CREJ - Building Dialogue - March 2016
CDOT Region 4 headquarters was designed to attract top talent As employers focus on recruitment, they are becoming more conscious of the ways in which the upcoming generation of professionals is influencing the workforce. In order to engage this group and secure top talent, organizations have found that the needs of today’s physical workplace have shifted. This can especially ring true with government facilities, as engagement, collaboration and obtaining value for their public dollars tend to be of the utmost importance to clients. Due to expertise with government projects and creating people-centric workplaces, our firm was awarded the Colorado Department of Transportation’s first build-to-suit office project in more than 30 years – its Region 4 headquarters. The design-build firm’s chief aim was to deliver both a 47,000-square-foot office and light-duty maintenance facility in Greeley, as well as a 21,000-square-foot maintenance facility in Platteville, that helps to attract and retain top-level employees. In doing so, the administrative building design consolidated several CDOT offices and now includes Colorado State Patrol as a partner in the building, allowing the organization to function more efficiently through improved communications and collaboration. However, the project’s significance extends beyond the sticks and bricks of the building; a secondary goal for the project was to deliver a building that enhances the western gateway to Greeley, an important benefit for the entire region. “CDOT now has the ability to function more productively and play a more significant role in the region’s operational capacity,” said David Fox, deputy director, Property Management Program for CDOT. “Our new building provides a powerful physical presence as it welcomes residents and visitors alike to Greeley from our prominent location along Highway 34.” In order to meet the updated needs of CDOT, we partnered with Humphries Poli Architects on the office portion of the project, delivering a collaborative, multifunctional and sustainable facility designed and built to LEED-certified standards. The project’s architecture, which took into strong consideration the work environment, delivered floor plates with a 90 percent open office to 10 percent closed office ratio in order to heighten connectivity among employees. For example, the design-build team included a central interchange that provides team members a contemplative and collaborative space. There are also two prominent staircases deliberately incorporated to encourage physical activity throughout the workday, and a central break area to foster interdepartmental interaction. We worked closely with the client to ensure that the facility’s design will meet all of the space needs, allowing the organization to function effectively. CDOT requested an option for an all-staff meeting space but did not have adequate room within the facility. Therefore, the design-build team proposed an interior courtyard for this purpose while serving daily activities as an alternative to working from desks. To remain cost-effective and sustainable, we leveraged the latest technological trends. The design-build team determined the ideal daylight conditions for the interior space and decided on windows that wrap around all workspaces, providing views of the surrounding prairie and mountains as a way to improve occupant productivity and satisfaction. Light fixtures optimize the daylight to reduce the size of the equipment and lower equipment costs.