flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

11 Tips for Breathing New Life into Old Office Spaces

11 Tips for Breathing New Life into Old Office Spaces

With the slowdown in new office building construction across the country, many design and construction firms are turning their attention to office building reconstruction and interior renovations—something Cincinnati-based Hixson Architecture Engineering Interiors has been doing since its founding, in 1948.


By By Robert Cassidy, Editorial Director | November 2, 2010
This article first appeared in the November 2010 issue of BD+C.

Building Design+Construction talked to experts from Hixson Architecture Engineering Interiors for their advice on renovating whole office buildings and office interiors: Colleen McCafferty, LEED AP, Corporate Interiors Team Leader; Bruce F. Mirrielees, AIA, SVP of Project Management; and John Hudson, Director of Client Development. Here are 11 lessons from their experience that may help you in planning your clients’ next office renovation projects.

11 Tips for Office Renovation Success

1. Ask the hard bottom-line questions first.

2. Take a realistic look at the surrounding neighborhood.

3. Look for local or regional economic incentives.

4. Develop an exit strategy for the property.

5. Create a communication plan for the current occupants.

6. Capitalize on the building’s strengths.

7. Determine what features can and should be saved.

8. Enhance the property’s curb appeal and interior finishes.

9. Have a clear picture of who the potential tenants might be, and design for their needs.

10. Don’t try to do everything at once. 

11. Make sustainability part of the process.

View all 11 tips on one page.

Related Stories

| May 15, 2012

Suffolk selected for Rosenwald Elementary modernization project

The 314-student station elementary school will undergo extensive modernization.

| May 15, 2012

Don’t be insulated from green building

Examining the roles of insulation and manufacturing in sustainability’s growth.

| May 15, 2012

National Tradesmen Day set for Sept. 21

IRWIN Tools invites the nation to honor "The Real Working Hands that Build America and Keep it Running Strong".

| May 15, 2012

SAGE Electrochromics to become wholly owned subsidiary of Saint-Gobain

This deal will help SAGE expand into international markets, develop new products and complete construction of the company’s new, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Faribault, Minn.

| May 14, 2012

Codes harvest rainwater

IAPMO’s Green Plumbing and Mechanical Code Supplement could make rainwater harvesting systems commonplace by clearly outlining safe installation and maintenance practices.

| May 14, 2012

Plumbing research coalition to study drainline transport issue

The effort is aimed at determining if decreasing levels of water flow­­––caused by increasingly efficient plumbing fixtures––are sufficient to clear debris from plumbing pipes.

| May 14, 2012

SOM to break ground on supertall structure in China

The 1,740-feet (530-meter) tall tower will house offices, 300 service apartments and a 350-room, 5-star hotel beneath an arched top.

| May 14, 2012

Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture design Seoul’s Dancing Dragons

Supertall two-tower complex located in Seoul’s Yongsan International Business District.

| May 14, 2012

SMPS and Deltek announce alliance

A/E/C industry leaders partner to advance technology’s role in design firm marketing and business development.

| May 14, 2012

ArchiCAD e-Specs integration unveiled

Architects, engineers and construction professionals use InterSpec’s e-SPECS products on thousands of projects annually to maintain synchronization between construction models, drawings, and project specifications.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




Great Solutions

41 Great Solutions for architects, engineers, and contractors

AI ChatBots, ambient computing, floating MRIs, low-carbon cement, sunshine on demand, next-generation top-down construction. These and 35 other innovations make up our 2024 Great Solutions Report, which highlights fresh ideas and innovations from leading architecture, engineering, and construction firms.

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021