Building a new headquarters during a pandemic: Lessons learned
As a general contracting firm, Premier Design + Build Group was in a better position than most to embark on the mission of building a new headquarters this year.
Throughout the pandemic, we'd been running defense for our clients to minimize the negative impacts of long lead times, supply shortages, price volatility and a host of other new challenges. And while these issues were in no way unfamiliar, we continued to learn and grow as we planned and built our new headquarters in Buffalo Grove.
When the editor at Daily Herald Suburban Business asked us to write about building amid a global pandemic in hopes that our takeaways might help others navigate the process, we were happy to share our experiences. We offer these recommendations for any firm that is about to do something similar:
• Lock in your non-negotiables up front.
With key building elements hovering at lead times of 18-plus months, a critical path schedule needs to be established immediately and materials put on order. Then, as details come together, lock in the rest. One thing became clear in the very early stages of this unique market: neither material availability nor cost were going to improve with time.
Downward pricing from competition, a typically trustworthy check-and-balance, is not a reality in the current climate.
• Understand that price volatility will have a bottom-line impact.
Strategic contingency has always been a factor in successful projects, but a global pandemic meant more variables and challenges than ever. Unpredictable shutdowns, stoppages, and unforeseen demand created previously unseen price increases. Of late, this has only been compounded by uncertainty in the global oil and financial markets and local labor disputes.
• Be open to new possibilities.
Every single item that goes into a building has been impacted over the course of the pandemic. Fabrication and delivery delays are widespread, often extraordinarily so.
Unpredictable fluctuations in price and availability of building components, scarcity of raw materials, staffing shortages, transit backlogs, port bottlenecks and a host of other factors have rippled through the global supply chain and underscore the importance of flexibility in construction projects. Fortunately, there are often alternative solutions that can be found with the help of insight, experience, and creativity. Like implementing alternatives to conventional building design elements that will optimize project budgets and schedules.
• Work with trusted trade partners.
Choose your project partners wisely. Knowing that you're working with people with integrity is one of the best strategies you can employ. Look for partners who will work in your best interest and who can be trusted to deliver on their word.
• Despite the uncertainties, don't lose sight of your ultimate goals.
Our company culture is one that celebrates interaction and camaraderie. After two long years of working remotely, our team looked forward to returning to in-person work and reconnecting. Most would have been satisfied with a typical workspace, but we decided to go big. We've created a new headquarters that features comfortable gathering areas, welcoming outdoor spaces, and team favorites like a golf simulator and an indoor basketball court.
As our president Michael Pacini explained: "Our new home aligns beautifully with the culture we have worked to build here at Premier. It's a place that celebrates our people, sparks their creativity, and shows our passion for delivering facilities that match the needs of the companies who will inhabit those spaces."
• Joseph Ahrens, Senior Vice President, Market Leader, Premier Design + Build Group.