CASE STUDY

Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is a Boston-based management consulting firm advising clients in the private, public and non-profit sectors worldwide. Their clients include more than two-thirds of the Fortune 500 and the company continuously ranks on Fortune’s list of Best Places to Work. It is their mission to, “…bring the right people together to challenge established thinking and drive transformation.” In keeping with this spirit BCG enlisted top teams for their office renovation in Summit, New Jersey.

Last year, when BCG’s 35,000 sq. ft. Summit New Jersey office building needed a re-design, they sought a work environment which would spur innovation. Architects HLW International worked with JRM Construction Management and General Contracting to create a unique space. The re-design includes such features as an employee lounge with garden terrace, an open stairway with art-metal stair rails and a full spectrum of ModernfoldStyles interior and exterior operable walls.

INTERIOR WALL SOLUTIONS
For the interior, “We chose the Skyfold Classic and Modernfold Encore Automated walls for their acoustical performance,” said Adam Paiva, acoustical consultant and associate partner of Longman Lindsey.

The first floor waiting lounge can be closed off from the entrance hall by an automatic Skyfold Classic Vertical Retractable Wall with a 55 STC sound rating. The Skyfold, which requires no wall and floor tracks, retracts into an overhead ceiling pocket without imposing on valuable floor space.

The 56 STC sound rated Modernfold Encore Automated Electric Wall was selected to divide the large fourth-floor training room into two smaller rooms. The panels are wrapped in steel-backed whiteboard giving the wall a sleek look while enhancing the sound-rating and providing a writeable surface. When the Encore is not engaged it is concealed discretely behind Modernfold pocket doors.

EXTERIOR WALL SOLUTIONS
The former fourth-floor employee lounge originally had no door access to the terrace. With employee work environment in mind, BCG wanted the existing fixed glass windows to be replaced with operable glass walls. The Sunflex SF-55 insulated sliding glass walls were specified transforming the terrace into an open, relaxing common area. The Sunflex folding and sliding glass walls create a clean modern feel with a naturally lit, temperate environment year-round. The panels can be fully horizontally retracted to reveal unobstructed views into the new garden terrace.

When Guaranteed Dimensions are the Only Option
BCG’s offices required not only diversity in product solutions but also the ability to hold to a tight schedule. With no room for delays, JRM superintendent Michael Durante applied a simple project management approach. “Get the exact layout at the very beginning of the job.” ModernfoldStyles full-service project manager, Jeff Fowler, partnered with Durante to design the walls, arrive at the products’ hold dimensions and release orders for production. “Working with Jeff was straight forward,” Durante concluded, “I got my design, my hold dimensions and held them and Jeff delivered everything on time… smooth!”

The result is a motivating workplace where the atmosphere is flexible and lively, making room for individuals with diverse backgrounds and work styles. In keeping with the spirit of BCG’s mission to, “…bring the right people together” the project’s partnership approach drove BCG’s Summit, NJ office re-design to a winning and stunning transformation.