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18 / BUILDING DIALOGUE / December 2020 T he mere mention of taking a previous tenant’s space with minimal changes doesn’t usually allow “custom” and “branded” to be the first thoughts that come to mind. Economical? Yes. Schedule friendly? Sure. But in this issue’s End User panel, the team responsi- ble for MWH’s new Broomfield space showcases that with creative thinking, budget and schedule courtesy, and a bit of culture exploration – a tenant like MWH really canmake its mark in an existing space with minor modifications. Question: How was MWH able to see the value in a par- tial turnkey and positively impact time and economics on the project, as a result? Crouser: There was the ability to reuse many of the exist- ing space’s features, which ties into MWH’s core environ- mental approach. Schedule, budget and sustainability were a grounding point for the project. In addition to securing space that had good bones and infra- structure, we wanted to be able to pro- actively drive schedule and budget for MWH. The opportunity to take advan- tage of a previous tenant’s investment and allow for that to be to our benefit was a driving decision point for us. Be- cause we took the space “as is” and despite some of the pre- vious user-specific programmatic requirements, we were able to see the potential in the built space and capitalize on those existing improvements. Rowley: Culturally, this space aligned with so many of our space needs. Our ability to make our mark on this space with minimal cost and time impact was a key com- ponent in selecting this space as our company’s new home. Coit: The existing space really had a lot of key features that met the needs of MWHnowand in the future. The ability to celebrate the existing design and tru- ly only make the modifications needed to make it MWH’s programmatically and culturally was a unique aspect to this project that we don’t often see. To ensure a full branding effort for our cli- ent, we were able to reimagine the space with MWH’s core values in mind. By removing all of the previous Tenant’s branding and program specific details, we were able to im- print MWH’s culture creatively and design a space specific to them through updated finishes, minor layout modifica- tions and a re-imagination of the primary functions. Walsh: “Refresh” really is a good way to describe this, as a lot of the project was not actually traditional construc- tion per se. Many of the key function areas were given only minor face-lifts or simply were reused “as is,” with the ex- ception of workstations and private office furniture, which needed to be replaced with a more trend-forward design to meet the needs of MWH’s end users. Q: What have you found are some of the biggest advan- tages and disadvantages of workingwith a partial turnkey and how do you think 2020 has impacted your approach? Crouser: Our focus was to capitalize on cost-effective, vis- ible aspects of the existing space plan to create maximum impact, while being conscious of schedule and spend. Be- cause we don’t have a crystal ball onwhat 2021 and beyond will hold from a workplace standards perspective, we had to be practical in our design choices and not necessarily make decisions based on the here and now, but rather iden- tify knowns and work from there. In my opinion, the best successes for MWH are the economics of the partial turn- key and the resultant speed to market, as a result. Walsh: I watched this project take shape and appreciated the consul- tative approach to the knowns and unknowns. Those unknowns forced the project team to hunker down and band together with ideas, support and solutions. In actuality, the minor con- struction was the easy part. The abil- ity to sequence the project schedule allowed us to outsmart the space’s existing conditions from both a cost & schedule perspective. Rowley: We were able to optimize our use of the space’s already existing amenities like the two exterior balconies, the lounge and plug-and-play socialization areas, the exist- ing private office and the conference room layout, as well as the reception area – these areas also provide a relief for alternate workspaces and opportunity to spread out, espe- cially important for 2021 planning standards. Coit: Sometimes, there can be a challenge in trying to reuse existing space components and infrastructure versus the ability to start from scratch and design to the exact specifications of a client. 2020 has us contemplating, as design and project professionals, what we can and can’t in- formand impact and, as a result, how to design accordingly. One aspect was that reception, office and conference room spaces were already defined, so we had to successfully balance what was already implemented within the plan with MWH’s program and needs. It helped to have a client who is a global project delivery company focused on water and energy who also does this for a liv- ing! Q: What does return-to-work look like for MWH? End User MWH Constructors Marks Bicentennial: Real Estate Reset Mark Crouser Chief Financial Officer, MWH Constructors Inc. Shannon Rowley Chief Human Resources Officer, MWH Constructors Inc. Lynn Coit Principal, Elsy Studios Megan Walsh, LEED AP BD+C Principal, Catalyst Planning Group