Describe the project prior to Reuse, Rehabilitation or Redevelopment. Include project name, location, square footage, project type, certifications (Limit 200 words):

The building located at 2200 S. Cobalt Point Way, Meridian ID was built in 2004 for Citibank and housed a regional call center. The original three-story building was 176,788 sq.ft. and sat on 16 acres of land. This ample space included over 1,000 parking spaces for employees and visitors. The center also featured two entrances, one smaller entry for employees on the north side and one a bit grander on the south side with floor-to-ceiling windows that served as a lobby for visitors.

Besides a full-service cafeteria and employee gym, the building’s floor plans were unremarkable and left mostly open to accommodate hundreds of rows of cubicles. A training room, a few conference rooms, and a loading dock rounded out the amenities. The exterior design was basic and relatively flat. From the inside out, the call center was purely utilitarian and served a function. It was a blank palette that Idaho’s leading general contractor could transform into something special.

Describe the project after work was completed. Include project name, location, square footage, project type, certifications (Limit 200 words):

ESI’s new headquarters building was built to provide its team with a highly productive environment that also offered the best possible employee experience. The 180,000 sq.ft. space has been optimized to improve collaboration, inspire innovation, foster teamwork, and cultivate relationships with customers, trade partners, and the community.

Partnering with Grey Wolf Architecture, ESI transformed a three-story call center into a new state-of-the-art headquarters, redesigning every square foot inside and out. The facility sits on over 16 acres and houses 19 conference rooms, 17 huddle spaces, 5 bid rooms, a classroom, an employee gym, a cafe, and an innovation lab with interactive virtual and augmented reality capabilities. The building’s exterior features striking cross-laminated timber (CLT) columns and canopies that reflect the company’s standing in the community and unwavering commitment to its core values.

The facility also includes an expansive, covered outdoor seating area and an 850 sq.ft. amenity building where team members can come together and unwind just outside of work. The detached amenity building has a relaxed, local tavern feel and features a beverage station, a gathering area with high-top tables, and a sports simulation area.

In your opinion, explain why the project deserves this award in terms of unique design elements, innovative and/or sustainable building techniques incorporated, contribute to the local community, or did the project encounter any unexpected obstacles, and if so how were they mitigated? (400-word limit).:

Rehabilitating the 20-year-old building and converting it from a call center to an innovative corporate headquarters presented numerous design and construction challenges. Through careful planning, coordination, and sequencing, ESI’s self-perform teams and subcontractors stepped up to meet exceptionally high standards along an aggressive timeline.

Engineering a solution to build, emplace, and install major interior features was one of the greatest challenges to overcome. First, several tons of materials had to be extracted from the building before several tons more could be brought in. Old concrete flooring and structural materials were removed to accommodate a new grand staircase and revamped floor plan. The new design also called for skylights to enhance natural lighting throughout the building, so modifications were made to use the openings for the skylights as access points for moving materials in and out. The rooftop openings were also used to insert large wood and steel conference tables. Through some creative problem-solving and reinforcing, this solution saved time and kept the project on track.

From the architects to the HVAC team to the door fabricators, this project was truly a design-build all the way down. Project leaders encouraged creative problem-solving on every aspect of the job with each solutions-oriented team stepping up to collaborate and deliver on their respective scopes of work. This proactive, organic approach actually saved time, optimized performance, and contributed to building a better overall product.

Reclamation and recycling played a significant role in furthering ESI’s environmental sustainability goals and supporting the community. The old call center, from which the headquarters was built, included all the original cubicles, office furniture, and fixtures. Instead of hauling thousands of pounds of metal and materials to the landfill, the project team refurbished cubicle panels and cabinets, reassembled them, and installed them in the new office layout. The remaining furniture that was in good condition was donated to local nonprofit service organizations. Remaining scrap metal and copper wire were recycled, with the proceeds donated to the company’s charitable foundation, ESI CARES.

The wood for two 18-foot-long conference tables and the 104 stairs for the grand staircase were sourced from fallen trees. Working with a local farmer in Idaho and a property owner in Oregon, the reclaimed wood was removed and fabricated into finished materials. Not only do these pieces add a rustic charm, but they also reflect Team ESI’s spirit of conservation and resourcefulness.