Let’s just say they had been there a while.  Director of Project Management Adam Felson lead the Concordia-Argonaut Club through a challenging process this past December.  After occupying 1142 Van Ness for about 125 years, the club sold the property and needed someone to help inventory its many contents and determine where everyone was to go.  The club is in a temporary location while it seeks a new home.  Adam went through everything from books to leather seating and from kitchen to athletic equipment.  Everything had to be stored for the new facility, sold, donated, disposed of.  The 50,000 building had lots of great memories and the club looks forward to what the next home will bring.

Companies trying to build out office space these days face a changing trifecta of challenges.  Landlord’s have the upperhand in the leasing market and don’t need to pay high TI’s to lure in tenants.  It’s busy for contractors, and therefore supply and demand means higher labor and material pricing.  Finally, employees are getting jealous when they see their friends’ offices at other companies, meaning companies must get their TI’s done right to keep up with the Joneses.

How can a tenant still afford a build-out with great design?

• Avoid Moving the Lights: With the recently updated Title 24 changes, a project’s budget can spiral out of control if the existing light fixtures need to be relocated. If your design can prevent you from making replacements, it is wise to save your TI dollars to create greater functionality and beauty in your space verses paying for code upgrades.

• Rethink Your Layout: Too many tenants lease more space than they really need because they attempt to transpose the space plan from their old space into their new space. Moving offices is a great way to examine techniques such as benching, hotelling, or even just larger offices that are shared could be options. Maybe you don’t need that big empty boardroom anymore and can rent someone else’s for your monthly meetings.

• Put Your Dollars Where It Matters: In a tight budget, tenants should prioritize what office functions are the most critical and spend their money accordingly.   Don’t let that IT Manager tell you how to cool the server room – that’s the mechanical engineer’s job. If your office rarely gets visitors, just get a basic reception desk and don’t waste money on an expensive entry hardwood floor. Perhaps your company culture is to eat lunch in the kitchen – if so, spend your money on a kitchen with great amenities.

• Create Alternative Spaces to Meet & Work: Having a casual place for meetings or to bring a laptop to work breaks up a long day for employees and creates a more comfortable environment that has tremendous value without costing lots of money.

• Take Control of Material Specification Decisions: Make sure your design team is specifying material and equipment that meets your budget. Work closely with a contractor early in the design process to check pricing. This will give the project team an opportunity to find an alternate if needed.

Bisnow.com, a leading on-line real estate media company recently sat down with Adam Felson to discuss the launch of the new Project Management Division.  See the link here.

The commercial building industry was caught by storm on July when the changes to California Energy Code’s Title 24 came into affect.  Everyone from contractors to brokers to even building officials seem confused with the new regulations and how they affect today’s build-outs.  We brought in a few experts to share their experiences and insight of what’s going on and how to better prepare ourselves.

Check out our new short video linked here.

Come see Adam Felson speak at Bisnow’s February 11th event focusing on Construction Strategies!  See the link below for more information:

https://www.bisnow.com/san-francisco/events/mixed-use/Construction-Strategies-Net-Zero-Design-Prop-13–More-128#.VLPwGo-PCXY.email

Sign up to hear some great speakers!

When it comes to running an office build-out project, it’s easy to forget how important furniture plays in the puzzle of a successful project.  It is key to hire a furniture rep who can help procure the best solutions to properly dovetail with the project’s design and construction.

Adam Felson from Colton Commercial & Partners sat down with Tamra Lambert, Account Executive at Inside Source /  Young, a furniture rep with offices in the Bay Area and New York, to learn more about today’s trends and what to think about when ordering new furniture…

Felson: How do you service a client on a tight budget who wants a contemporary look?  

Lambert: We look at many options and narrow it down for them.  Lead-time, budget and aesthetics are the determining factors and what guide the choices we ultimately present to the client.  Sometimes “retail” is the way to go to meet a tight budget, but quality often suffers – you really do get what you pay for.

Felson: What design styles are you seeing clients asking for in their common area furniture?

Lambert: Simple, clean lines, a “kit-of-parts” type approach so that as their needs/available space change, the furnishings can as well.  I have been seeing lots of requests for the following items: laptop tables, powered everything (sofas, tables, dividers) and a more cozy feel in all pieces – things that look more residential.

Felson: How do you collaborate your design expertise with the rest of the project team?  

Lambert: Everything is really driven by the client and what their lead-time, budget and aesthetics are.  My job is to know where to look and be able to offer the best options to meet the majority of their requirements.  We also have technical designers on staff who are experts at layout, electrical, etc. for the systems furniture we recommend for our clients.  It takes the whole team to make things work.

Felson: What advice can you give your future clients on what they can do to make you more effective in procuring the best possible furniture program for their office?

Lambert: Be open to creative ideas, have a clear (and hopefully realistic) budget and time-line, be able to make decisions and stick with them.

Felson: Do you think density / benching is here to stay?

Lambert: In part, it has gone to such an extreme that workplace environments haven’t made enough room for individual/heads down/quite work.  I think it’s a great way to work with the addition of phone rooms and a variety of other work options in other areas, such as lounge seating, touch down points, etc.