today, some of the Top Am Law Firms are in person four days a week, while others continue to offer more flexibility.
Morgan Lewis & Bockius recently moved its Philadelphia headquarters to a brand-new, 19-floor, 305,000sf building, representing a new era for the firm that combines 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.”
While many private offices remain, several floors feature open work areas and collaboration 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.
“We have and will continue to see a trend in firms reducing their overall square footage as a result of hybrid work, but that’s coupled with a focus on creating environments that enhance the experience of the space—technology, branding, amenity offerings, sustainability, etc.—to recruit and retain top talent,” says Marty Festenstein, senior managing director of the Workplace Practice Group at Savills.
EARLY ENGAGEMENT = COST BENEFITS
The key factor that differentiates law firm office projects from those of other corporate clients is the structure of ownership. As partners in the firm, these clients are literally personally invested in the success and outcomes of creating a new workplace. That’s where bringing in those relationships as early as possible makes all the difference.
“Historically, law firms have perceived the construction manager or general contractor bid process as a way to ensure their dollar goes further,” says Sarah Hoff, vice president, client strategy at STO Building Group. “But that early due diligence and partnership with the construction team, even as early as the pre-lease stage, can save significant dollars and set the stage for a smooth project.”
For example, because firms often make real estate choices at the local level, one office may have 30 different types of light bulbs and ballasts and another office may have another set—which means 30 different types of light bulb and ballast issues in each office. “That’s not something the firm will want to have to keep track of over the life of each lease,” says Hoff. “As a construction partner, we think about how we can help streamline those decisions across a firm’s portfolio and provide uniformity so they can avoid that burden.”
With this unified strategic approach, the CM can contribute to capital expenditure budgets and assess short-listed sites. In addition, the CM and team can develop a strategic procurement plan—an element often overlooked by law firms. “Many law firms don’t think they have the volume to leverage their spend like a large corporation might. But that’s not the case,” says Hoff. “Many material suppliers are keen to develop relationships directly with the construction managers on behalf of global law firms. Not only does this help lower costs, but it helps better control the supply chain.”
r Kirkland & Ellis San Francisco, CA
s Morgan Lewis Philadelphia, PA
s Morgan Lewis Philadelphia, PA
And cost control is, of course, a key focus for most firms. “People in charge of capital projects for a law firm are expected to manage the partners’ investments thoughtfully and carefully,” says Festenstein. “As a result, they need an understanding of where the costs are to achieve the project’s goal.”
THE PLAYBOOK APPROACH
Over the last 20 years of working with Am Law 100 firms in cities across the US, Canada, and Europe, STO Building Group has learned to develop a “playbook” of sorts for each client. In other words, they compile a central resource for all the lessons learned, preferences, culture notes, and the like about their law firm clients. The company shares that playbook with the client so they too have access to the intelligence gathered from their projects to inform how they develop strategies, get the most value for the partnership, and have more predictable outcomes.
As an example, during a project for a top Am Law client, the STO Building Group project team discovered that the firm’s internal IT and AV teams were brought into the white noise design process late in the game. As a result, the sheetrock band in front of all the offices had to be cut open and the ceiling tiles shifted to accommodate the system. Engaging that internal team early could have avoided some of that back and forth during construction, a lesson they recorded in the client’s playbook and were able to apply to an office renovation in another location.
Other factors STO Building Group builders typically include in their shared playbooks:
l Results from pre-lease building evaluations and lease reviews
l Benchmarking/capital expenditure budgeting
l Procurement savings and strategy
l Support for diversity and inclusion goals
l Support for sustainability goals (LEED & WELL Certification)
l Architectural detail reviews for impact on long-term maintenance
l Communication and reporting protocols
l KPIs to measure success project to project
l Notes on any value added throughout the project
Because the STO Building Group network is geographically diverse, their local experts are
able to combine an understanding of local market factors with the perspectives of working in other markets as well and capture that data in a client playbook. For example, STOBG documents the furniture, AV, and other vendors for a project as well as their communications history and relationships with them. That established relationship makes it that much easier to kick off a new project together from the same vantage point.
Tracking material costs are another example of where the local vs. global perspective is a benefit. “Our supply chain experts continuously track market fluctuations and trends, and regularly share updates with our team to provide guidance on what impact that may have on the schedule and costs of our projects,” says Hoff.
STRATEGY FOR THE WIN
Coming at these projects strategically, as a team, with a shared history and understanding positions a firm to not only create a workplace that meets its current needs, but also develop their own playbook and game
plan for adjusting to changes that may come over the life of the office. And in the current climate of unknowns and continual change, the constant of a strong, strategic partnership can make all the difference.
“We must all look at what we can do to understand the accommodation of unforeseen change,” says Festenstein. “That means putting in infrastructure that allows for minimal capital investment over the lease term in order to make change without serious cost.”
The STO Building Group family of builders has been working with Am Law’s top global law firms for decades. Through these relationships and the benefit of experience on law firm projects of all sizes in nearly every major market, we have built a thorough understanding of what the modern law firm looks for in a workplace. From building a new headquarters to advising on small upgrades, we have the resources, expertise, and relationships to help our clients realize their vision for a modern, sustainable, and high-quality workplace—anywhere in the world.
s Katten Muchin Rosenman Dallas, TX
s Boies Schiller Flexner New York, NY
s Milbank New York, NY
A Network of Possibility
Women have been working hard to break through as leaders in the world of construction—and have made great strides. While the number of women in construction has hovered between 9 and 11% over the past 20 years, by 2018, nearly one in three companies had promoted women to senior roles.
But making change is difficult and often slow. With a community of believers in a shared mission and vision, progressive change starts to become vi able—and even achievable.
That’s exactly the path that several STOBG builders are on as they work to establish a more robust program to support women in the construction industry. Take Ajax Building Company, for example. Ajax had launched several efforts in the past, but after joining the STO Building Group family of builders, they found they were able to tap into their wider network of resources and information to establish a more formal program for women looking for help navigat ing a male-dominated industry.
“STOBG already had a national Women in Construction group that has helped set the tone within the industry, and that gave us a great model,” says Kasey Diehl, Ajax’s marketing director and executive sponsor of Ajax’s Women in Construction (WIC) chapter. “It has been an inspiration for us to get people involved, whether that be through mentorship, communications, or giving back to local women’s charities.”
STOBG started its WIC network years ago with a goal to help women within the company find opportunities for networking, career development, and charitable service to organizations with similar objectives. It has since grown into what Diehl calls a “village of peers” that truly helps the company set women up for success.
“If you’re on a jobsite where you don’t know anyone, and and may feel like an outsider, we want to make sure that you are receiving the
proper tools to succeed,” says Carly Diaz, a senior estimator at Ajax and chair of their WIC program. “We can take back to our group the resources and information we’re hearing from across the organization—like a roundtable discussion, or a Ted Talk, or specific experience that might be useful to us.”
Mentorship has been especially critical to both the Ajax and STOBG WIC programs. STOBG’s WIC network has established a formal mentorship program in which both men and women are paired according to skill sets and interests that may be most helpful to their career goals. “We have seasoned professionals within Ajax who have taken a mentorship role,” says Diehl, “but there’s also the option of reaching out to STOBG so that colleagues in other parts of the company can mentor some of our newer professionals.”
The growth of the program at both the local Ajax and companywide levels has certainly made an impact for Ajax. “We used the STOBG model to set up a formal WIC chapter that makes it clear that we are serious and gives women in our organization excitement,” says Diaz. “We are an organization that believes in providing opportunities for everyone, we are about becoming more diverse in our workforce.”
It takes a village to make an impact, especially a cultural one. That’s why leaders like Diehl are excited to see how beneficial and resourceful STOBG’s network can be for employees who may not otherwise have access to the same level of support. For Diehl, seeing employees succeed through this connected network gives her faith that the industry is not only making strides towards inclusivity but also offering every worker the success and support they deserve.
“The slogan of our WIC group is that things are changing. The world is changing. Our industry is changing. Efforts like the WIC network are really helping to elevate the volume of the female voice and to make sure that everyone can have a place in this industry.”
Putting Partnership to the Test Plugging into STOBG’s Alliance Partner Network
RC Andersen is a well-known, expert builder in the industrial sector, helping clients build facilities across the country for nearly 20 years.
But recently, when a long-time client asked if they could take on a 130,625sf ground-up building in Maryland, the RCA team faced a tough decision.
“Our workload was nearly at capacity. We looked at our resources and our availability to get to Maryland, and the real answer was no,” says Neil Ascione, president of RC Andersen. “But we didn’t want to let our client down, so we asked STO Building Group leadership if our Alliance Partners could help.”
STOBG’s Alliance Partner network includes approximately 60 third-party general contracting and construction management firms in cities across the globe, with about a dozen of those contracted in established master service agreement (MSA) partnerships. When a local STOBG builder isn’t available to take on a project for a client, these firms step in to essentially serve as an extension of our local team.
“What it means to be an Alliance Partner,” says Dave Ransome, vice president in STO Building Group’s Global Services team, “is that you are culturally aligned with our client-first attitude. It means that you partner with us to realize our client’s vision, and that we trust each other infinitely.”
RC Andersen joined the STO Building Group in 2021, understanding that one of the key benefits was access to this network of resources. Now was their chance to put it into practice. “We had been telling our clients about the benefits of being part of STOBG,
and this was our opportunity to show them,” Ascione says.
STOBG’s Global Services team and CEO Bob Mullen connected RCA to GCS-SIGAL, a Washington, DC-based general contractor with nearly 50 years of experience building the DC metro area. With its location in Prince George’s County, just outside of Washington, DC, the project would be subject to the county’s very intensive review and inspection procedures. GCS-SIGAL’s specific local expertise, says RC Andersen project executive Colin Warnick, was exactly what the project team needed.
“If we had gone into the project thinking we would know how to handle that level of bureaucracy, we would have been blindsided,” says Warnick. “GCS-SIGAL lives and breathes it every day and understands how the layers and processes affect the project schedule.”
So, between RC Andersen’s extensive expertise in building warehouses and GCSSIGAL’s in building in Prince George’s County, the team was able to hit the ground running, assigning a super from each company to the project and an on-site project manager from GCS-SIGAL who coordinated with RC Andersen regularly.
“I spoke with the GCS-SIGAL PM, Corinna Chan, daily,” says Warnick. “I was very familiar with the client’s preferences and processes from our years of working with them, and she was able to tackle the day-to-day needs of the project. I was initially nervous about not being there to micromanage every stage, but the communication between us became so good that we really lost nothing. I would work with that team on any project.”
GCS-SIGAL agrees, according to senior vice president Mark Abbott. “Bob Mullen was the great connector who pulled this partnership
together, and we are extremely proud of the rewarding and successful delivery of the project for the client,” he says.
As for the client themselves? Ascione says they appreciated RC Andersen’s quick action to go the extra mile to get the project completed successfully.
“They had started preconstruction on the project with another GC, and were not satisfied,” he says. “They were thankful we brought in a local GC who really knows the area and that we helped them show their tenant that they were aggressively working to get the project done.”
Sharing Skills at STOBG
In construction, learning isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessary part of delivering innovative solutions and top-quality projects to clients. Companies across the STO Building Group family have taken this concept to heart by launching tailored training programs led by STOBG sector experts. Designed by the organization’s most seasoned sector professionals to help builders strengthen their specialized skillsets, these initiatives allow STOBG’s experienced teams to seamlessly transition to and from complex projects across the spectrum of sectors armed with the most up-to-date best practices.
HEALTHCARE
The LF Driscoll Healthcare Center of Excellence offers a focused 30-hour training program aimed at enhancing skills in healthcare construction. It prepares participants for the ASHE Certified Healthcare Constructor (CHC) exam, covering crucial topics like infection control, life safety, and project management. Accredited by the Registered Continuing Education Program (RCEP) for AEC professional, this training is a key resource— and potentially future requirement—for builders specializing in healthcare construction.
LIFE SCIENCES
STO Building Group has collaborated with the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) to offer a specialized 16-hour, cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practices) training for life sciences construction professionals. Specifically designed for builders and geared toward building state-of-the-art processing suites and research labs, this custom curriculum covers everything from facility and equipment requirements to contamination control and auditing. This training builds on a construction professional’s existing experience to keep them abreast of the latest construction techniques for these types of facilities.
SUSTAINABILITY
STO Building Group teamed up with Green Building Education Services (GBES) to offer all staff unlimited access to green building training. This partnership empowers STOBG staff to invest in their own professional development, add to their sustainable building knowledge, and support the growing demand for sustainable buildings—and sustainable construction practices—around the globe. Through GBES, employees can access a wide range of training materials and courses focusing on LEED and WELL certifications. This initiative reflects STOBG’s commitment to sustainability and the organization’s effort to provide value to clients through skilled, innovative, and highly informed project teams.
MISSION CRITICAL
STO Mission Critical launched a condensed, 1.5-day training program led by mission critical experts to help STOBG construction professionals better understand the intricacies of data center construction. The multilevel program is segmented into modules reviewing everything from best practices, design principles, and construction standards to understanding industry trends and supply chain impacts. The accelerated format supports the development of STOBG team members’ knowledge of the sector, arms them with the most up-to-date information, and reinforces their ability to navigate the fast-paced data center construction environment with enhanced ease and efficiency.
STO Mission Critical
WHERE INNOVATION MEETS EXPERTISE
In the digital age, data centers have become the backbone of our increasingly interconnected world. These facilities power everything from streaming services and social media platforms to large corporations and are indispensable hubs for storing, processing, and distributing large quantities of data. With the exponential growth in data center trends, the industry is transitioning towards groundbreaking innovations.
EXPERTISE ON DEMAND
That’s where STO Mission Critical comes in.
The STOMC team taps into the vast data center facility expertise across the STO Building Group to stay ahead of these demands. Essentially a microcosm of the STOBG platform itself, STO Mission Critical has “centers of excellence” housed within individual builders—Structure Tone, Structure Tone Southwest, Structure Tone International, and Layton Construction—that are structured to serve data center clients’ needs across the entire region.
“STOMC Centers of Excellence represent our market leadership while operating as knowl edge hubs for the constantly evolving digital ecosystem,” says Terence Deneny, senior vice president of STO Mission Critical. “These experts have industry-leading experience and perspectives on sustainability, diversity, innovation, technology, and more and can bring that expertise to bear wherever a client needs us.”
INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS
As the demand for data grows, data center clients must find new ways to keep up with those needs. Data center builders must do the same.
“Having been a partner, collaborator, and in novator in this industry for almost 40 years, we understand where trends are going and are working with our clients to provide creative and diverse solutions to make sure their facilities stay head of industry demands,” says Martin O’Neill, senior vice president of STO Mission Critical.
Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the ability of machines to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as recognizing speech, making decisions, and learning from experience.
Machine learning (ML) is a subset of AI that involves the use of algorithms that can learn from data and improve their performance over time. In other words, machine learning is the process of teaching machines to learn patterns and insights from data without being explicitly programmed to do so.
on scalability, high power density, cooling efficiency, network infrastructure, monitoring and automation, security, future proofing, and sustainability.
“As an innovative data center construction leader, we strive to support sustainable and environmentally friendly construction practices,” says Deneny. “We understand the value and have resources to help our clients achieve their commitment to having a positive impact on the environment.”
COLLECTIVE POWER
From speed to market to power generation and high-density cooling, the mission critical industry certainly needs innovators and experts to solve its constant challenges. And the STO Mission Critical team is purpose-built to be part of that expert team—including developing an in-house training program to continue building a deep bench of data center builders (learn more about that program on page 26).
Take, for example, the recent advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning.
As AI and ML applications continue to rapidly evolve, data centers need to adapt and evolve their design and specifically their electrical and mechanical infrastructure to accommodate these demanding workloads. How? With design and construction strategies that focus
“Our use of cutting-edge technology and MEP solutions provide tremendous value, ” says O’Neill. “By sharing that knowledge with each other within STO Mission Critical and across the STO Building Group, we’re bringing collective experience, relationships, and expertise to our cloud, colocation, and enterprise clients alike.”
DATA CENTERS DEFINED
Cloud: Also known as a cloud computing data center, is a facility that houses the physical hardware that makes up the backbone of a cloud provider’s infrastructure.
Colocation: This is a data center facility in which a business can rent space for servers and other computing hardware.
Enterprise: Enterprise data centers are built, owned and operated by companies and are optimized for their end users.
Under Construction:
Calder Gardens, Philadelphia
Situated among the many art institutions along Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Calder Gardens will serve as an 18,000sf exhibition space for a variety of modernist sculptures created by famed artist—and native Philadelphian—Alexander Calder. LF Driscoll was selected to take on the creative endeavor.
LEARN MORE ABOUT CALDER GARDENS AND FOLLOW PROGRESS ON INSTAGRAM:
On the surface, the planned building appears modest in size; however, as visitors enter at ground level, they will have the opportunity to descend through two more levels of galleries bathed in natural light, creating a superior art-viewing experience.
“This building is like nothing else. Everything is custom,” says Jack Garrett, LF Driscoll senior superintendent. “We’ve assembled an expert team to make this kind of artistic vision a reality.”
The Calder Gardens building is designed to be built almost completely of exposed concrete—with walls up to 7 feet thick. That means all building systems, walls, built-in benches, art displays, and other features must be fully coordinated and meticulously planned before the concrete is poured. LF Driscoll is known for its ability to take on complex building challenges, and for this project, leveraged the virtual construction expertise within STOBG to align the many models into one unified model with ready-tobuild contract documents.
“Once the concrete is poured, it’s done,” says Garrett. “So everything we’re doing has required detailed discussions and coordination be fore that begins.”
With the assist in preconstruction planning from Layton Construction’s VDC team, LF Driscoll was able to get a head start on this unique project and focus their energy on delivering on the complex vision.
“Complexity is what we do best, ” says Garrett. “We are here to figure out how to build this completely unique structure. We’re excited for the challenge. It’s what we do.
r LFD leveraged Layton’s VDC experts to help with the complex precoordination
PROJECT DETAILS
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Size: 18,000sf
Client: Calder Philadelphia
Owner’s Rep: Aegis Property Group
Architects: Herzog & de Meuron (design architect)/ Ballinger (architect of record)
Engineer: Altieri Sebor Wieber
Certification: Targeting LEED Silver
Sector: Cultural
Completion: 2025
r The building’s low profile blends it into the landscape
s STOBG builders from Dallas to London are using reality capture tools such as OpenSpace for efficient collaboration
Reality Capture: Views from the Field
Chris Bailey, creative design manager at Structure Tone London, is a visualization whiz. But he’s also a keen student of new technologies and always has his eyes open for anything that may benefit his team’s projects and clients. When he saw how his STOBG colleagues in Texas were using reality capture tools like OpenSpace, he wanted in.
“I knew the documentation part of the tool alone would be helpful,” Bailey says. “When the pandemic set in, we really began using OpenSpace in earnest and started to see what a difference it could make to our entire process.”
The more the project teams began scanning their sites using OpenSpace, the more they began making notes within the tool, sharing that information, and using its other features, until it snowballed into a truly cohesive team process.
“Not everyone understood how a tool like this could add value to so many facets of a project,” says Bailey. “It has become standard on our projects and serves as the central information point for all roles. It’s really powerful.”
Here’s what London project team members have to say about it.
PLANNERS
Favourite features: Ease of use, progress tracking, ability to capture big picture and minute details
“OpenSpace is easy to use. The tags and date stamps make it easy to bring back all images for a specific contractor within a date range on a specific floor, making it quick and simple to find information. Such a time saver!”—Kevin Balaam, Senior Planner
LONDON
“Only one person needs to walk the site, which has been a major timesaver. When recording progress against the programme, the planner can quickly check his/her assessment without the need to return to site.”
—Graham Roebuck, Head of Planning
QUANTITY SURVEYORS
Favourite features: Validation of material quantities and subcontractor payments, streamlined process
“We use it multiple times every day to monitor progress, check details, value works, and much more. For example, we can review subcontractors’ applications and compare against the OpenSpace data to validate progress. Having OpenSpace as an aid alongside your general site walks can make tasks much more efficient and streamlined.”—
Joseph Leckie, Commercial Manager/ Quantity Surveyor.
PROJECT MANAGERS
Favourite features: Visual reference for client and progress meetings, monthly valuations, health and safety measure confirmation
“Our entire team is using OpenSpace to plan, implement, and monitor work activities every day. It’s great to refer to during client and internal progress meetings, design workshops, monthly valuations, and confirming health and safety actions have been closed. Subcontractors working on the project have become very aware of our tech capabilities and are mindful of our regular captures and how their works are being implemented and monitored on the project.”—Gary
Cinamon, Senior Project Manager
CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS
Favourite features: Ease of sharing imagery, side-by-side progress comparisons, ability to review any stage
“I was a bit skeptical of the system to start with, but now I have taken over 5,100 photographs of site progress and added notes. Using tags for contractors, anyone can drill down to a specific area and see the progress by floor, area, contractor, materials used, and how works are built. The same information would take days to collect with a regular camera walk-around.”—Peter
Taylor, Construction Manager
An Engine of Innovation
By Rob Leon, Chief Innovation Officer, STOBG
When we think of “innovation,” we tend to think of ideation sessions with colorful stickers or “Hack-a-thon” type events. But innovation is much more. It’s a state of mind—a strategic approach to planning—and it happens every day at STO Building Group.
An important role of STOBG’s Innovation team is exploring cutting-edge technologies and processes to provide our project teams with the best-in-class solutions to expand client services and become more efficient and productive. But we’re also looking inside our organization for better ways to build. The greatest impact we can make within the organization is to look at our ongoing operations as an opportunity to be more efficient and productive across all departments—from project execution to the support teams. Streamlining the touch points between cross-functional teams and breaking down the siloed approach will yield incredible benefits.
For example, we’re harnessing STOBG’s vast and diverse project data to help us become more analytical, predictive, and ultimately even more valuable partners for our clients. The data we have and continuously collect is one of our biggest assets. Few construction firms do the volume of projects across multiple sectors and geographies as we do. It is paramount that the data we input is accurate and clean as we use it to create models that will help us become more analytical and predictive—which, in turn, reduces our risk and increases our potential to be more efficient and effective.
As a network of over 4,700 employees, we already have some of the best innovators right here in our family of builders. As new technologies emerge, we have the team to evaluate, test, and implement on a micro level or at enterprise scale. Discovering the best tech tools for the right applications—solving for client and user challenges—is what we have been doing for decades. We are in a unique time in our industry in that a multitude of microsolutions are now available, with more released every day. The key is to allow for exploration into these new tools while following the proper protocols to do so responsibility so that we don’t put our organization or our clients at risk.
With this expertise and opportunity to explore backing everything we do, we have immense potential for great ideas—and now we’ve built the engine to gather them and put them into action. Our Innovation Engine at STOBG is a platform for anyone in the company to submit an innovative idea with just a few inputs. Our team of IT, data, operations, and innovation leaders then reviews it and recommends next steps. When an idea is selected as a pilot project, the submitter is invited to help bring it from proof of concept all the way through implementation.
Take, for example, our recent uses of layout robots, like Rugged Robotics, Dusty Robot, and others. We have piloted these robots on different types of jobsites, from large interior fit-outs to ground-up buildings. Through these pilots, we’ve been able to work with these companies on ease of use and compatibility with our processes and systems, ultimately shaving up to several weeks from project schedules.
We’ve said it before, but this really is such an exciting time to be in construction. Our industry has embraced change, technology is evolving at breakneck speed, and we’re poised for some incredible breakthroughs. The engine is revving, and we’re excited to be leading this journey.
WHAT IS...
Tune in to our two-part podcast to hear about this transformative solution from Executive Chairman Jim Donaghy, SVP of Tech. Ops Steve Neeson, and STNY’s Director of Special Projects, Marc DeLuca.
Find the STOBG podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and our website
