Californiabuildingsnewsso2015

September/October 2015 • $5

Hotel Interiors Are Evolving New designs as properties go beyond overnights to casual officing ... small conferences... special events... or just hanging-out spaces

California’s Leading Designers & Builders

Preparing for Emergencies

Is Your Roof El Niño Ready?

Features California’s Boom Continues!

California recently became the world’s 7th largest economy, according to state government—then it didn’t, when the World Bank revised its figures, putting Brazil slightly ahead in 7th position. That said, we’ve continued to grow, topping $2.3 trillion in GDP. And the state leads the nation in job growth in most categories, adding more than 80,000 net new jobs in July—nearly matching the gains of Texas, North Carolina and Florida combined!

Building construction accounts for much of this progress, bringing with it bigger and more lucrative markets for companies that sell products and services to buildings being constructed and ones already in operation. According to a Wells Fargo economic report, “the strongest job growth is coming from the Bay Area.” Southern California’s growth was softer but also positive. For instance, “Orange County’s 4.3 percent unemployment rate is the lowest of any California county outside of the Bay Area.”

But doesn’t California suffer from the nation’s highest taxes? Hardly.

Sixteen states impose higher levies than the Golden State. California is heavily regulated, but many of our laws improve the quality of life and make the state more appealing to companies and employees. The state’s unmatched leadership in technology, agriculture, manufacturing, entertainment and other sectors continues to attract talent — and the need for more and better buildings.

Big Thanks to BOMA Preparedness Teams Thanks to BOMA San Francisco’s volunteers — and their counterparts at other Building Owners and Managers Associations groups around the state—lives and property will be saved when disaster strikes. The word “when” is inevitable, unfortunately.

On a recent Sunday morning — just after daylight —numerous BOMA member volunteers, working with San Francisco law enforcement, fire department people and Homeland Security officials, turned out for a mock terrorist drill at the Ferry Building just prior to the weekly Farmers’ Market event that draws thousands. What the teams learned will become part of future preparedness procedures that will reduce injuries and deaths.

Most local BOMAs have active emergency preparedness committees, and their work truly benefits anyone who ever enters a building to work, play, overnight, study or get medical care. Thanks BOMA! (Please note our article on Emergency Preparedness feature starting on Page 9.)

Henry Eason, Editor (henry@easoncom.com)

Hyatt Carmel Highlands. (Photo credit: Michael Troutman.)

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Hotels & Resorts Evolve

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Better Preparing for Building Emergencies

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Leading Women Vendors

Association News

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Workforce Beverages

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California’s Top Designers & Builders

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Is Your Roof Ready for El Niño?

Cover images: Thinkstock.

California Buildings News Team Henry Eason, Editor henry@easoncom.com Ellen Eason, Publisher ellen@easoncom.com Contributing Editors Zachary Brown, CBRE Bob Eaton, Eaton Hotel Investments Jessica Handy, CodeGreen Solutions Rich Lerner, Construction Consultant Katherine A. Mattes, Real Estate Consultant Larry Morgan, Facilities, SAP Carlos Santamaria, CEES-Advisors

Advertising Information Ellen Eason, ellen@easoncom.com 415.596.9466 © Copyright 2015 Eason Communications LLC PO Box 225234 San Francisco, CA 94122-5234

www.cabuildingsnews.com

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If exposure above 100째 F is possible, install ordinary temperature-rated sprinklers only after protected space has been conditioned.

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If exposure above 100째 F is possible, use intermediate temperature-rated sprinklers per NFPA requirements.

4 Best Practices for Installing Residential Fire Sprinkler Systems

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Protect all sprinklers from exposure to excessive heat - before, during, and after installation.

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100째

To separate excessive attic heat from sprinklers and piping, properly tent and fully insulate all pipe in unconditioned spaces.

Pressure relief valves should be installed on all sprinkler systems.

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6 California Buildings News • September/October 2015

Hotels & Resorts Are Evolving To Meet New Needs...

New Designs for Mobile Work Styles, Millennials’ Influence and Greater Collaboration In architectural parlance, if design follows function, then hotel designs are having to change to accommodate new uses for their properties. Hotels still provide places to sleep, but they are becoming much more. They are now sometimes used as offices, as LiquidSpace brokers their conference rooms and meeting spaces on a short-term basis — and some rooms are even being transformed into offices. Hotels are casual as well as formal business meetup venues, entertainment destinations and even places where people gather to collaborate on the future of their organizations.

Says leading hospitality architect Scott Lee, president of SB Architects, “Mobile technology has changed the way we work, and it’s changing the way we travel. With a mobile phone and a laptop, we can work anywhere. It makes sense that hotels should change as well. Hotel lobbies are now active spaces, accommodating working alone, holding impromptu meetings and socializing. Here are a few examples of how elements of design can facilitate those changes: 1. Create a multi-function lobby, with different zones and furniture groupings; offer plenty of table space with different combinations of chairs and sofas.

2. Make the lobby a mix of work and play that can be co-mingled when necessary.

3. Make the hotel lobby a destination, not just for travelers, but for locals as well, with excellent food and beverage as the draw.

4. Don’t design the lobby to be impressive, design it to be inviting. There’s a difference.

5. Do away with the check-in desk; with mobile and tablet-enabled check-in, it’s not a necessity anymore. This will immediately change the atmosphere of the space, and free up room for other functions.”

Photo above: Flexible spaces on the Andaz San Diego rooftop function as impromptu meeting spaces. (Project of SB Architects. Photo credit: Ciro Coelho.)

7 California Buildings News • September/October 2015

Starwood Hotels & Resorts, keen to meet evolving needs, has created a brand called Aloft.

One is planned for the trendy Dublin-Pleasanton area. The new Aloft is slated to open in March 2017 and will feature 120 loft-like rooms, a buzzing social scene and innovative brand-led programming.

“Designed for the evolving global traveler, Aloft is a great fit for the tech-forward DublinPleasanton area,” said Brian McGuinness, senior vice president, Specialty Select Brands for Starwood. “As one of the fastest growing brands in the history of hospitality, Aloft offers distinctive design, accessible technologies and a buzzing social atmosphere.”

Aloft Dublin-Pleasanton will boast a prime location on the East Bay side of the San Francisco Bay Area, an increasingly attractive destination for start-ups and home to numerous technology companies including Oracle, AT&T and Cisco Systems. Owned by Zenique Hotels, the new Aloft will anchor a 14-acre mixed-use development, including shops and residences, within close proximity of the corporate headquarters for Chevron, Safeway, Ross Stores, Clorox and Sybase and the new 53-acre campus of Kaiser Permanente.

Hotel facilities will include a large outdoor splash pool with cabanas, a 24-hour fitness center, 1,200 square feet of flexible meeting space, refuel at Aloft – a one-stop gourmet grab & go food and bever-age area, and the brand’s signature W XYZ bar where guests can enjoy a refreshing cocktail.

Even traditional mega-urban properties like Hilton San Francisco are redesigning some of their space.

The Hilton is currently undergoing a multi-phase At Le Méridien in San Francisco, the Le Méridien Hub transforms from a daytime renovation and community spaces for guests to meet, coffee house (top) to a chic lounge at night. (Photo: courtesy of Le Méridien.) socialize and do business are among the design elements the hotel is implementing. screen televisions, creating a space that can transition from “The community tables in the Tower 3 Lobby offer business to leisure,” says Scott Baublitz, San Francisco Area a great networking and productive space with access to Director of Sales and Marketing.

Internet and power. The main lobby enhancement project Not to be outdone, Le Méridien in San Francisco, is will add a new bar area and new communal seating also making a huge commitment to new design with its $12 configurations designed to create a communal living space. million renovation, combining the vibrant energy of the Bay The hotel will also introduce Hilton’s casual, self-service Area with the urban landscape of the Financial District, the dining concept, Herb N’ Kitchen. The concept is designed renovation highlights discovery moments within the newly to meet the needs of our on-the-go guests with healthy transformed public spaces and all 360 guestrooms, of which gourmet foods, beer, wine and soft drinks with the choice 80 are suites. The signature Le Méridien Hub (the brand’s of restaurant dining at their leisure, meals packaged to take reinterpretation of the staid hotel lobby into a vibrant coffee away or in-room delivery for hotel guests. For guests who house by day and chic lounge by night) and 12,500 square choose to dine in, Herb N’ Kitchen will also offer large feet of meeting and event space have also been redone. communal tables with power and Internet access and big

(Continued on page 20)

Sponsored Report 8 California Buildings News

How Well Is Your Facility Prepared for Disaster?

As building owners, managers and those responsible for the safety of all of the occupants of a facility, we need to seriously think about the potential risks associated with where we live and work. In California, there are the constant threats of earthquakes, wildfires, mudslides and more recently terrorism, and on top of that, this winter there is the added risk of flooding with forecasters predicting a strong probability of an El Nino weather event.

How will you respond when disaster strikes? Do you have critical disaster supplies such as food, water, first aid, hygiene items and sanitation, and how long will you need to shelter in place? What percentage of your facility’s population should you plan on actually remaining on site during a disaster?

Often when disaster strikes business operations can be impacted, so who will stay behind to provide leadership, IT and security?

Custom Disaster Plans Developed for Your Business Ready America can assist you in developing and implementing an affordable plan to deploy the necessary emergency response supplies. These include employee grab-and-go survival bags, innovative storage solutions in secure cabinets, rolling totes, job boxes and secure 20’ retrofit containers with solar packages. We offer 5,000-watt inverters with a battery package so your Incident Command Team can operate 24/7 using solar, generator or shore power that are sheltered from the elements. Our Emergency Response Trailers (ERT) are custom built to provide mobile response solutions for large campuses or for deployment to remote facilities if and when necessary.

Ready America believes that business continuity has to start at home, so we provide an employee discount program that gives your employees substantial discounts on life-saving supplies for themselves and their families.

We provide complimentary GAP analysis to determine your desired level of preparedness; we assist in supplies deployment and can handle all maintenance and ARK Containers (top left and above) house emergency supplies for large campuses and function as replenishment for perishable items. an Incident Command Center. Secure cabinets (lower photo, above left) offer easy access to supplies.

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9 California Buildings News • September/October 2015

Better Preparing for Building Emergencies...

Building Occupants Are Threatened With Deadly Norovirus to Terrorism to Fire to Quakes Preparing for emergencies is a complex and ongoing effort requiring products, services, training and experienced professionals, if your buildings and the people in them are to be protected from fire, quakes, terrorism, active shooters, water damage, power and system outages, cyber events, hazardous substances, disease outbreaks, workplace violence, etc. All of these problems are in the news almost every day somewhere.

Thanks to the educational programs of Building Owners and Managers Associations, chapters of the International Facility Management Association and many other groups, Californians have resources available to help them prepare for emergencies. Whether they take advantage of these resources raises other questions, along with who will replace numerous experienced building operators and engineers who are about to retire.

Some Statistics: z Almost 400 workplace homicides occurred in American in 2013— about 80% from gunshots. It’s the second leading cause of death for women in the workplace after transportation accidents.

Photos: Thinkstock.

z The good news is that fires are going down (19.5% from 2002 to 2011), but that was little consolation for those affected by the nearly 1.4 million fires that did occur in 2011. And more than 3,000 people died in fires, another 17,500 were injured and the loss was almost $12 billion in 2011, according to the National Fire Protection Association. z Water damage is the second most frequently filed insurance claim in the U.S., almost $11 billion yearly, with an average cost of $5,000. Its effects are insidious because in addition to surface damage, water gets into walls and causes disease and structural damage. z Power outages in the U.S. exceed those of any other modern nation, due mainly to our aging infrastructure. That’s a whopping $150 billion problem for the economy, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. z Earthquake preparedness? Riddled with fault lines, California faces imminent disaster. Seismologists and quake-affect engineers postulate nightmare scenarios.

(Continued on page 11)

Sponsored Report 10 California Buildings News

Tips for Testing Your Emergency Phones

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ith virtually everyone now having a cell 4 Tell the answering operator you are perphone, it is a common misconception that forming a test and ask if they can hear you well. fixed emergency phones no longer provide value.

4 Ask the operator if they can identify your Emergency phones provide professional emergency location. For ADA compliance, the most importservices that a simple cell phone cannot provide. ant requirement is that the emergency operator They allow a tenant to get the help that he or answering the call must be able to determine the she needs, no matter the time of day or condition exact location of the caller without the caller of network service in the area. In fact, in 2014, telling them (including which cab you’re in). If at Kings III Emergency Communications dispatch the operator cannot, the phone is not ADA comcenter alone, there were nearly one million pliant. (If the building facility or parking lot was built emergency calls placed, including many involving or renovated after July 1994, any phone(s) installed must elevator entrapments and police and fire meet ADA requirements. For complete regulations, see the Conduct a test by initiating dispatches.

U.S. Department of Justice website, www.usdoj.gov) a call from your emergency Some emergency phones, such as those in 4 If your phone does not work, contact your elevator phone. elevators, allow us to remain code compliant. elevator maintenance company. If you are a Kings Others such as those used at poolside or in a parking garage, III customer, full maintenance is likely included in your service simply make good business sense. Additionally, having working package, so please do not hesitate to call. and professionally monitored emergency phones on your propImportant to note: In some instances for phones that erty provides the best possible experience for building tenants are programmed to call direct to 911, a fee may be charged and guests. It is of the utmost importance to test your emerfor initiating a phone call for non-emergency purposes if the gency phones to ensure that they are working properly. authority in jurisdiction deems the non-emergency calls occur Here are the quick and easy steps to properly test your too frequently. Additionally, you don’t want the fire departelevator phones: ment called prematurely and incur unnecessary damage to your 4 Initiate a call from your emergency elevator phone. If elevator if you can help it and you’re able to gain access by you have more than one elevator cab, have a colleague test other means. a separate phone simultaneously to ensure proper line sharKings III recommends, where applicable, to utilize autoing. Separate cabs must be able to connect via the emergency matic self-testing equipment in conjunction with periodic phone at the same time. manual tests.

For more information: 800.393.5858 • www.kingsiii.com

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11 California Buildings News • September/October 2015

Building Emergencies (Continued from page 9)

Can everyone evacuate safely?

Emergency Preparedness With so many things that can go wrong, a variety of measures are required. Karen Cowan, corporate account manager at Restoration Management Co. and one of the leaders of BOMA Silicon Valley’s Emergency Preparedness Committee offers some advice in the box below.

How responsible are you? s

Have service providers lined up and ready to mobilize, including having service agreements/ contracts and COI in place.

s

Meet with your team and identify who the first responders will be and who will come in as the relief staff in the event work shifts run 12-14 hours.

s

Have emergency supplies on hand, environmental reports, blue prints/as builts.

Determine who will address the media, if neces sary, and who will provide tenants with updates.

(Have current tenant information readily avail able and remember, text messages may be the best form of communication in the event of a major power outage)

Ignoring this could be potentially dangerous for you, your company and your staff.

As an organization it is YOUR responsibility to ensure all staff and visitors in the workplace can evacuate safely in an emergency, this includes able bodied people as well as the mobility impaired.

Evac+Chair is the world’s No.1 supplier of evacuation chairs.

s

s

Establish expectations and company protocols in advance.

s

Pre-walk the building prior to the onset of a major storm to determine vulnerabilities.

s

Review evacuation procedures and know where you will evacuate to.

s

Establish who will be appointed to handle social media updates, if applicable.

s

Document EVERYTHING prior, during and after a major storm with supporting photos. Very important for insurance claims.

s

Expect the unexpected but most importantly, be prepared.

Communications is of course absolutely essential during an emergency, but what if your communications is down?

For greater reliability, fixed emergency phones have considerable value, even in the age of cell phones, says Kings III Emergency. It is important, therefore, to frequently test your emergency phones. (See previous page to learn more.)

(Continued on page 18)

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12 California Buildings News • September/October 2015

Women Vendors: They Help Buildings Run Smoothly Six California Women Whose Efforts Are Appreciated by CRE Leaders In what was once the maledominated world of commercial real estate, property and facility managers are increasingly women—and so are many of the people who represent service and product providers to buildings. Women work in every type of company within the industry from security, janitorial and architectural services to those who sell all sorts of products used in buildings. And they are playing major roles in the many associations for property and facility managers, contractors, architects and engineers working in every type of building throughout the state. Their service on committees and sponsorship support makes groups they are in much more effective.

Here’s a small sampling of the numerous women throughout California who were singled out by commercial real estate industry leaders as representative of the best in their field. California Buildings News asked them to tell us a little about themselves and their service philosophy. (We listed them in alphabetical order.)

Lindsay Baker, President, Building Robotics In my work and our team’s work with the Comfy software, we believe that technology enables us to find a delightful interaction between people and their buildings every day, rather than one that makes us frustrated and disempowered. We strive for that in our “Comfort-as-a-Service” approach every day. My hope is that more companies embrace a service approach to building optimization, because it facilitates ongoing improvement of our buildings, as well as embraces the increasingly dynamic and personalized nature of modern work.

Holly Carter, VP Corporate Accounts, Shaw Contract Group As VP Corporate Accounts for Shaw Contract Group, my role is primarily spent engaging with end users, architects, designers and product specifiers to provide long-term solutions for flooring needs.

In addition, I work with clients to achieve corporate sustainability benchmarks for various market segments.

Relationship-driven and focused on creative problem solving, I firmly believe in building networks and alliances for successful execution.

My strategy is focused on exceeding customer expectations, and having a previous project management history in the A&D community prepared me to understand the demands of today’s schedules and budget parameters.

I am active within my community, where I am a member of USGBC and Chair of the “Give Back” Committee. I also participate with CORENET’s Membership Committee.

13 California Buildings News • September/October 2015

Lilly Duharte, Project Manager, Able Services, San Francisco My primary responsibilities are to the clients and to the janitors. I make sure my janitors have everything needed to get the job done in a professional and safe manner. I believe good service starts with communication between myself, the janitors and our clients. If done correctly, then you can achieve anything. As a ‘team leader’ I take personal responsibility of my team’s performance and lead by example. In college I studied psychology in Lima, Peru and never imagined I would be living in such a special place as San Francisco where my everyday routine has no routine.

Cynthia Gee, Vice President, NicholsBooth Architects For over two decades I’ve tackled a range of workplace strategies and design scenarios that most people don’t realize go into making great work spaces—work process, workflow and work pattern analysis, emerging best practices, and ongoing changes in the workplace. I also lead the healthcare practice at NicholsBooth Architects, driving change in healthcare operations through Evidence Based Design, research-based initiatives, and LEED-Certified solutions. I am committed to design innovations that lead to compassionate care and improved experiences for patients, clinicians, and staff. The best part of my work is the great people I meet and collaborate with.

Jacki Nolen Neves, Account Executive, Pyro-Comm Systems Inc. As an Account Executive for Pyro-Comm Systems Inc., I utilize my experience in the Fire/ Life Safety Industry to assist customers with the complex and oftentimes overwhelming task of managing their fire alarm services. I enjoy presenting fire alarm codes and code required services that are easy for my customers to understand and manage by providing consultation and fire/life safety support. Developing long-term customer relationships make my job extra fun and rewarding just as the relationships in my personal life.

Liz Thomas, Vice President, Universal Protection Service My service philosophy that has taken me through 25 years in this industry both as both a principal and allied member of BOMA since 1990, is to use every opportunity to exceed my clients’ expectations. This philosophy is the same when being assigned a project, managing my team, reporting to our executive leadership…use every opportunity to exceed someone’s expectations and always do what you say you are going to do.

Client relationships are critical to my success and my philosophy is based on the promises we keep to our clients and colleagues. It’s how we follow through and how we make them feel when they do business with us. I believe in what I do, and I do it with a passionate spirit and strive to always be one step ahead. I have been with Universal Protection Service, the largest U.S. owned security company in the nation, for 14 years and am responsible for business development for 11 branch offices in Northern California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii. I manage six of the brightest sales professionals in the industry and remain heavily involved in client retention. I am a proud member of the Board of Directors for BOMA Oakland/East Bay and BOMA San Francisco Allied Steering Committee.

(Liz is pictured above, left, at a BOMA awards ceremony with BOMA San Francisco President Blake Peterson.)

14 California Buildings News • September/October 2015

Association News

Sustainability Dominates IREM’s Property Management Symposium “You should link sustainability to all of your business practices,” Alliance Residential’s National Director of Sustainability Kelly Vickers told the IREM San Francisco’s Asset & Property Management Symposium. Her message was echoed by a number of the speakers representing some of California’s biggest multifamily and commercial real estate firms. Alliance, one of the country’s largest multifamily companies, embeds sustainability in every aspect of its business model, from training its associates to reducing the mountains of paper traditionally used by property managers to engaging its tenants, repairing leaks and even building sustainability into its capital process. Vickers says her firm is now requiring that its vendors adopt green products and methods, such as using non-VOC-emitting paint.

Residents are increasingly pushing for sustainable features before they sign leases, said Mary Nitschke, the Prometheus Real Estate Group director of ancillary services. She said her company has become more sustainable in order to be more competitive in the multifamily market.

She cites an instance where installation of lower volume toilets in units resulted in significant water savings — appreciated by tenants who pay for water. Better toilets resulted in less clogging, which cut maintenance costs and reduced tenant complaints.

Nitschke said Prometheus’ Madera Apartments in Mountain View—sometimes referred to as the “Google Ghetto”—was leased up quickly because of its state-of-theart sustainability features, such as tech-driven Nest thermostat controls, Energy Star appliances. “Our demographic there likes to measure and know how they are conserving,” she said. Sustainable facilities can also rent for higher rates, she added.

NRG EV Services’ Vice President Terry O’Day says electric vehicles charging stations at multifamily sites are

becoming increasingly popular and also serve as a visible indication that the property providing them is committed to green goals.

Making commercial building and multifamily facilities more sustainable need not be a financial strain on owners, Sophia Hartkopf told the audience. The TRC Energy Services executive said there is a great deal of “low-hanging fruit” that can make a building greener without major capital improvements.

For “quick returns” in energy savings, she suggested upgrading lighting, instituting water-savings methods and replacing windows.

Healthy Buildings Definition Broadens Going beyond sustainability, companies like Rising Realty Partners in Los Angeles are moving to integrate their commercial buildings with their surrounding neighborhoods, so that the adjacent features of Downtown LA can become a part of their tenants’ experience. The firm takes over older structures and repurposes them with renovations that extend their life. Its “indoor-outdoor” concept changes the way employees relate to their workspaces, says Vice President Marc Gittleman. At one of its facilities they even host a rooftop movie night and welcome neighbors to come.

Building Robotics President Lindsay Baker is concerned with giving office tenants a better work experience by putting them more in charge of their own atmosphere. Since hotand-cold complaints are at the top of tenant gripes, Building Robotics sells software that interfaces with legacy hardware.

Result: people can set thermostats in their own area.

Gerding Eden is a company that seeks to situate its tenants in areas where they can do just about everything they need to do within a 20-minute zone: work, live, shop, recreate.

Better Engaging Rental Prospects Since renters today have more online tools to better research properties than ever before, multifamily companies must invest in robust websites, AvalonBay Vice President (Continued on page 16)

15 California Buildings News • September/October 2015

Want To Save Energy? ...Take A Walk If you don’t have a budget for a full energy audit leading to major capital improvements, maybe you could just take a walk around your building. You’d be surprised at the energy savings you can achieve, just-retired University of California Berkeley facilities chief Chuck Frost told an audience of facility engineers at the recent Northern California Facilities Expo in Santa Clara.

“Walking your building is so important,” says Frost.

He said so much of a stationary engineer’s day is driven by tenant complaints that he or she often doesn’t have enough time to make inspections. Doing so, he says, can tell you which areas of a building are fully lit and air-conditioned when no one is present. “Use your senses,” he said, to see, hear, smell and assess temperatures.

Minor fixes can add up to major energy savings that engineers can discover after casual inspections. Even more fixes are possible if you are systematic about inspecting your building: conducting some tests, analyzing utility information, benchmarking, reviewing documents that asset managers have.

“Trends are important,” says Frost, “because they tell you what the building is doing when you are not there.” For instance, sensors sometimes don’t respond to actual conditions in rooms.

Energy use can be set for maximum capacity when areas are rarely maximized. He said there may be 400 people using an area during the day and only five at night without energy use changes reflecting that disparity. Bottom line: Frost says there is a lot of low-hanging fruit that’s never picked.

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16 California Buildings News • September/October 2015

Association News

California Organizations Win Top USGBC Awards Sacramento-based Mutual Housing at Spring Lake was recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council Northern California for a range of sustainable activities, including installation of solar panels on the roofs of its apartment communities. “Its residents have benefited financially, philosophically, and physically from the energy efficient and green operations of its communities,” USGBC said.

Across the entire Mutual Housing multifamily portfolio, solar panels produce more than 700,000 Kilowatt hours annually, with most of that energy offsetting residents’ electric bills each month. In total, Mutual Housing residents save close to $100,000 per year in electricity costs from the solar generation alone. Energy Star rated appliances, insulation, and additional green features also assist in lowering utility costs. Mutual Housing is a partnership of neighborMutual Housing at Spring Lake community. (Photo credit: Frank Domin.) hood residents, business representatives, housing advocates, and local government dedicated to improving housing opportunities for lower income families. It exists to create a locally controlled nonprofit to revitalize low-income communities.

Also recognized was Indigo Architects of Davis for converting an old Dairy Queen into an innovative new office and studio workspace with the goal of achieving net zero energy use. They are dedicated to using the building as an educational facility and open to community involvement.

The California Department of General Services was given USGBC’s Impact Award for shaping the state’s green building policies and initiatives. California was the first government entity in the country, federal, state, or local, to require LEED certification of its new, as well as existing buildings. With 142 LEED certified buildings (over 18 million square feet), DGS continues to drive LEED certification efforts in California.

Sustainability (Continued from page 14) Heather Ahuja told the audience. “People are shopping online,” she said, and they need to know a great deal about their prospective homes before they even walk into the door. Social media, she also said, strongly affects decision-making. Prospects rely heavily on what others say about a property. Online reviewers can either say “horrible” things or “incredible” things about a facility.

Ahuja and others said rental companies must stay on top of these reviews by engaging the complainers while encouraging satisfied tenants to voice their approval.

Reputation management has become such an important part of the marketing process that companies like AvalonBay and Alliance Residential, Pacific Living Properties and FPI Management maintain staffers who regularly read reviews on websites like Yelp and respond.

FPI Management’s Vanessa Siebern said, “Residents are looking for a luxury lifestyle— not just an apartment.”

And so apartment companies “try to full integrate social media with their lifestyle.”

Multifamily authorities at the conference said that as many as 90 percent of renters today perform their due diligence online and come into a property already pre-qualified. n

17 California Buildings News • September/October 2015

PowerScout Submeters

RoCoil Flexible Current Transformers

Riverside County Electrician: Best in the West at NECA Journeyman electrician Robert Stuart was named “Electrician of the Year” for the West region by Klein Tools at the National Electrical Contractors Association’s annual conference, held this year in San Francisco.

Stuart has been a journeyman electrician for more than 18 years, currently residing in Menifee in Riverside County, California. His career began in high school where he worked as a part-time shop assistant before graduation. He then successfully completed his ABC Electrician Apprenticeship program and received his California Journeyman’s Electrician license in 2003 and works for Strong Hold Engineering.

Stuart is most proud of his work with large industrial electrical upgrades, swapping rigid conduit and motor control centers during night outages. He appreciates the artwork of moving the coils and twisting them like a roller coaster. He also recently completed an installation project of Solar Photovoltaic Systems at Fort Irwin using new concentrated solar panel technology.

He credits safety with his success saying simplicity is the key. He also leads a daily safety briefing and role models good behaviors to his colleagues.

To give back, Stuart volunteers with Apprenticeship 411, which conducts hands-on training, equipment demonstrations and seminars for 200 high school students teaching them about the electrical industry. He has also been an assistant scout master with the Boy Scouts since 2006.

Regional winners were awarded Klein Tools’ Ultimate Garage Package including a 41-piece Klein Journeyman™ Tool Set and other Klein gear.

The National Electrical Contractors Association is the voice of the $130 billion industry responsible for bringing electrical power, lighting, and communications to buildings and communities across the United States. NECA offers comprehensive educational opportunities, as well as the industry’s premiere trade show and management training.

More than 6,000 were estimated to have attended the NECA conference at the Moscone Center South.

18 California Buildings News • September/October 2015

Building Emergencies (Continued from page 11)

Fatal Threats: Human and Disease Of course, preparing for terrorism and workplace violence is a lot more difficult than fire protection and other disasters. It is very difficult, for instance, to tell

of challenges and risks to facility occupants. Perhaps most important is the public health risk that is presented by an unclean indoor environment. As the key connection between cleaning and human health is becoming better understood, cleaning is increasingly being recognized as the frontline defense to protect against potential outbreaks."

Wagner added, “By focusing on eliminating crosscontamination and ensuing proper sanitation of critical control points or high touch objects, facility management professionals can best minimize risk and prepare all facility occupants to take steps to ensure not just a clean, but a healthy environment. And there is no doubt that an outbreak of Norovius or MRSA or another disease is a true emergency.”

“

In California, we have potential disaster around every corner.

Earthquake, fire, flooding to name a few. Building managers and owners need to prepare in advance of these threats.

— Dean Reese, Ready America, Inc.

”

Being Responsible After A Disaster

Photo: Thinkstock.

what type of person will create mayhem. Erroll Southers, a counter-terrorism expert with San Jose-based TalGlobal, told a BOMA San Francisco audience recently that profiling is a complex matter and getting even more trying as people who might be thought of as domestic terrorists are now in some cases also allying with foreign terrorists, thereby becoming what he called “hybrids.” He also said we too often don’t prepare for the next disaster and noted that the World Trade Center operators and government agencies had done very little to prepare against the use of commercial aircraft as weapons. He further added that “secondary” building targets may be even more vulnerable than more carefully guarded iconic targets.

Death and illness may also come from non-human dangers lurking in such innocent places as our HVAC systems. ISSA executive Dan Wagner says, “A building that has not been effectively cleaned presents a number

Comprehensive statistics are unavailable, but many emergency preparedness experts are concerned that only a small percentage of workers have adequate and up-todate kits near their workspaces that can sustain them for three days following a disaster — like an earthquake. Kits should contain water, food, first-aid and other essentials. If roads and bridges are down, a worker in San Francisco, for instance, may not be able to return to his or her home in the outer East Bay or North Bay for many days. It is not the legal responsibility of an employee’s company to maintain adequate supplies to sustain that employee. It is the responsibility of each worker to do so, though many progressive companies have provided goods for their valued employees.

Others have facilitated discount purchases from companies like Ready America. (See page 8.)

“In California, we have potential disaster around every corner. Earthquake, fire, flooding to name a few,” says Dean Reese, co-founder and CEO of Ready America, Inc. “Building managers and owners need to prepare in advance of these threats. Ready America is committed to providing the best preparedness products at the lowest price to our valued clients and their employees.” n

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Evolving Hotels & Resorts (Continued from page 7) “San Francisco has long been a hub for the creative and curious minded traveler,” said Brian Povinelli, SVP Global Brand Leader for Le Méridien and Westin. “The completion of this multimillion dollar renovation ushers in a new era of unlocking San Francisco through the cultural and culinary lens of Le Méridien, highlighting local cuisine, unique design and destination-inspired programming for our guests and locals alike.”

Upon arrival, guests are immediately immersed into the design of the Hub — a monochromatic gridded ceiling references the streets of San Francisco and dynamic carpet patterns showcase regional cartography. In the guestrooms, large wall coverings reveal topographical maps of the surrounding mountains and hills. A color palette of muted grays, inspired by the rolling fog that the Bay Area is famous for, are combined with various shades of Pacific Ocean blue.

Pops of persimmon are found throughout the hotel, as a nod to the arguably most significant landmark of the city, the Golden Gate Bridge.

“We are very proud of our complete transformation of this incredible property,” said James L. Francis, President and CEO of Chesapeake Lodging Trust, the hotel REIT. “The hotel now conveys the design and energy elements of San Francisco, and our fantastic location in the heart of one of the world’s most vibrant and dynamic cities.”

The sweeping top-to-bottom renovation was led by Barbara Parker and Miriam Torres with a team of the country’s finest designers from Parker-Torres Design of Boston. Chic Scandinavian design, with accents of leather, wood and metal add rich texture to the guest experience. The impactful arrival experience begins in the portico, where guests step from their vehicle directly under a topographical rendering of San Francisco’s water table through geometric forms of the chemical compound for gold. After check in, guests are greeted by views of the Bay that can be seen from the floor-to-ceiling windows in every guestroom. As a city that loves its cocktails and its coffee, Le Méridien San Francisco always has a Master Barista on hand to act as your cultural ambassador to the world of all things caffeinated, while also shaking up some of the most finely crafted cocktails at Bar 333.

“We are delighted to represent Le Méridien San Francisco as part of our Top: Andaz San Diego offers spaces throughout the ground floor for small meetings. portfolio,” said Michael Miner, senior (Photo credit: Ciro Coelho.) Lower: The Hub at Le Méridien conveys the design and vice president of HEI Hotels & Resorts. energy elements of San Francisco. (Photo: courtesy of Le Méridien.)

(Continued on page 22)

21 California Buildings News • September/October 2015

Creative Spaces Enhance Meetings Let’s

say you need an offsite meeting

If that’s your idea of where to plan your organization’s next big moves, you might consider a place that others have chosen for almost 100 years: the inn at the Hyatt Carmel Highlands

with some of your most creative talent, talent that produces breakthrough results through collaboration best done away from the hectic demands of the office. You might rent a con(Continued on page 22) ference room at a nearby hotel or get a roundtable at a your favorite restaurant. Or you might invest in something much more effective.

Wise corporate and group leaders often remove their best people far from the madding crowd to a venue with a design that opens up people’s minds and provides them with activities that get them thinking and behaving way outside the proverbial box. Such a place might well be out on the American continental edge where the horizon goes on forever out across the Pacific and waves crash against the craggy coastline, a place where the mind and spirit aren’t limited by the confines of the corner office or a cubicle.

Top photo: Hyatt Carmel Highlands lounge offers cozy meeting spaces.

(Photo credit: Don Riddle.) Lower photo: Great Room at the Holman Ranch is ideal for small gatherings. (Photo: courtesy of Holman Ranch.)

22 California Buildings News • September/October 2015

Creative Spaces (Continued from page 21) where practically every Valley, nestled withwindow opens the in the Santa Lucia imagination. And Mountains, where the food ain’t half good wine is made, bad either, and the superb cuisine is nearly 1,000 distinct available in the nearwine labels offer quite by village and you a range of lubrication. might even get in a “We have found little horseback riding, that our rustic coastal play a game of cards, environment with its challenge your boss natural lush landscaping to a game of pool and unique settings or organize a horseoriented to the feel of show tossing contest. the Big Sur Coast allows Clark Gable, Marlon attendees to step away Brandon, Charlie from their normal surChaplin and a lot of Intimate board room at the Holman Ranch. (Photo credit: Scott Campbell.) roundings and explore their Hollywood pals fresh new thoughts and concepts that can be as inspiring used to flock to the place to unwind. Worked for them. as the views of the Pacific Ocean. Whether the group Hunter Lowder, Holman Ranch’s director of hospitalis participating in one of the many hikes on the nearby ity, says, “Holman Ranch’s unique and versatile venue trails, experiencing the inside look at a winery tour conallows guests to cater one-of-a-kind experiences, be it ducted by the winemaker himself, or learning how to a corporate event, retreat or team-building excursion. create specialty flavored meringues as part of their agenHolman provides both traditional and non-traditional da, we are able to provide the support and services that meeting spaces, and we host just one event at a time, can help them to enjoy a productive and unique retreat,” from functional black-tie affairs to fun outdoor gatherings says Mel Bettcher, managing director at the Hyatt Carmel where guests rope ‘dummy’ cattle or shoot skeet in denHighlands. ims. The ranch is quiet and remote yet fully functional for If the seaside and traditional elegance isn’t what you the modern world, with well-appointed, digitally equipped had in mind, you might consider a rustic but no less board rooms. And outdoors, Mother Nature helps loosen engaging venue than the Holman Ranch, just up Carmel collars, brighten moods and cultivate creativity.” n

Evolving Hotels & Resorts (Continued from page 20) “With the hotel’s recent enhancements, Le Méridien San Francisco has established a new standard for luxury hotels in San Francisco’s flourishing Financial District. From state-of-the-art meeting capabilities to luxurious guestrooms, guests are assured to experience the Financial District like never before.”

For those looking to immerse themselves in an artist experience indigenous to San Francisco, guests are invited to participate in the brand’s UNLOCK ART program — a feature that allows guests to use their room keys as free admission to the Yerba Buena Center of the Arts, the city’s hippest museum. The bold traveler can spend days exploring architecture that’s known the world over —the Transamerica, the Painted Ladies, and the Art Deco favorite, The Golden Gate Bridge.

Given its location, Le Méridien San Francisco also makes a great home base for a “foodie” free-for-all at the Ferry Building, or a short saunter up Sansome, to a North Beach cafe for a night of jazz and poetry.

Hospitality entrepreneur Fred Smith, principal of Guesthouse-Smith Venture Group, says, “It’s now a commonly held belief that the today’s travelers value social spaces in hotels more than their rooms. Most new brands open their ground levels for bars, living rooms, etc. Now, the importance is how each hotel differentiates their social spaces from the other. Travelers want, above all, a unique experience. In our brand, we’re focused on creating spaces with character that tell a story, a story we hope they share with their friends during and after their stay with us.” n

23 California Buildings News • September/October 2015

Can We Get You Coffee…Water?

A New Age is Dawning in the World of Workplace Beverages

® /™ © Mars Drinks UK Ltd. and its affiliates 2015

Coffee Facts • 34% consume gourmet coffee, up 3% • 42% of gourmet coffee users are 25-39 • 61% Americans drink coffee, compared to 41% who consume soft drinks • 74% Hispanics drink coffee, 61% Caucasians and 44% African-Americans • 53% use drip coffee makers, down 5% • 15% Americans own single-drip systems, up 8% Source: National Coffee Association facts (2014 report) Background photo: Thinkstock.

Back in the day, when you visited a workplace and someone offered you a cup of coffee, you were wise to pass on what was likely vile burnt chemical syrup flavored with powdered cream. In many cases today, the offer of coffee is a treat that nicely flavors a meeting. And employees have certainly come to expect that what they are served at work be at least as good as what they buy themselves at Starbucks, Peet’s, Illy’s or Blue Bottle. Even water is becoming a special beverage in some cases.

“By 2020, Millennials will make up 40 percent of the workforce, and they’re looking for a wide variety of drinks at work, especially espresso-based drinks like cappuccinos and lattes,” David Flochel, general manager of Mars Drinks North America said. “In a recent survey commissioned by Mars Drinks, we learned that millennials view coffee as a way of connecting with older peers and colleagues at work and fortunately, they no longer have to leave the office to get their favorite drinks. Mars Drinks is helping to bring people together by providing the drinks they love, conveniently in the workplace.”

Nespresso, another major presence in offices, strives to offer “an exceptional experience for business professionals. When companies offer the perfect cup of coffee, with Nespresso, they are expressing the importance they place on quality and creating a positive work environment. Our dedicated specialists provide customized solutions for each organization, by evaluating their specific coffee needs. Our unique portfolio suits every work place and creates enjoyable coffee moments for employees,” says a company spokesperson.

Convincing employers that office coffee service can increase productivity and morale—and thereby justify the cost associated with office coffee service—remains a key to the industry’s future success. But that success can also be actualized by enhancing office coffee service’s health halo to leverage association with employer (Continued on page 32)

24 California Buildings News • September/October 2015

Designer & Builder

Profiles: Top Designers and Builders Some of the world’s best design and construction companies are working in California. Their projects range in size from structures with billion-dollar budgets to much more modest buildings. Here are a few we are featuring in this issue, along with one of their recent high-profile projects:

Skanska

Transbay Transit Center site. Photo credit: Skanska.

Skanska is a full-service construction firm serving California with five offices. Each local office serves its clients by combining the resources of a national company with the knowledge that comes from more than 90 years of living and working in the Golden State. Skanska is currently involved with a number of highly visible building and civil projects throughout the state, including the new Transbay Transit Center in San Francisco and the Metro Expo Line Phase 2 light rail extension that will one day shepherd up to 24,000 passengers per day between downtown Los Angeles to the beach in Santa Monica.

Skanska is working with the Transbay Joint Powers Authority to supply and erect 24,000 tons of structural steel, sourced from 19 different states, for the Transbay Transit Center, the new multi-modal transit hub “Grand Central Station of the West” in downtown San Francisco.

Skanska is also leading the interiors work.

LPA, Inc. As one of the largest integrated design firms in California, LPA Inc. has a distinct history of expertise in architecture, design and planning. LPA provides architectural, planning, landscape architecture, interior design, engineering, and graphic/ signage services from early program development to project closeout. With extensive experience in public and private architecture, the firm designs a diversity of facilities that span from K-12 schools, colleges and universities, to civic, corporate, religious and retail establishments throughout Northern and Southern California, with most recently expanding to San Antonio. Before it was mainstream, the firm has been advocating the Palomar College Humanities Building.

Photo credit: LPA Inc./Costea message that sustainable design can be achieved on any project, budget, building type and location. Photography.

The Palomar College Humanities Building, the second of three LPA projects at Palomar College San Marcos Campus, called for an integrated design team of architecture, landscape architecture, interior design and structural and mechanical engineering. Due to the limited site dimensions, the 70,000-square-foot, twostory building reuses the footprint of a previous structure, minimizing the site work while maximizing the available space for instructional and office space.

(Continued on page 26)

25 California Buildings News • September/October 2015

Architectural Librarians…

Important To Both Design Product Reps and A&D Firms Q&A with Mark G. Maloy, Architectural Librarian Can you describe the function of a ‘librarian” in an architectural firm?

The many ways we can function depends on the firm respecting what we are capable of. Given the layers of requirements now necessary to meet stringent codes and “green” ratings, our assistance at many levels of design is needed more than ever. Sadly, many firms no longer appreciate the A&D (architecture and design) Librarian’s role believing, “It’s all on the Internet” and easy to find. It isn’t. They cost cut doing away with resource collections and Librarians. It can cost them more in the end.

Our most important function is to get accurate information fast! A&D librarians can be uniquely qualified to know where to go in the ever-changing ways information is stored and sourced. Whether it is on a bookshelf or in the cluttered Internet, we help focus through all the nonsense to the right answers.

Vital functions I have provided daily over the years have been in-house resource collections coordinator, inventory manager and housekeeper. I perform product information sourcing, codes and standards work, offer license/accreditation maintenance options with educational opportunities as well as project archival custodian chores. Then there is the constant function of being a critical liaison between manufacturer and designer. Not one day has passed in my 26 years doing this when I haven’t been asked, “Who is the rep for…?”

What sort of education or training is needed for your job?

Library Science degrees are not necessarily required.

Familiarity with design and construction processes is helpful.

Any number of degrees and work experiences can be molded into making an A&D Librarian. It’s more about approach and attitude. The best candidates are adept at all types of research, have solid organizational skills and practice careful listening. Precise communication is vital! You need to be friendly, willing and able to provide help in situations that can involve ominous deadlines and challenging personalities.

What is the best way for companies to make their products or services known to an architectural firm?

Wherever possible, they need to provide a local representative.

Internet connectivity options are critical, but will never totally replace face time with a reliable rep.

How do you prefer receiving information from vendors?

Print? Digital? Both?

I prefer websites and local reps over e-mail or hardcopy advertising blasts. Information once provided in product binders or brochures must be easily accessible online. Now that manufacturers don’t have to spend the money to maintain countless catalogs and cut sheets, they can apply the savings to better websites. These should be intuitive, always current with features needed for Revit and other design software.

Simple and reliable sample ordering help is a must. Perhaps with the money companies save getting off paper and going digital they might hire more reps. Oh, and expand their marketing food budgets for the lunches and snack treats so vital in cementing good relationships with the vendors and designers!

What are major vendor turn-offs for librarians?

A&D Firms have thousands of manufacturers beating on their doors and computer screens; they need someone to help with the deluge. Librarians function as a filter, gatekeeper and firewall for designers. I have the greatest respect for sales reps; they have one of the toughest roles to play in the linkage from the manufacturer to the final specification and installation process.

They routinely perform design deadline miracles getting information and providing complex sampling demands that often don’t mean a sale. However, some tenacious reps walk this tight rope like it is a six-lane highway wondering why they don’t get the instant attention they seek. Cold call walk-in and unscheduled “update” visits are annoying. Requests for design staff lists and last-minute pleas to gather key design staff to meet folks in town from the home office are irritating. Reps who don’t understand that, “don’t call us, we will call you” means let us do our work first, don’t stalk us.

Do you show preference for established companies or do you also give firms with new products a chance?

Proven quality, pricing and service does go to the head of line. New manufacturers and products cannot be ignored, and I always welcome introducing them to the right audience.

Maloy is an architectural librarian with 26 years of experience working for HOK and MBH Architects

26 California Buildings News • September/October 201

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Top Designers & Builders (Continued from page 24)

ZGF Architects LLP Over the last 30 years, ZGF Architects LLP has designed more than 110 projects in the State of California, including the California Science Center, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and over 30 projects across nine campuses of the University of California System. ZGF’s recent work in California includes the J. Craig Venter Institute La Jolla, the first net-zero energy biological laboratory [of its kind]; the LEED-Platinum certified Stanford University, Central Energy Facility; and the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara, Family Justice Center Courthouse, the first new courthouse in the State devoted to family law.

Shown is the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Headquarters – Agoura Hills, California. The four-phased development of this headquarters campus began with a 22,240 SF LEEDPlatinum certified building, designed to respect its natural setting and achieve net-zero energy, and to set a regional Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Headquarters. Photo credit: Nick Merrick. precedent for environmental stewardship. The building relies completely on natural ventilation rather than on mechanically-operated heating and cooling systems. Subsequent phases are currently underway.

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Expected El Niño Storms May Cause Severe Water Damage Strategies Experts Recommend to Better Safeguard Your Roof One of the most neglected features of a building in the usually dry West is a roof.

Deferred maintenance of roofs, however, can become catastrophic when heavy rains batter buildings and seep into the buildings. Water damage results in the biggest insurance claims for good reason. The direct damage of water pouring into an interior and flooding offices and storage areas is an immediate effect, and mold and mildew-causing water that seeps into walls and hidden areas poses long-term dangers to people and property.

California roofing companies are very busy right now fielding calls from suddenly concerned building operators who have been tuning into grim weather reports that go from drought news to anticipated El Niño storms that weather scientists say could be the most severe in decades. And some roofers say they don’t have enough trained people and resources to undertake complex roofs replacements. “We’re already booked up until late next spring,” confided one roofing executive.

29 California Buildings News • September/October 2015

Capital improvements like roofs have been difficult to budget for in recent years, and the historically long drought has lulled California property owners into complacency.

Unfortunately, deferred maintenance can cost much more money in the long run as unbudgeted damage costs and tenant lawsuits are added to roof replacement costs.

“Roof drains…” says Western Colloid Roof Systems General Manager Greg Hlavaty, “…that’s what I worry about when I think about El Niño. Unfortunately, El Niño might not bring us ground soaking rain but rather some severe storms bringing lots of rain in a short period of time. That means water trapped on a roof. In addition to an annual roof maintenance plan it’s always important to inspect your roofs after a severe storm event. You may have a watertight roof now but if your roof has standing water that cannot drain off you risk deteriorating the roof surface and in worse case a roof collapse.”

What if you can’t commission the replacement of your roof right now?

“Clear all debris from the roof, drains and gutters to allow for maximum drainage. Secure skylights, seal and waterproof, look for obvious problems and patch where

possible. If problems are beyond your capabilities, call your local roofing expert for immediate advice,” says Buck Dinyari, CEO Bay Quality Roofing.

“We know El Niño is coming this year and it could be massive, if all the experts are to be believed,” says Ryan Shinn, Western Group Marketing Manager, CentiMark Corporation. “Many companies know their roofs won’t keep them dry, but until it starts raining they can’t spend capital that is already stretched thin. But with many companies waiting on the rain, that will mean that many roofers could have huge backlogs when the rain starts to fall, and repairs won’t be fast, or will be overpriced. This problem could also lead to companies falling prey to less qualified or experienced roofers who move in when the needs are plentiful.

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We also have some unique programs for customers who can’t budget for reroofs until 2016, but need a watertight roof in the meantime. These programs are really helping customers to avoid the financial and scheduling problems that might occur later, and helping CentiMark to schedule our customers before a crisis occurs.” n

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30 California Buildings News • September/October 2015

Association News

Distributed Work on the Rise, IFMA Study Shows Companies Are Becoming More Efficient in Space Utilization Distributed workplace strategies that are widely used by many California companies are being adapted throughout North America, according to a survey released by the International Facility Management Association at its annual World Workplace conference in Denver.

According to “Distributed Work Revisited,” released in October, most surveyed organizations appear to have increased the number of staff sitting in unassigned spaces when compared with the initial 2009 “Distributed Work,” report. At the same time, survey respondents reported a decrease in the amount of space required to support unassigned staff.

IFMA found that in order to help achieve these goals, more organizations are employing a “growth without growth” strategy when it comes to workspace allocation. With more people using less space, the sharing ratio has increased such that organizations are increasing their workforce while using the same amount of real estate.

The report also identifies social barriers—not technological ones—as the primary hurdle for implementation of distributed work strategies. For those organizations that do adopt distributed work strategies, technology and furniture are the top drivers of cost. One surprising result was the increased cost of parking, resulting from the fact that workplace density is increasing beyond the expected levels.

The complete version of “Distributed Work Revisited: Research Report #37” is available for sale online (https://www. ifma.org/marketplace/store/product-view/distributed-workrevisited). Funds raised help support ongoing and future research along with the sponsorship from organizations like HOK and Allsteel.

The same study revealed that facility managers are becoming key decision makers in building operations and asset management. When asked who was driving workplace strategy decisions related to the implementation of distributed work, FM and real estate managers were identified in 30 percent of responses, only slightly less than senior executives (38 percent).

“Smart Buildings” Products Showcased Numerous products displayed at IFMA’s World Workplace event this year focused on making building operations a lot smarter—in a variety of ways. Some standouts: w Sodexo aims to improve employee engagement and enhance workplace and organizational effectiveness with its products and services w Archibus produces software solutions that help property and facility managers better visualize, plan, analyze and report on operations w Infor extends its multi-industry solutions to commercial real estate with its CloudSuite Faciilties Management product, empowering employees at every level by providing access to mobile devices as well as desktop screens w Inlight Labs offers software that helps managers track their staff w Condeco Software uses sensors and online dashboards to help companies better measure space utilization as “hot-desking” becomes more prevalent

w Wizard Software Solutions sells property management software, integrated mobile solutions for properties, maintenance, capital projects as well as finance w ARC is continually innovating in a variety of ways as a leader in managing documents for architects, engineers and contractors w TMA Systems uses technology to help extend the life of physical assets w Serraview offers software mines data to unlock real estate value and give workforces the ability to better plan, move and work w SMART Technologies created whiteboards that connect via an app to the digital displays of numerous people who can view and respond to whiteboarding’ writing and design

w OfficeSpace helps manage moves and space allocation, service requests and even wayfinding via kiosks—a comprehensive suite of tools w ZAN Compute enhances the management of HVAC, water use and custodial activities w Alertus concentrates on message delivery, using desk alerts, LED marquees and digital signage overrides—and even messaging for the sight impaired w FM:Systems’ FM:Interact Workplace Management Suite helps facility teams manage demanding building portfolios w EventBoard provides digital displays that help companies with visitor management and real-time room booking and management

31

Marketing Tips Learned at SMPS Conference

How can you better communicate your company’s value to your audiences? That was the main topic in August at the annual conference of the Society for Marketing Professional Services in Los Angeles.

Some of the country’s best communicators shared valuable techniques and strategies on how design-and-build marketing and business development professionals can better market to their audiences. The information is applicable to almost any other business audience.

California Buildings News editors gathered the following tips at various sessions held.

California Buildings News • September/October 2015

Biggest tip: Send principals, marketers and business development people to your local SMPS chapter. Visit: www. smps.org 1. Listen…then tailor to client needs.

A number of speakers emphasized the need to solicit as much information as possible from your prospects before launching into all the reasons why your company is the best fit for prospect needs you may not really understand.

2. Broaden your marketing strategy.

Use many tools in the toolbox. Blend advertising with social media, PR, direct mail, emails, brochures, customer publishing and event sponsorship with business development efforts that are better researched and integrated with other marketing tools.

3. Make your website more unique.

Many authorities felt that the website architecture and content of major firms

were so similar they might be interchangeable.

4. Stop using hackneyed language.

Phrases like “We take a team-managed approach,” “On-time and on-budget performance,” “We empower our employees” and other common expressions say you aren’t unique.

5. Make work fun. Projects that require people to work together for years are best done—and repeated— if people who work together find ways to enjoy each other’s company.

6. See marketing budget as an investment. Too many firms regard marketing as an expense and worse—a budget bucket in which they dump all sorts of costs.

7. Don’t mix lunch and business.

Feeding someone then ambushing them with a sales pitch as they try to digest the meal can be disagreeable.

ULI Says San Francisco’s Becoming More Energy Efficient San Francisco Practice Is a Model For Other Cities to Reduce Costs, Fuel Use Energy consumption by commercial properties in San Francisco has declined significantly since 2011 after the implementation of San Francisco's Existing Commercial Buildings (ECB) Energy Performance Ordinance, according to a report released in October by the Urban Land Institute Greenprint Center for Building Performance at ULI’s national conference at the Moscone Center. The report is the result of a collaboration between Greenprint and the San Francisco Department of the Environment.

The San Francisco Existing Commercial Buildings Performance Report shows a 7.9 percent reduction in energy use from 2010 to 2014 across a cohort of 176 properties consistently tracked during that period. A review of a broader group of 817 buildings found that the implementation of energy reduction measures could save tens of millions of dollars in costs over the lifetime of the projects, adding significantly to the properties' value.

The study suggests that significant economic and environmental benefits can be realized through broad adoption of measures similar to those in San Francisco's program.

The report points out that the collaborative effort between the city and Greenprint is a good model for other cities because it shows the positive results achieved through a

combination of voluntary private sector efforts and public sector regulatory efforts to minimize the environmental impact of the real estate sector.

"This report offers a proven approach to real estate benchmarking, which can help inform jurisdictions all over the country in reducing greenhouse gases," said Patrick L. Phillips, ULI global chief executive officer.

"It's critical for government agencies and the real estate industry to work together to accommodate sensible, sustainable urban growth."

The findings in energy reductions and millions of dollars in cost savings and value enhancement are the result of a public/private partnering approach catalyzed by the ECB Ordinance. Passed in 2011, it established requirements for building owners to benchmark energy use with a goal of reducing energy and emissions throughout San Francisco. The new report represents the first major analysis of the ECB Ordinance data.

"Nearly $61 million in cost-effective energy efficiency investment opportunities have been identified by local engineers, which, if completed, will result in $170 million in net present value," said Deborah Raphael, director of the San Francisco Department of Environment. "Now, we need building owners to take the next step and make these cost-effective investments."

32 California Buildings News • September/October 2015

Workplace Beverages (Continued from page 23) wellness program trends and by demonstrating to employers that keeping employees on site saves them money. The good news is that, according to Packaged Facts’ proprietary consumer research, significant room for growth remains: Many employees view coffee as a productivity tool and view high-quality office coffee as an important perk, but employers still pick up less than half of their workplace ground/whole bean and pod/K-Cup coffee costs.

Quality Water in Demand

Quality water is at least as important in the workplace, and California Builder News employees are increasingly particular about its taste and benefits.

Mike Maxwell, vice president of sales at Waterlogic West, says Salsbury Industries

his Concord, CA-based company “provides the premier solution for better water, richer coffee, and the best ice for California businesses Employees enjoy great-tasting still, sparking and flavoured water. and organizations. Our products provide on demand still, sparkling, (Photo courtesy of Waterlogic.) and flavoured water; single cup, bean to cup, and brewed coffee, as well as a myriad of ice options to their employees and visitors. Despite all the hype about flavoured beverages, the variance in tastes and preferences makes the choice for workplaces an almost impossible task. The result is simple. Great tasting water is still the preferred beverage. People are becoming more aware of and appreciative of the taste of filtered, purified tap water and the systems we offer today are the most advanced in the world. Secondly, we hear more and more that people are tired of ‘regular’ coffee and are want specialized coffee equipment that is memorable, flavourful, and reliable, at the touch of a button.

For many forward thinking organizations, the coffee, water and ice they serve is part of their welcome, it says something about the company, its attitude and brand.” n

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Jan/Feb, May/Jun, Sep/Oct

33 California Buildings News • September/October 2015

Bold New Silicon Valley Concept

Silicon Valley is characterized by mind-boggling technology and usually mind-numbing architecture —until recently. Here’s comes a bold new multi-use concept for what was once a tired old suburban mall. Up for approval, The Hills at Vallco promises to become Cupertino’s mixed-use town center and the heart of the city’s emerging downtown. Plans include a vibrant, sustainable, walkable and safe new neighborhood with a mix of retail, dining, entertainment, recreation, offices, housing, open space and public amenities. The Hills at Vallco also features an unprecedented 30-acre community park and nature preserve, which will not only be the largest community park in Cupertino, but also the largest green roof in the world.

Sacramento’s First Modular Building Apartment modules hauled in by flatbed trucks are being stacked by a 250-ton crane to form downtown Sacramento’s new luxury rental building, EVIVA Midtown. A six-person crew will set the apartment modules for the 118-unit project. The Capital Area Development Authority (CADA) project in partnership with Integral Group, the project developer, will feature prefabricated apartment modules built by Guerdon Enterprises of Boise, Idaho.

LDK Ventures Managing Principal, Denton Kelley said, “The modular approach consistently produces a high quality product because the majority of the work is conducted in a controlled indoor manufacturing environment where there are no weather delays or damage.” CADA Executive Director, Wendy Saunders added, “This project will further advance Mayor Johnson’s 10,000-unit downtown housing initiative and will also attract premium commercial tenants to the Central City.”

The Eviva Midtown. Rendering courtesy of LDK Ventures.

Do You Sell Products and Services to Resorts?

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A Magazine for Resort Managers Who Create Memorable Guest Experiences The publisher of California Buildings News is launching Resorts of the West magazine, a print and online publication focusing on topics of interest to resort general managers, facility chiefs, food and beverage managers, chefs, housekeeping managers, golf pros and directors of sales.

So‌if you want to boost sales to resorts, contact us to make sure you budget for the many opportunities our new resort-focused magazine will offer in 2016.

The publication will be mailed to resort managers at more than 500 properties from Hawaii to Texas. And it will be emailed and distributed via social media to readers of relevant industry LinkedIn Groups and many other platforms.

For special discount ads for 2016, contact Ellen Eason at ellen@easoncom.com or 415.596.9466.

Creating Memorable Guest Experiences

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Š Copyright 2015 by Eason Communications LLC w Publisher of California Buildings News. Visit www.cabuildingnews.com

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Clean Buildings Are Healthier Buildings Using Safer Products & Germ-Fighting Strategies Improves Occupancy

n News about commercial buildings, multifamily complexes, hotels, hospitals, factories, institutional facilities n Regional news focus on Northern and Southern California n Advertising opportunities allow you to choose either statewide or regional market pricing

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More than 22,000 readers of our print edition, including building and facility managers, architects, contractors, engineers, developers and companies providing goods and services

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Direct-mailed and distributed through more than 50 organizations like BOMA, IFMA, IREM, AIA, SMPS, CoreNet, AFE, CREW, USGBC, CAA and many others

n Digital version distributed extensively online, through social media and on our website

To learn more about how you can reach our targeted buildings industry audience, contact our associate publisher, Ellen Eason, at ellen@easoncom.com or 415.596.9466.

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Designer & Builder Why The “Design-Build” Model Makes Sense

Q&A with John Stump President, Flint Builders, Roseville and Chair of the Building Division Board of the Associated General Contractors of California

The design-build construction model seems to be gaining ground in the building community.

Why is that?

Public and private owners have consistently reported a measurable savings of both time and money with design-build delivery. Furthermore, there is substantially less conflict and aggravation amongst participants because of the collaboration that occurs.

The overall duration for design-build projects has been reduced through a phased delivery and early subcontractor buyout so that shop drawings and submittals can be incorporated into the design. Mockups are developed, materials are selected, and long lead items are released during the design phase. Prefabrication and planning occurs well in advance of field construction. This pre-planning effort results in the efficiency and quality of construction. Design approvals are often phased so that critical construction activities can begin ahead of final construction documents.

By way of example, the site grading, utilities, and building pad are often under construction during the final detailing of the building finishes.

Does the design-build model reduce the influence of architects’ creativity in the process?

Absolutely not. Architects go through the same creative process in a design-build delivery. The building contractor and subcontractor resources are actively engaged in the design process to deliver cost and schedule data, constructability

analysis, material recommendations, and shop drawings for design coordination. Real-time cost data helps guide design decisions and achieve best value for the owner.

Where do traditional construction managers fit into this process?

The traditional construction manager is unnecessary in a design-build process. This reduction of soft costs is an immediate savings to the owner.

What percentage of buildings are built in California using the design-build model?

It’s hard to say, but it’s clear that the percentage continues to climb. Public and private entities have increasingly adopted the design-build delivery and have developed thoughtful ways of selecting their design-build team through a competitive, best value approach. What we appreciate most is the comradery and collaboration that we experience with our clients, subcontractors, and design partners as we all work toward the common goal of delivering an exceptional project. This is an exciting time to be a design-builder!