Category: Uncategorized

The Future of Office Space

Posted on by 360 Engineering

In January, BusinessDen held a virtual panel discussion with developers and property managers to discuss what post-COVID workplaces might look like in the Denver Metro area. Here are some takeaways from the event.

What will tenants be looking for: 

Office layout: 

  • Similar to what we have been seeing, but more flex space. 

What do tenants’ plans look like? 

  • Most tenants with expiring leases want to buy time, but this is starting to shift. 
  • Seeing an increasing desire to commit to office space, but don’t know what that looks like, whether its full-time or part-time in the office. 
  • Some tenants are super stable, know what they want, and landlords are keeping an open mind (shorter-term leases, etc.). 
  • Tenants struggle with space planning for the future, especially when new-construction office space leases are 7-10 years. 

What will happen beyond work from home? 

  • Probably more flexibility, but not fully work from home. 
  • Not being in the office can cause loss of culture, lifestyle, retention, burn-out, mental health issues. 
  • Will see a shift back into the office. 
  • Students learning/working from home now may want an in-office/interactive work environment. 

Office space location: 

  • Some shifting towards suburbs but don’t write off downtown. 
  • Demand for Cherry Creek, and suburbs. 
  • Downtown suffering now but believe it will bounce back. 

Rent prices: 

  • Not seeing a decrease in rents, like tenants had hoped (nationwide). 
  • There may be a small drop in rents, and things like more allowance for tenant finishes. 

Additional information:

https://www.fastcompany.com/90603463/offices-and-healthcare-have-been-upended-by-the-pandemic-heres-how-theyll-look-in-the-future

https://www.gensler.com/research-insight/blog/the-future-workplace-will-embrace-a-hybrid-reality

https://5280.com/2020/how-2020-has-affected-the-way-we-use-office-space

https://milehighcre.com/whats-next-for-office-space

Summer News: Recent Hires, Promotions, and Projects

Posted on by 360 Engineering

Welcome to Team 360!

Alex FornoffAlex Fornoff – Project Engineer

Alex joined 360 Engineering in January, with experience in construction working for a mechanical and plumbing contractor. He is a Colorado School of Mines graduate with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. On why he chose this career, “I chose mechanical engineering as a profession because of the broad range of applications. Many systems can be encountered in the world, and having that deeper understanding is very appealing to me.” Outside of work, Alex is passionate about skiing. He grew up near Philadelphia, and skiing was a driving force to coming to Colorado.

 

Ryan TaylorRyan Taylor – Project Engineer

Ryan joined 360 Engineering in February with a robust knowledge of current software, including 3D SolidWorks modeling and NX 12 3D. He also earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines and was on the Dean’s List. Ryan chose mechanical engineering because “I enjoy the process of problem-solving and implementing the best/most efficient designs.” Ryan grew up in Golden, Colorado, and his interests outside of work include cars, motorcycle riding (on and off-road), and snowboarding.


Meghan StumpfMeghan Stumpf – Administrative Coordinator

Meghan joined our team in March, right when COVID-19 ramped up, and we were working from home, she made it through her first months corresponding with everyone in Microsoft Teams. She is a graduate of Culver-Stockton College in Missouri, with a B.A. in Communication, emphasis in Media. Meghan’s recent experience includes working in the non-profit and public sectors. At her first job out of college, Meghan worked in several positions at a TV station, including as a weather anchor. She grew up in Quincy, Illinois, and her side-gig is acting, a passion she’s been pursuing since 9 years old.

 

Promotions

Joe WittenbergJoe Wittenberg, PE (CO) – Project Manager

Joe joined 360 Engineering in 2016 as a project engineer and has developed into a leader in the firm. He is a respected mentor and a skilled manager of projects of all sizes, maintaining close design team coordination, project schedules, and budgets. His market sector expertise ranges from education, municipal, and the federal government to commercial buildings and workplaces. Read More.

 

 

Ryan DunneRyan Dunne, PE (CO) – Project Manager

Ryan joined 360 Engineering in 2017. With a technical engineering sales background, he is a client-focused mechanical engineer experienced in systems design, equipment selection, systems troubleshooting, and testing, and project management from conception through design and commissioning. Ryan has executed projects in public and private sectors, with experience in aviation, public safety, laboratories, commercial buildings, and office spaces. Read More.

 

 

Kerri ZoeteweyKerri Zoetewey – Senior Project Engineer

Kerri joined 360 Engineering in 2018 and has close to 20 years of mechanical engineering experience overall. She has worked on a wide-range of project types, including tenant finish, office buildings, retail, restaurants, churches, and schools. As a Senior Project Engineer, Kerri plays a key role in seeing projects from concept through design and construction. She is responsible for coordinating with the design team and conducting all associated field investigations, calculations, equipment selections, layout, and drafting. Read More.

 

Brennen GuyBrennen Guy – Project Engineer II

Brennen joined the 360 Engineering team in 2018, bringing his passion for mechanical engineering design to every project. Brennen finds it satisfying to see a project through the stages of concept to construction, especially knowing other people will benefit from a design he was a part of. He also enjoys being constantly challenged with tasks that are logic and math-based. As a Project Engineer, Brennen’s focus includes field investigations, calculations, equipment selections and layout, and drafting.

 

Recent Project Highlights

Crocs HQCrocs – Corporate Headquarters

Read about Crocs new home away from home.

Mechanical and plumbing design for Crocs new 88,000-square-foot headquarters in Broomfield, CO.
Client: Venture Architecture

 

Denver Botanic Gardens Freyer Newman CenterDenver Botanic Gardens – Freyer-Newman Center

Read about the new Center for Science, Art, and Education.

Plumbing design for the new 50,000-square-foot Freyer-Newman Center, and renovation of lower-level at Boettcher Memorial in Denver, CO.
Client: Davis Partnership Architects

 

16 Market Square Cooling Tower16 Market Square – New Cooling Tower

Read about the 16 Market Square Cooling Tower Replacement.

Mechanical design and commissioning for a cooling tower replacement at a 260,000-square-foot building in Denver, CO.
Client: Lincoln Properties

 

 

 

 

New Office Location

Also, just in case you haven’t heard, we moved to a new office location in January:

751 Pine Ridge Rd, Suite 360

Golden, CO  80403

360 Engineering Office

Maintaining Positive Employee Morale and Engagement During COVID-19

Posted on by 360 Engineering

The 360 Engineering Team has been working from home for a few weeks now, and it’s been quite a change for the staff. While some of us have “furry coworkers” at home to keep us company during the day, it’s a priority to make sure the team is staying connected throughout the week, and that we keep employee morale up during these unprecedented times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the ways we are working towards this is by introducing Bonusly, an employee recognition, and rewards program. Bonusly works through peer to peer recognition with “points” you award to your teammates. It’s been a lot of fun so far. You can add GIFs to your post (my favorite part). As you earn points from your peers, you can spend them on gift cards, donate them to charity, or purchase a custom reward.

We’re all staying connected while working from home through Microsoft Teams. Teams allows us to continue regular staff meetings via video conferencing. And there are also great features that we’ve utilized, like the chat function, which is where we share updates on projects or more light-hearted things like sharing tips for brewing better coffee at home.

We also continue to have lunch-and-learns, though virtually, hosted on a rotating basis between the teams on staff. Even when working remotely, we feel it’s valuable to continue our professional development opportunities.

We hope all of our friends and colleagues are staying safe and healthy.

 

Meghan Stumpf
Administrative Coordinator
360 Engineering, Inc.

 

 

360 Engineering in the Community: DPS CareerConnect

Posted on by 360 Engineering

Last week, some of our engineers had the pleasure of working with 9th-grade students at Denver Public Schools’ East High School in their 95-minute Introduction to Engineering class.  It turned out to be a great learning experience for the students and us!  Our first class was a success, but we’re looking forward to honing-in our demonstrations for the next one.

 

Through school-based and work-based learning, the CareerConnect program, “… gives DPS students early exposure to thousands of career options as they learn more about their own passions and interests.”  The Xplore Industry track provides students with their first look into specific career opportunities.  We were able to give these freshmen an inside look into the career of mechanical engineering consulting and design.

 

Our engineers began class with a brief introduction to 360 Engineering, HVAC, heat transfer types, load calculations, and equipment selection.  Next, we provided a more interactive experience with two breakout sessions; how air handing equipment works and the benefits of energy modeling.  For each breakout, we had demonstrations and handouts to keep things fun and interesting.  These smaller groups also gave the students a chance to participate and ask questions.  Finally, we ended with a quick Q&A session.

We want to thank East High School Engineering Teacher, Diego Bonta, and DPS CareerConnect’s Regional Coordinator, Courtney Ward, for integrating 360 Engineering into the program.  If you’re interested in participating or learning more about CareerConnect; email careerandcollegesuccess@dpsk12.org

A Few of Our Favorite Projects in 2019

Posted on by 360 Engineering

With so many great projects in 2019, it was hard to pick just a few.  Here are some of our favorites that are in the works, or just finishing up.

Waggener Farm Park Recreation Center

Waggener Farm Park Recreation Center

“The WFP project has been my favorite project to work on in 2019 because of the many considerations and complications involved in designing around the various environments inside of a large recreation center.”

Zach Burgess / Project Engineer

Architect: Barker Rinker Seacat
Location: Berthoud, Colorado

National Park Service – Death Valley Scotty’s Castle

NPS Death Valley Scotty's Castle

“I liked this project because it had a variety of different mechanical systems (boiler, chiller, cooling tower, air handlers) and environmental conditions that made equipment selection unique (high outdoor temperatures, dusty/gritty air, historic appearance that we needed to maintain).”

Joe Wittenberg / Project Engineer

Architect: Anderson Hallas Architects
Location: Inyo County, California

NWC Stockyards and Stockyards Event Center

National Western Center

“It will be the most high profile project of my career as it will be a highly visible project in the city.”

Kerri Zoetewey / Project Engineer

Architect: HKS
Location: Denver, Colorado

DEN B-East and C-East Concourse Expansions

DEN Concourse C Construction

“I liked the project because it was a great opportunity and learning experience to work on a large, high profile project with such a professionally diverse and multidiscipline architecture/engineering team.”

Ryan Dunne, PE (CO) / Project Engineer

Architect: Jacobs
Location: Denver, Colorado

Denver Public Schools- Holm Elementary School

DPS Holm Remodel

“The lack of daylighting on the project required the architect to be creative in the classroom layouts. This required significant coordination of walls to structure with HVAC ductwork layout.”

Denise M. Dihle, PE / President

Architect: Anderson Mason Dale
Location: Denver, Colorado

National Park Service – Curecanti Elk Creek Visitor Center

NPS Curecanti Elk Creek Visitor Center

“This is one is my favorite because it is one of the first larger scale projects I’ve worked on.”

Ben Smiley / Project Engineer

Architect: Anderson Hallas Architects
Location: Gunnison, Colorado

Announcement: Joe Wittenberg and Zach Burgess Pass PE Exam

Posted on by 360 Engineering

Joe Wittenberg

Joe joined 360 Engineering in 2016, with a background of HVAC equipment design as part of a research and development team. In his time at 360 Engineering, Joe has worked on a diverse range of project types, including many tenant improvements, renovations, mechanical and plumbing upgrades, and new construction. Recently, Joe has worked on multiple K-12 projects for school districts, including Denver Public Schools and 27J. He has also completed mechanical and plumbing design for two Denver Public Library remodels and several National Park Service projects.

Zach Burgess

Zach joined 360 Engineering in 2019, bringing his wealth of knowledge in HVAC design for education, commercial, retail, and healthcare markets. Zach’s ability to listen carefully to each client’s needs and passion for problem-solving enables him to craft custom solutions for each project. Zach’s recent projects include mechanical and plumbing design services for the new Waggener Farm Park Recreation Center, Denver Public Schools’ Hamilton Middle School Renovation, and the USFS Rio Grande Supervisor’s Office.

2019 – Another Year to Celebrate

Posted on by 360 Engineering

2019 was another great year for 360 Engineering!  We’ve expanded our project experience in Denver and around the country, and more importantly, we’ve continued to grow relationships throughout the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction community.  Our firm welcomed three new Project Engineers, four employees passed their PE exams, we were recognized as a Denver Metro Chamber Woman-Owned Business Award Finalist, and two staff members welcomed baby girls to their families, just to name a few things.  We’re looking forward to continued growth and exciting things to come in 2020!

 

2019 Top Golf Holiday Party

 

Zach & Joe – Passed the Fall PE Exam!

 

Ryan & Spencer – Passed the Spring PE Exam!

 

Denver Metro Chamber Awards VIP Reception

 

Preston’s Baby Girl

 

Spencer and His Baby Girl

Announcement: 360 Engineering’s Recent Promotions

Posted on by 360 Engineering

Spencer Rioux, PE, LEED AP BD+C

Project Manager

Spencer joined 360 Engineering in 2014.  Spencer’s project approach is people-oriented, and he excels in communication and coordination with clients. He is knowledgable in system layouts, equipment selection, energy modeling, engineering report writing, specifications, drafting, design team coordination, and construction administration.

 

Stacey Richardson

Business Development Associate

Stacey joined 360 Engineering in 2016.  She is responsible for marketing and business development related communication and tasks, as well as assisting the technical staff with reports, specifications, and other deliverables.

 

Ryan Dunne, PE

Project Engineer II

Ryan joined 360 Engineering in 2017. With a technical engineering sales background, Ryan is a client-focused mechanical engineer experienced in systems design, equipment selection, systems troubleshooting, and testing, and project management from conception through design and commissioning.

 

Joe Wittenberg, FE

Project Engineer II

Joe joined 360 Engineering in 2016.  He has worked on a diverse range of project types, including many tenant improvements, renovations, and mechanical and plumbing upgrades.  Joe conducts all associated field investigations, calculations, equipment selections and layout, and drafting.

Announcement: 360 Engineering Welcomes Three New Engineers

Posted on by 360 Engineering

We are thrilled to introduce our new team members!

 

Ben Smiley

Project Engineer – Mechanical

Ben joined 360 Engineering in April.  He is a graduate of Colorado School of Mines, with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering.  Ben brings valuable knowledge of the entire construction process with experience working for a General Contractor.

 

Preston Kosiara

Project Engineer – Mechanical

Preston joined 360 Engineering in May.  He is a graduate of Colorado School of Mines, with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and Minor in Mathematical Sciences.  Preston’s background is in standards production, and mechanical and plumbing design for a Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing firm.

 

Zach Burgess

Project Engineer II – Mechanical

Zach joined 360 Engineering in May.  He is a graduate of Auburn University with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and is currently pursuing his Master of Business Administration.  Zach has experience in HVAC design for education, commercial, retail, and healthcare markets.

Announcement: Spencer Rioux and Ryan Dunne Pass PE Exam

Posted on by 360 Engineering

Spencer Rioux, PE (CO), LEED AP BD+C

As a Project Engineer at 360 Engineering since 2014, Spencer applies his knowledge of system selection and layout, equipment selection, energy modeling, engineering report writing, specifications, drafting, design team coordination, and construction administration. Spencer has a people-oriented approach to his work and excels in communication and coordination with clients. He tackles challenges optimistically and performs a careful analysis to troubleshoot issues and determine optimal solutions. Spencer’s experience spans a variety of market sectors including education, government, laboratory, retail, and commercial office.

Ryan Dunne, PE (CO)

Ryan joined 360 Engineering in 2017. With a technical engineering sales background, Ryan is a client-focused mechanical engineer experienced in systems design, equipment selection, systems troubleshooting, and testing, and project management from conception through design and commissioning.  As a Project Engineer, Ryan plays an integral role at 360 Engineering, working with long-time client, FirstBank Holding Company on projects across Colorado, and with Denver International Airport on multiple projects on the Jacobs Engineering Group A/E Design team, including Concourse B and C expansions.