Keeping employees safe was the underlying goal of this corporate building renovation.

Longtime client Phillips 66 (now ConocoPhillips) asked FSB to perform a feasibility study and master plan to evaluate the company’s Phillips Building, specifically its mechanical, electrical, fire protection and life safety features. Among the chief concerns were removal of existing asbestos fireproofing and the installation of up-to-date building code and life safety improvements.

FSB worked closely with the ConocoPhillips staff to determine how to best utilize the facility. We also worked with local code officials on acceptable alternatives to meet all current requirements. The end goal was to strategically restack the building in a systematic way that allows improvements to the infrastructure with the least imposition on its occupants. FSB also prepared the RFP documents utilized to recruit and hire a construction management firm and participated in evaluating the submitted proposals.

Each floor utilizes a standardized core of break rooms, restrooms and conference spaces, while the remainder of the individual floors can be customized to meet the security and other needs of future tenants. Open plan furnishings are the norm, but flexibility has been designed into the mechanical and electrical systems to allow reconfiguration through the addition of enclosed office spaces in pre-planned areas, if needed. The 1st, 2nd and 19th floors remain as gathering spaces to be utilized for corporate events, meetings or seminars. These spaces received upgraded finishes and state-of-the-art audiovisual systems for conferencing and presentations.

The building’s mechanical system was upgraded from pneumatic controls to direct digital controls, including variable air volume systems to improve energy efficiency and sustainability. Fire protection, electrical and data systems also were replaced and updated with each floor renovation. Finally, daylight harvesting was utilized on select floors as a pilot program to evaluate its efficacy for use in other facilities.