CREJ - Building Dialogue - September 2016
Many organizations are experimenting with new ways to design their physical space. When the design for the latest expansion of the Hogan Lovells office began, among the company’s considerations was how its new workspace could best support a modern company culture. Increasingly moving away from isolating rows of cubicles that call up the atmosphere of standard “office space” drudgery, companies are opting for a mix of open, collaborative space, with designated outside areas that can be used for small meetings or quiet conversation. While making its decision to transition from the Tabor Center, Hogan Lovells, one of Colorado’s largest legal practices in the Rocky Mountain region, envisioned a more collaborative space than historically seen in many law firms and decided to modernize its workspace. “As we interviewed construction firms regarding the build-out of our new space, i2 Construction stood out to us,” said Craig Umbaugh, Hogan Lovells’ Denver partner. “In our initial meeting with the firm, it was clear that i2 Construction had already given a great deal of thought to the staging of the creation of our space as well as to the issues we might face during that complex process.” When the time came for Hogan Lovells to relocate its office to 1601 Wewatta St., we collaborated with DTZ (the owner’s representative/brokerage) and RNL (the designer of the project) to create this 2½-floor, 70,000-square-foot tenant improvement project. Key project elements for this leading law firm include a three-story integral staircase that connects all three floors, a three-story lighting fixture and Class A-level finishes. Gone are the office cubicles with their white walls and fluorescent lights. The new space contains all-glass office fronts and floor-to-ceiling windows. Designed for people to comfortably share space and engage in a mutual, collective environment, each office is also purposefully designed to be smaller than those of the typical law firm to support and encourage individuals and groups to accomplish their work away from the closed-door feel of a characteristic office. With the first two floors completed ahead of schedule, we have been able to work concurrently with the city of Denver to receive permitting for the stairwell and eighth floor. With the amount of construction taking place in the Denver market, the city is still working through different ways to deal with the increased load. One of those was allowing us to start work on the eighth floor while working through some design/code concerns with the interconnecting stair. This allowed us to shave months of permitting impact down to literally weeks and ensure Hogan Lovells would have access to its entire space at the time of occupancy. This will be a space that represents the blend of both the local culture and architectural elements of the neighborhood with the company’s culture and values, creating a unique work environment that will lead Hogan Lovells into the 21st century. sfarrell@i2construction.com