Ask The Experts: Construction Through Informed Design

Originally published in Mid Atlantic Real Estate Journal October 27-November 9, 2017

From the inside out: How a Mid-Atlantic general contractor and its design partner broke down walls

On the cusp of their 50 year anniversary and in anticipation of a leadership change, the executive team at Harkins Builders examined their current condition, company values, and how they wanted the future of their company to look. Leadership took a deep dive to uncover the true foundation of their success and discovered a direct correlation between productivity, the delivery of exceptional quality service, and physical office design. Harkins had been located in Marriottsville, MD for 15 years and occupied 25,000 s/f on two separate floors, with some overflow employees on the basement level. The leadership team realized physical barriers were preventing teamwork, separating project teams, and hindering the internal working relationships crucial to delivering client satisfaction. While location is often the default concern for corporate management teams, Harkins leadership decided to focus on what happened inside their building, rather than the parcel of land on which it sat.

The Verve Partnership recently helped Harkins reinvent themselves through a physical space transformation.

Harkins reached out to The Verve Partnership, a WBE interior architecture and design strategy firm located in Baltimore City. The Verve specializes in ‘designing from the inside out’ by distilling brand and culture to inform space design. The Verve met with Harkins and discovered a mismatch among company values, future goals, and current space. Working together, Harkins articulated their desired new work environment, resulting in a less traditional space that would integrate all members of the company regardless of management level. Harkins wanted efficient workspaces to foster collaboration and interaction, yet allow opportunity for privacy and quiet. Bolstering these aspirations with deep dive analytics and employee input, Harkins agreed that their current space was ill-suited to accommodate the necessary design changes, therefore, they would relocate to Columbia, MD.

The new space design wasn’t an easy sell for everyone at Harkins. “How in the world would an open work environment, with noise, interruptions, and little privacy work for our company?” asked Dave Miller, the project executive. “We called this our Valley of Fear.” The Verve Partnership helped Harkins jump the valley by visiting other open office environments, ultimately deciding on a mix of equal sized team rooms and offices to encourage collaboration and diversify use of space, while also incorporating larger open social spaces for family like connections. Construction through informed design was exactly what Harkins needed, resulting in several unexpected outcomes. Harkins thought redesign would bring everyone in closer spatial proximity to one another, but never imagined the other positive ramifications the space would have on employee spirit. An employee survey confirmed this design resulted in increased employee happiness and engagement, more seamless teamwork, and increased productivity. “Our folks are so proud of their new home, we’ve even noticed them bringing their spouses in to show off our new space,” added Dave Miller. “It really showed us how designing from the inside out could make a lasting difference in employee satisfaction, improve the outcome for our clients and as a result, benefit our bottom line.”