I have been working with Dustin for more than ten years and Miles for four years. During this time, they have managed five office buildouts for me. After the first of these, I swore I would never do another buildout without their involvement. Aquila’s management process streamlines communications, minimizes costs and controls the timeline, without fail. Their knowledge of building codes, the permit and inspection process, local contractors and subs, landlords, and building engineers is unparalleled. The fact that they do so many projects every year, means that they have experience and leverage that is impossible to achieve by an in-house team that does a buildout every two or three years. When considering a new buildout, the first thing I do is email Dustin and Miles, and I have never been disappointed.”
– Rick Westervelt, Senior Vice President of Operations and Finance, Capital Factory
Background
Capital Factory has been a repeat client of AQUILA’s Project Management team for many years, including the most recent renovation and expansion of their HQ space downtown at 701 Brazos.
In the summer of 2021, their evolving business and investments left them in need of a space catering to drone technology, including a lab component. Using the same leasing group representing the landlord in this transaction, Capital Factory settled on space for their Center of Autonomous Robotics (CAR) at Plaza on the Lake and looked to AQUILA’s Project Management team to manage the design and construction process.
The Challenge
Concurrent with Capital Factory’s CAR buildout, the landlord was also making improvements and upgrades to the building’s common areas and exterior of the property. These upgrades included changing out building-standard suite entry doors. Initially, the landlord suggested the cost of the new door at the entry of the CAR space was Capital Factory’s to bear – even though we had no plans of replacing this door as part of our project.
AQUILA’s Project Management team expertly went to work and identified, per the lease and work letter, that this was not Capital Factory’s financial responsibility, resulting in roughly $10,000 of savings through negotiation on their behalf.
Beyond the unanticipated landlord building costs, there were additional cost-saving measures identified and steps taken to optimize the timeline. All parties agreed to use the existing light fixtures in the space as part of the remodel, saving not only money but significant time in the overall project schedule, bringing in the first day of business at the new location on time.
Our team also dealt with supply chain and procurement issues due to COVID-19 and worked to find alternative materials that fit within the schedule.
The Result
Despite the challenges faced in completing Capital Factory’s CAR space, Capital Factory was pleased with the finished project, and the space was completed on time and on budget.
| More Details | |
| Property Name | Plaza on the Lake |
| Architect | Perkins & Will |
| General Contractor | Estes & Sinacori |
| Square Footage | 11,000 |
| Schedule | 7 Months |
| Completion | February 2022 |
Have a question about your renovation project?
An AQUILA Project Management professional is ready to talk to you. Schedule your consultation today.
