Clients Advertise Their Wares, In Tenant Improvement Projects

by Lucy Bodilly

A tenant improvement project is like the icing on a cake. It covers up the mundane-looking part of a building with a user friendly, appealing finish. Tenants in the business of creating a high-end image for others want more of a wedding cake flair.

That's what Turner Construction, along with SKB Architects, both of Seattle, created when they built out a new space for advertising firm Hornall Anderson in the Dexter Horton Building in downtown Seattle. The space, in a turn-of-the century building, now sports four plasma screen TVs and a logo display wall, with steel cutouts of the logos the company designed for its clients.

"The lobby had to be a showcase for its potential clients," said Chris Killian project manager for Turner. "They were very precise about what had to be done."

Turner's work on the 3.5 month, $1 million project, started with the design about 80 percent complete. The details were worked out as construction progressed. The highlight of the office is a slanted glass conference room. The exterior walls slant inward at the top, and are made of a translucent product. When meetings are in progress, participants can write on the wall - and it shows through to people walking by.

"It gives visitors a visual of the company as a creative place. And people who are walking by can critique the plans," Killian said.

Working for an exacting owner was just as demanding for Killian as it is for employees who have their work critiqued. "It was difficult to make sure the client and architect had their design intent met," he said.

Because the building was occupied, with little access, adding the mechanical systems to the room proved the most difficult part of the project. Turner had to shut down Second Avenue in Seattle at 2 a.m. so a block long crane could be put in place to raise the mechanical units to the rooftop.

But for Killian, that's part of the thrill of working on tenant improvements. "You have run the whole project, and do several new projects every year," he said. "It's very exciting."

Turner provided preconstruction services and construction for a 30,000 -sq. ft. build out for this advertising company; a division of Omnicom. This high design tenant improvement included overhanging curved soffits, ornamental metal, curved and tilted segmented glass, floor restoration and very unique, custom casework. The project had a very tight schedule to begin with and was compressed even further midway through the project when the move-in date was pushed up. Design changes were numerous with 15 percent of the overall budget owner-and architect -approved changes. Turner completed this one full week prior to their deadline and remained within its construction budget.

The company worked on a similarly precise project WPP umbrella. The project involved extensive day to day coordination with the shell and core construction work at Alley 24 in Seattle, which also houses NBBJ and Skanska USA Building.

For project manager Scott Paul, of Turner, the project turned out to be a homecoming of sorts. He was in charge of tenant improvements, but the rest of the building was being constructed by his former employer, Skanska. Another Seattle contractor, Mortenson, was also on the same site.

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"We had quite the friendly rivalry going," Paul said.

The actual construction on that project was routine, compared to the costing involved, according to Paul. The 53,000 square foot space is being leased by one company, but used by five of its affiliates. Every single inch of the office had to be priced out - either to the headquarters, or one of the affiliates. For example, work in the copy room was billed to three different companies, as were labor costs, materials and incidental costs. Paul's schedule and plans are covered with different colored ink, denoting each different funding source.

Because of the many users, all decisions were made by committee, Paul said. The space, another showcase for the tenant's own advertising and PR work features lots of architectural details, a pinned acoustical ceiling, exposed shear walls, sprinkler lines and roof drains. Gensler Inc., was the project architect.

The preconstruction scope of work included budgeting from conceptual design through construction documents, value engineering, early constructability and subcontractor coordination, and design/build mechanical and electrical systems. Construction included coordination with an underfloor mechanical plenum, power/low voltage distribution system with architectural finishes.

Emerick Construction of Portland is just getting into the TI niche with the creation of its Special Projects Group (SPG). The division, led by project manager, Corey Lohman, LEED AP, was formed to provide the widest construction services possible to Emerick clients. Emerick provides general contracting and construction management services on larger projects such as Canby's $23 million Baker Prairie Middle School and the $7.2 million Mt. Angel Abbey Academic Center. The SPG focuses on bringing full construction services to these clients, regardless of project size.

Such projects are labeled "Special" because of their diversity, a shorter time horizon, or the need to react quickly to a unique situation. SPG projects may involve seismic retrofits, renovations, tenant improvements, insurance claims, demolition, pre-engineered structures, or any other type of construction.

Emerick SPG projects began at the Hewlett-Packard Vancouver Campus, and include HP's state-of-the-art HALO project. This new $1 million, high-end custom conferencing system is shaking up the $5 billion video conferencing industry by allowing multiple users from anywhere in the world to interact with each other as if they were in the same room.

Recent projects awarded to Emerick's SPG include:

Northwest Veterinary Specialists Addition

This 6,000-square-foot addition in Clackamas will greatly enhance the capacity of this fast-growing veterinary surgery center. The addition is a challenging project, constructed essentially over the edge of a cliff, directly adjacent to an occupied and functional facility.

Junior Achievement of Portland recently selected Emerick's SPG to construct their new Enterprise Village, a simulated city built inside of a building. The kids will spend a day running businesses and government while gaining great exposure to the myriad of career options that await them. This is an exciting opportunity as it will give young people a place to practice what they learn in the classroom.

The west face of the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall will change soon, thanks to Emerick's SPG. A vestibule will be created to enhance patron's access to the facility. This project is a challenge, as it needs to be completed in a short timeframe, and performances cannot be affected in any way.