ABC Excellence in Construction – Eagle Award

Since its founding in 1988, Kinetic Vision has helped companies around the globe solve complex product and system development challenges. Facing skyrocketing growth with limited space, for the fourth time since 2010, the company tapped Miller Valentine Construction to design and build a new building—this time to house their 300 employees with expansion room for up to 200 more. The building is 51,000 square feet, more than five times the size of any of its first three structures. The building’s multi-functional design captures the company’s need for state-of-the-art modular office spaces and technical labs as well as community space for relaxation and fun.  Innovative customized features, luxury amenities, and high-end finishes reflect Kinetic Vision’s corporate culture and industry stature. The new building now serves as Kinetic Vision’s headquarters and has consolidated the company’s footprint of office locations from its three buildings into one facility, with all departments now operating under one roof. For Kinetic Vision, this is a facility that is not only highly functional but also expresses the visionary personality of the company’s brand.

 WHY IS THIS PROJECT SPECIAL?

Impactful. Collaborative. Growth Oriented. One of a kind. This is the consensus agreement among the Miller Valentine project team.

• This was truly a “custom job,” orchestrated with an extremely collaborative The Owner personally reviewed every window frame, piece of carpet, ceiling tile, and light fixture, as well as the location of these and every other feature. Through two-hour client meetings three times a week, the Miller Valentine team worked in tandem with the Owner to ensure each of the Owner’s desired outcomes was incorporated into the finished structure.
• The “final design” was refined throughout the project in partnership with the Owner. We implemented more than 100 change events for new and innovative designs. The Owner’s cutting-edge aesthetic vision was inspired by his travels and attention to new design features found throughout various media platforms. We creatively sourced building solutions for features added during project delivery based on these inspirational images, managing costs with no compromise to achieving high-end results. Through responsive in-the-field management of Trades and schedules, we were still able to bring the project in on time.
• We leveraged technologies such as Procore^®, notably serving as a pilot project for Procore’s Project Financials software, which proved an invaluable tool for tracking and controlling costs over the course of this ever-changing project.
• Working on the Kinetic Vision’s headquarters was a Growth Oriented This was not your everyday project. There was a special synergism within the project team. Every Trade rose to the challenges of “how do we build this” designs, industry-wide materials shortages, re-engineered drawings, and more—taking personal ownership in the success of each of those endeavors. They were asked to problem-solve and come up with solutions, and they delivered.

SPECIAL OBSTACLES IN COMPLETING THE PROJECT — UNIQUE SITUATIONS, CHALLENGES, DIFFICULTIES, AND EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES ENCOUNTERED

There was no shortage of obstacles to overcome in the design and construction of this facility. The project was initially delayed more than a year by the Owner due to the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and how that would impact workplace operations in the future. Ultimately, in the spring of 2021, Kinetic Vision elected to break ground on its new headquarters, committing to the creation of a best-in-class office facility for its associates and customers.

Unique | Kinetic Vision – Miller Valentine Synergy: Our 13-year history with Kinetic Vision’s Owner is at the heart of this story. The entire project was an exercise in collaboration and teamwork. Working on this project turned out to be the most collaborative working relationship with an Owner in Miller Valentine’s experience.

• Expectations: Having worked with several Miller Valentine project managers on his previous three design/build projects, the Owner came to us with high expectations and had the confidence we could handle this level of customized construction.
• The Owner was hands-on, involved in each step of the process. To manage this collaborative effort, Miller Valentine’s Project Manager held two-hour Zoom meetings with the Owner three times a week throughout construction, during which they reviewed all designs and detail options. These meetings ensured the Owner could make informed decisions on the highly customized features.

Challenge | Boutique Design: One-of-a-kind millwork and ceiling fixtures inspired by luxury yachts. Hundreds of customized hexagon- and polygon-shaped water jet-carved foam ceiling panels wrapped in acoustic fabric and illuminated with integrated linear, pendant, and triad LED lights. Addition unique features included:

• Upscale restaurant-style restrooms with dimming LED lights, black floating countertops, and backlit LED mirrors.
• Grilling patio with colored stamped concrete patio.
• Polygonal custom millwork reception desk and lobby feature wall with integrated illuminated logo signage.
• Bar-style glass overhead doors dividing functional prototyping labs.
• Milk White custom spandrel glass panels
• Design/Build Project Delivery: An important reason why Miller Valentine could successfully deliver this complex, continually changing facility was the design/build contract type. MV held the contracts for the architect and engineers, we were managing the design as well as the construction.
• We were modifying shop drawings as the project was being built. With each new change event, the challenges were addressed as construction continued—figuring out the mechanics of “how to build this;” sourcing uncommon materials at a time of materials shortages, at times, ferreting out local vendors that outmatched national companies; and reworking Trades’ schedules to keep things moving, while we did workarounds to construct and install the scores of new features.
• Meeting the challenge of project-long change management highlights the advantages of design/build flexibility, which allows for simultaneously orchestrating construction on schedule while executing complex new customizations in real-time.

This project is a testament to what can be achieved through a trusting, 13-year, collaborative, multi-project relationship.

Kinetic Vision’s top priority for its new headquarters was to create a high-end space that reflects and supports the company’s creativity and innovation, one that can adapt to changing requirements and is welcoming to customers and associates. According to Rick Sweet, Owner, “This facility is a game changer for us. The unanimous feedback from customers and employees alike is ‘Wow!’ I’m not exaggerating: this facility is changing the course of Kinetic Vision in a very positive way and your efforts will always be appreciated.”

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