FACILITY SPOTLIGHT: Friedman LLP
Friedman used their lease expiration as an opportunity to consolidate from four floors into one unified space. They also wanted a layout that had a limited number of columns to open things up. And perhaps most importantly, with a predominantly young workforce, Friedman wanted a space that would reflect their energy, fresh perspective and modern sensibilities for all that an office environment should and could be.
The project began in 2018, lasted 22 weeks and included the following project team:
Architect: MKDA
Project Manager: Craven
GC: Gallin Construction
MEP: AKF Engineers
Furniture: Benhar
All the technology for the space needed to be updated to state-of-the-art standards, with room to grow. Friedman needed a conference room outfitted with the most advanced tech for audio and video. They are a global firm with the need to teleconference internationally with superior picture, sound, and speed. Moving inspired them to get everything into the cloud to accommodate a mobile workforce so that they can connect seamlessly from anywhere in the world. This included VoIP.
Friedman took a unique approach to amenity design. Rather than guess, they polled their employees to find out what they wanted. The crowd-sourced input uncovered a variety of asks, and they were able to provide:
- Communal meeting spaces
- Lots of room to spread out
- All functions being touchless, right down to a touchless flavored water system!
Relocating to a new neighborhood presented its own challenges. And of course, in a major renovation and move like this one, there were change orders along the way that needed to be addressed, but thankfully, through open communication and excellent collaboration, these issues were resolved quickly and to the satisfaction of all, with the project still coming in on time and on budget.
This move really pushed everyone out of their comfort zone by fully embracing the nontraditional office environment, but the rewards were great. It has been very well received by both clients and staff. The new space has revealed a whole new way to work and given a boost to the overall energy and creativity of its workforce.
This was accomplished by combining trust with expertise and experience…on both sides of the process. Friedman was able to trust both the design team and the construction team to create an exceptional space and encouraged them to “look ahead and not backward.” Collaborating with the team and relying on them to guide the firm into the modern era has paid off beautifully.
Special thanks to the entire Friedman project team for the virtual tour and project overview.
Interviewed by Robert McGill, Vice President of Sales at RD Weis Companies / IFMA NYC Communications Committee Member
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