IIDA New England hosted their 2015 Interior Design Awards recognizing not just the design team, but also the client, contractor, broker, developer, vendor, and consultant. Commodore Builders' Havas/Arnold Worldwide build-out project was the recipient for the "Office over 80,000 s/f" award. This was a prestigious win for the entire project team which included Sasaki Associates, Fort Point Management, Commodore Builders, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, and RG Vanderweil Engineers.
Located at 10 Summer St., the 116,000 s/f build-out took place on floors 5 through 8 of the 8-story historic Burnham Building. This was a challenging project that included a prominent monumental stair, four new connecting stairs, and a mezzanine space. All new mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems were installed to create a modern and efficient office space on the inside, while maintaining the historic exterior façade of the original building. Various materials from the historic Burnham Building were salvaged and repurposed as design elements of the new space. Antique windows were used as architectural elements and blended with other reclaimed, industrial style finishes such as the exposed galvanized metal wall panels, stacked dimensional lumber wall applications, parged concrete wall finishes, and sealed concrete floors.
The monumental staircase connecting the seventh and eighth floors provides a focal point for the space, giving employees access to a central collaboration area. The style of the staircase complements its surrounding area by incorporating reclaimed wood treads, steel cable balusters, and metal railings. Notably, this structure fosters an environment of teamwork, community, and communication as it carries much of the building's traffic.