15 Days
An Innovative Approach to Building

Schedule inefficiencies…budget busts…outdated building technologies. Status-quo construction projects are commonplace in office construction…but it doesn’t have to be that way.

So says Eric Sheffels, President of Leggat McCall Properties. In partnership with Commodore Builders and Audrey O’Hagan Architects, Sheffels is breaking the mold this summer on the build-out of Leggat’s new offices at 10 Post Office Square.

Typically a 10 to 12 week project, it will be built in 15 working days.

Sheffels is convinced that clients can benefit from deliberate planning, embracing new technologies, being innovative and green in their development. He says it’s possible to set aggressive benchmarks to measure quality, speed and the cost of construction. He’s certain that spaces can be built for future flexibility, even though many of the construction techniques and materials used historically in the U.S. are inflexible and contribute to waste.

Now, Sheffels is putting his money where his mouth is and Commodore Builders has accepted the challenge. The project, dubbed “15 Days,” is a 10,000SF fit-out of core and shell office space. The unconventional project approach is intended to demonstrate the reality of squeezing the inefficiencies out of the procurement and implementation process, embracing new technologies, green development techniques, aggressive benchmarks and built-in flexibility for future reconfigurations. We’re building this space smarter, better and faster.

The project will be built to within 10% of the cost of traditional construction, with any increased costs the result of the sustainable palette of materials being used. Numerous tax advantages will bring the project very close to the cost of conventional construction.

We’re not sacrificing quality to achieve our speed and cost goals. The space will be certifiable to the LEED Gold standard. Energy consumption will be reduced by a minimum of 35%, with an ultimate goal of 60% over traditional construction.

Future reconfiguration of the space will cost 50% less than traditional construction, take 25% of the time and reuse 100% of the materials.

We’re streamlining the design and construction process by eliminating antiquated and unnecessary steps. We’re simplifying complex systems that take too long to install and don’t function as intended. And we’re applying innovative technologies that include raised floor construction, wireless switching, underfloor air and power distribution, all pushing the limits of current adopted technology. Many of these technologies exist elsewhere in the world but are not prevalent in the U.S.

They will be in Boston, beginning July 28, 2008. Stay tuned to this site for day-to-day, real-time coverage of a bold and breakthrough approach to building.