ASSET RETENTION
GTE | VERIZON
GTE Directories Press is located on campus environment near downtown Los Angeles, with direct access to three major freeways and train, providing exceptional location for shipping and receiving on a macro scale. The two industrial buildings, which occupy their facilities for the national production of the GTE everything pages, were built in the 1940’s. J S D A was retained to master plan and survey the two existing buildings, 120,000 square feet each. Strategic planning was needed to resource a new 40,000 square foot administrative office space from one of the buildings. The building in its existing condition had a small administrative office built as a mezzanine, and accessed only from the exterior. J S D A was responsible for code consultation throughout the area of remodel, and provided code compliant exiting for the existing executive area mezzanine above.
Benefits of the J S D A design were:
- Executive area connected to new reception space,
- Environmentally correct construction,
- Reduced operational costs,
- Upgraded employee working environment,
- New natural day lighting,
- New code compliant space with additional restrooms,
- New conferencing center for increased GTE communication,
- New power capacity to improve use of technology systems.
During the strategic planning exercise, J S D A reviewed existing office and workstation standards, compared them to GTE’s corporate guidelines and developed new standards for officing. Due to the large number of clients, tours and potential employees received by GTE, a large reception space with appropriate conferencing and training facilities was needed. The project included a complete roof replacement, asbestos & toxic waste removal, replacement of HVAC systems, new telephone systems, relocation of printing press equipment and consolidation of administrative departments. J S D A directed and managed the project team, including key team member Dinwiddie Construction, the general contractor. HVAC systems were designed and built by ACCO, and electrical systems designed by Hoffman Electric.
The project is an exemplary model of corporate environmental design. All products within the space were specified for the “green content”, as qualified by J S D A environmental standards for product consideration. Included are recycled studs, drywall, recycled aluminum door frames, ceiling tile from recycled newspaper, all natural linoleum flooring, colored concrete finished with beeswax, recycled glazing, and reused furniture systems.
With the HVAC systems replaced with new gas systems and new natural day lighting, energy efficiency was a significant focus. Natural day lighting was markedly increased through the addition of expansive panels of glass set into the existing concrete tilt-up panel system at both the west and north faces of the building.
Working closely with structural engineer, Parker-Resnick, J S D A achieved a new aesthetic to denote the reception area and created operational cost savings for GTE. It is estimated that the cost savings to GTE Directories Press exceeded the cost of the project (approximately $3 million) within the first three years of occupancy. In addition, it is projected that the space will house the administrative staff of GTE for another ten years without required construction changes, and still provide substantial expansion opportunities as GTE’s business evolves.
