Katie (Smith) Valle, DSCE’s Post

Gensler, the world's largest architectural and design firm, is revitalizing its culture by implementing a 5 day return-to-office policy. In our latest blog, Michael Bodziner, Gensler's Principal and Co-CHRO, shares insights on this move and how they're transforming the office into "a destination" to drive innovation and collaboration! 🔗 Read the story: https://lnkd.in/gHiEWjbW

Last week’s ULI NEXT leadership cohort discussion on office-to-residential conversions in NYC. It was interesting to do a deep dive into such an important strategy for the city's housing issues. A big thank you to Robert Fuller for sharing valuable insights into both the challenges and opportunities of addressing the critical need for more housing stock in New York. It was especially fascinating to hear about Gensler’s scorecard—an innovative tool that allows developers to quickly assess the viability of entire portfolios for conversion. Here are some key takeaways from our conversation: - Large floor plates lend themselves to narrower units - Modifications over 5% of facades trigger structural upgrades—an important consideration - Developers must understand that floor plate efficiency ratings differ for existing buildings —70-80% efficiency doesn’t mean 20-30% of “wasted” construction expense, since these areas already exist. - The cost of conversions still places most units in the high-end/luxury range, so this supplements supply, but it does less to address affordability - There are major savings on embodied carbon due to repurposing existing structures Excited to see how such innovative ideas continue to shape NYC’s future! #ULI #UrbanDevelopment #NEXT #HousingSolutions #NYC #Sustainability #OfficeToResi #Conversion

How can you take a project to the next level? Post-tensioning could be the answer. When an office building wanted to connect two floors with a new staircase, STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES leveraged a blend of de-tensioning and post-tensioning to craft a staircase that not only connected the space but elevated it—literally and structurally. The result? A strong solution that took the building to the next level. https://lnkd.in/gA9shp9G

Adaptive reuse, modernization, and architectural grafting aren't just buzzwords: According to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, nearly 5.2 million square feet of office space in Pittsburgh could be easily turned residential. https://lnkd.in/e7mxMgfT

A&Q Partnership Celebrates 40 years… It’s 1984, Ghostbusters is the big movie at the cinema, Apple has just launched its first computer, Torvill and Dean have recently won Gold at a momentous Winter Olympics and the Miner’s strike is weighing heavy on the country’s conscience… Meanwhile, around a kitchen table in Islington, London, four like-minded individuals are hatching a plan to start their own Architecture and Quantity Surveying practice. With little money, but friends with tools and a splash of creative thinking, a makeshift office is fashioned and so the story begins… From these humble beginnings A&Q Partnership was born, and through mixture of growth, recession and change the practice developed and matured. What started out as four colleagues and a vision, now boasts a workforce of nearly 50 multinational staff, an office in the heart of London's creative quarter (as well as offices in Bourne End and Dorchester) and an enviable list of domestic and global clients with relationships stretching back (in some cases) over 30 years. And where the industry has evolved, so too has A&Q. In recent years focus has been on investment in BIM methodologies which has become industry standard practice for large scale, new build and regeneration architectural projects, for which A&Q is fully conversant. Having been active in both Residential & Commercial Architecture since the outset, A&Q continue to deliver projects at the highest level within the construction industry. Current projects include; large-scale Residential and Mixed Use Developments; Commercial Workplaces CAT A&B with full FF&E specification; Retail; Regeneration; Education & Hospitality. Tonight sees A&Q celebrating it’s 40th Anniversary with an evening of celebration, hosting current staff members, friends, long-held clients and acquaintances, at one of London’s iconic landmarks 30 St Mary Axe (#TheGherkin). Here’s to the next 40…! #architecture #40thanniversary #architects

Lessard Design has been at the forefront of office-to-residential and mixed-use conversions market, delivering successful projects in key cities like New York, DC, Charlotte, Atlanta, and beyond. This is just a glimpse of what our VP, Christopher Boone, AIA, LEED AP, will be discussing at NAHB International Builders' Show in Las Vegas next month with his session titled "The Future of Office Conversions Is Now." Learn more about our office conversion expertise here: https://lnkd.in/etZUTRxn #AdaptiveReuse #OfficeConversions #UrbanDevelopment #NAHBIBS #LessardDesign

Picture this: You’ve got a vision. A new office space, a retail build-out, or a complete remodel. The idea is there, but you have no team to bring it to life. That’s where Sommers steps in. We handle every part of the process. Whether building from the ground up or giving an old space new life, we’re your team. Big or small, complex or straightforward, we know how to turn your plans into something real. You can walk into a space that’s exactly what you envisioned. And that’s what you get when you work with Sommers. We’re not just builders. We’re the team that turns your vision into something you can be proud of. So let us help you make your vision a reality. #construction #sommersconstruction #commercial

New episode of #aboutime is dropping next week! In our conversation with Kevin Reid from Roderick Lahey Architects we talk about the architects role in #adapativereuse of office buildings. In this clip below Kevin talks about not only the change in an office conversion but the positive impact it has upon the community and residents.

In downtown Chicago, Illinois, an adaptive reuse project, adds a rooftop farm and greenhouses to the urban jungle, promoting biodiversity and providing access to fresh food for its residents:

Big news! T3 ATX Eastside, Austin's first timber-based office and residential development, created in collaboration with Hines is setting a new standard for sustainable design that reflects our commitment to enhancing the communities we serve. Read the full article here: DLR Group #SustainableDesign #DesignExcellence