Dive brief:
- DPR Construction has opened a new office in Waltham, Massachusetts, transforming an outdated space into an open office plan, the company announced last week.
- In less than 10 years, the contractor’s Boston-area operations have grown from an initial office in Cambridge with few employees to a team of nearly 200 administrative and artisan workers, according to a news release. In New England, the Redwood City, Calif.-based company focuses on life sciences, healthcare, higher education and commercial work.
- “There is significant potential in this market and we are excited to be at the center. We are excited to grow with New England,” said Boston Business Unit Leader Patrick Cusson.
Diving knowledge:
Next, the DPR announcement similar recent office extensions from contractors across the country, including Clark, Shawmut and Messer.
The workspace is a remodeling of an office from the 70s located in the northwest section of suburban Boston that is home to Brandeis University and industrial giant Raytheon Technologies.
DPR and Boston-based Elkus Manfredi Architects transformed the 16,000-square-foot space into an open floor plan with spacious collaboration areas, conference rooms, an outdoor cafe and patio, and the contractor’s signature wine bar, a feature of many of its offices. DPR has also modernized offices in Reston, Virginia; Sacramento, California; Phoenix; and Nashville, Tenn., according to the release.
The renovation project in Waltham took place while other offices in the building remained occupied, requiring coordination to plan access and after-hours stops, along with scheduling deliveries with an access limited to the loading dock, according to the release.
In addition, a crane lifted pieces of pergola structure into an area of the lot inaccessible to vehicles. From there, a smaller crane set up each individual wooden beam and column, preventing the installation from disturbing the rest of the project, according to the company.
