Back in Business: Boston’s Office Towers
Those who have proclaimed the death of the office should take a closer look at Boston. The Structure Tone Boston team is working with several clients to fit out new office space in some of the city’s most notable new (or newly refurbished) towers—in many cases well before construction of the base building is even complete.
Take, for instance, the new offices of a global investment firm in the Winthrop Center tower. Structure Tone Boston is leading the 115,000sf anchor tenant fit-out while the tower is still under construction. How? Structure Tone sector leader Ryan McGuigan, and area manager Jim Custodio, give some advice.
Be flexible. “Everything is based on the base builder’s approach and scheduled completion dates,” says Custodio. That said, every change to the base building schedule affects fit-out. MEP system layout, for example, may change several times. “Our floor plans are based on the base building’s temporary systems,” says McGuigan. “We coordinate regularly to relocate our systems and update our tie-ins.”
Be productive. Adjust to keep the project moving. Assign dedicated staff to strictly manage schedule coordination, or schedule deliveries for second shift. “Our supers keep a tight pulse on what the building has going on vs what we need to get done,” says McGuigan.
Be safe. With multiple jobs underway, safety is paramount. “Curtainwall construction was happening simultaneously with our work. We had to closely review their safety plan and update our own to make sure it all aligned,” says McGuigan. “And we made sure we communicated these factors to the team every day.”
Be partners. “We meet frequently with the base building team to manage expectations and understand each other’s requirements,” says McGuigan. “We’re partners in this.”
Working It
Structure Tone is currently helping clients move into several of Boston’s premier office towers:
Winthrop Center
1001 Boylston
One Congress
One Post Office Square