Tenant Improvement trends
for commercial office buildings
Maximizing marketability with amenities
Recent years have seen a rise in vacancy rates of commercial office buildings. While some contractors may find this trend concerning, MacDonald-Miller’s Construction Special Projects team considers this shift an opportunity for new spaces and customers. Transforming conventional building spaces into dynamic, marketable environments is familiar territory for us! Our West 8 Common Area project in downtown Seattle exemplifies our commitment to modernizing commercial properties with innovative amenities.
The focus is the upper lobby, 4th floor, and 4th floor deck to align systems with proposed space and occupancy changes. While these may be key for mechanical and plumbing design teams, input will be provided throughout other areas to provide a collaborative effort for any unforeseen, existing, or non-existing, mechanical, or plumbing related items. Keeping on trend for updates to public spaces, scope for this project includes HVAC and plumbing design services for the main lobby, ground floor exterior, level 2 bike room, and the garage entry and departure
Having overseen the original shell and core construction for West 8, MacMiller’s expertise in engineering and design laid the foundation for subsequent TI work. This ensured seamless integration of new features, including variable air volume (VAV) boxes and fan powered boxes.
The final project will offer upscale amenity spaces, including a large conference room, fitness center, locker rooms, ADA bathrooms, and kitchenettes. Our efforts will ensure a clean, seamless look for tenants to enjoy.
At 1201 Third in downtown Seattle, the 55-story skyscraper and longtime MacMiller customer is near completion of its multi-phased controls upgrade – during occupancy! The focus will now shift to amenity improvements to retain current tenants and attract new ones.
Downtown Portland also shows a notable trend of high vacancy rates in commercial office buildings, prompting efforts to enhance the amenities within these spaces. Newer buildings are drawing in fresh tenants and constructing speculative suites. The migration of companies away from the downtown core is opening opportunities in neighboring areas such as Lake Oswego, Tigard, and Vancouver.
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