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- DPR Construction has opened a new office in Waltham, Massachusetts, transforming an outdated space into an open office plan, the company announced last week.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 a start-up office in Cambridge with just a few employees to a team of nearly 200 administrative and craft workers, according to a press release. In New England, the Redwood City, California-headquartered company focuses on life science, healthcare, higher education and commercial work.
- “There is significant potential in this market and we are excited to be at the center of it. We are excited to grow with New England,” Boston business unit leader Patrick Cusson said.
Dive Insight:
The DPR announcement follows similar recent office expansions from contractors across the country, including Clark, Shawmut and Messer.
The workspace is a remodel of a 1970s office located in the northwestern section of the Boston suburb 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 ample areas for collaboration, conference rooms, a café and outdoor patio and the contractor’s signature wine bar, a feature in many of its offices. DPR has similarly modernized offices in Reston, Virginia; Sacramento, California; Phoenix; and Nashville, Tennessee, according to the release.
The renovation project in Waltham took place while other offices in the building remained occupied, requiring coordination to plan for off-hours access and shutdowns, along with scheduling deliveries with limited loading dock access, the release said.
In addition, a crane hoisted pergola structure pieces to an area of the site that was inaccessible to vehicles. From there, a smaller spider crane set each individual wood beam and column, keeping the install from disturbing the rest of the project, according to the company.