zpd+a NEWSLETTER
AUGUST 2021
Despite challenges facing all industries globally, we are excited to celebrate a robust year filled with successful project delivery and more than 750,000 sf under design, with projects spanning the United States from Chicago to South Carolina, Texas, Denver and beyond. While our team continues to work remotely, our ability to design and deliver remains comprehensive, dedicated to each project and client’s needs, schedules and budgets.
Adaptive Reuse and Corporate Interiors
BCBS / HCSC Morgan Park Solution Center
June 2020 saw the ribbon cutting of a new 135,000sf facility in Chicago’s Morgan Park neighborhood. Teaming up with DL3 realty and HCSC Blue Cross, with construction partners Pepper Construction, we reconfigured a former big box store into a 550+ seat office space, and a 3500sf community center. The project incorporates biophilic and sustainable design throughout, achieving LEED certification as well as FITWELL certification.
Despite the challenges forced by COVID-19 shut downs and global supply chain challenges, the aggressive schedule – 11 months from initial design to key turnover and client use – was met: the project was completed under budget as well, saving over $2 million in total construction costs.
Central to the design are two internal courtyards carved into the space, anchoring the Employee break areas and suffusing the office space with natural light and landscaped views. Integrating dual courtyards proved to be a prescient move in the COVID world, providing a fresh air experience inside the office community. The courtyards are popular for lunch breaks, breakout meetings and socially distant team gatherings.
Multi Family Development
In 2020, we saw an expansion in mixed-use and multifamily development projects, featuring multiple new-construction projects, including 2211 N Maple in Evanton. This 12-unit multifamily building is located in a vibrant semi-urban neighborhood, providing a variety of new housing opportunities on a small infill lot.
We worked extensively with the local community and the zoning committee to create a robust design that integrates into the existing community density and scale, working through entitlement, budgeting and construction documents and details to create a successful first project for a new developer. Designed for solar power and integrating sustainable planting schemes reduces the overall impact on the environment, while tailored amenity spaces serve the resident's needs.
Hospitality
The Hospitality environment faced enormous stressors in 2020. While some of our restaurant projects have been placed on hold, we are excited to be at the forefront of a new self-catered hotel model in Denver, Colorado. Englewood Suites, a 48-room, 60,000sf new construction, provides a much-needed service, integrating long-term stay options for a rapidly growing community.
Each development features a myriad of challenges, including zoning, community support, and client timelines. We continue to provide thorough and trusted property development services for all clients, from early due diligence and entitlement to ribbon cutting ceremonies.
Sustainability is critical to building performance, and we are excited to pursue new construction technologies to reduce overall energy costs and operational costs, creating a better environment for residents and a more robust bottom line for developers and operators.
Senior Housing
We entered the Senior Housing environment in 2018, and continue to expand our portfolio with communities across the United States. In 2020, we successfully completed the reconfiguration of an Assisted Living wing in Lake Wylie, South Carolina into a Memory Care community, increasing the community reach. We continually develop unique, place-centric designs featuring a welcoming blend of residentially-focused details executed to the durability and maintenance requirements of a diverse resident population. We are currently designing over 150,000sf of amenity spaces for properties across the United States, managing all of the challenges of supply chain logistics, lock downs and access limitations hand in hand with the community directors, investors, owners and residents.
BACK IN THE OFFICE!
In early Summer, with robust vaccination availability, our team started to return to the office – and discovered just how much fun it is to see humans face-to-face! (Appropriately distanced, of course.)
We expanded our team!
Kyle Breedlove joined zpd+a in March 2020 – a mere 8 working days before the city shut down due to COVID-19 lockdowns. He came to us with a background in residential design, and has proven to be a nimble addition to our team, supporting a wide range of project types including Senior Living, Adaptive Reuse, Tennant Improvement, Multi Family Residential, and code research.
Kyle’s energetic approach and attention to detail dovetail with thorough documentation and creative development. When not stuck at home under local do-not-travel orders, Kyle loves to ski, with a preference for Taos, New Mexico!
Olivia Danielson-Veed joined zpd+a in March 2021, as our Project Manager – Interior Design. After a decade in workplace and retail design, Olivia is excited to join the Senior Living team at zpd+a. The blend of hospitality and healthcare is intriguing, and she is excited to expand her range to this dynamic vertical market while implementing some of the relationships and efficiencies from her corporate design experience.
Having spent time working for a furniture dealer as well as a furniture manufacturer and leading the furniture specifications of large company headquarters, Olivia brings a strong background in furniture that will also support a variety of project types.