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Naval Building One Now Open for Business in San Diego
Consolidating Naval Operations Under One Roof with the help of bkm OfficeWorks
A project nearly a decade in the making for both the U.S. Navy and the City of San Diego has now opened its doors. It is known as Naval Building One—a consolidation of Naval headquarters and a premiere example of high-level project management, office design, and commercial interior design created with bkm OfficeWorks. Naval Building One brings a total of 18 different sites together into the same building and will eventually serve 1,900 military and non-military personnel. Located in the historic Gaslamp quarter, the eight-foot by eight-foot block of federal property officially opened its doors in January of 2021.
“It was a very deep, extensive design build after we were selected as the vendor of record,” notes Dillon Mahoney, VP of Sales. “We became their single-source partner for several services and helped to keep things simple for the client, even through multiple scope changes.”
Naval Building One: A Project Befitting Our Armed Forces
bkm handled all furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FFE) for the $16 million project, winning the bid amidst tight competition and multiple rounds of submissions, reviews, and design pitches. The services provided included:
- Design Services
- Equipment and Furniture Sourcing
- Art and Signage
- Site Furnishings
- Project Management
The design services referenced above were expansive. Along with sourcing nearly all of the equipment and furniture, bkm also worked with vendors on art, exterior and interior signage, exterior furniture, and wayfinding systems. The entire art and graphics package envisioned with the help of Takeform was custom designed, as was the building’s signage package.
Creative Partners:
Thousands of hours of design process went into the work done by bkm designers in conjunction with our vendors and the Navy design team. Naval Building One is a 17-floor, 373,000 sq. ft. space, making it one of the biggest projects in bkm’s history—and the city’s history. Long-term relationships with both the Navy and the federal government factored into ergonomic office furniture design for 1,500 workstations, 350 private offices, and 60 meeting rooms of various sizes and types. Custom “battle watch” rooms were built to military specifications to provide controlled, secure rooms in emergencies.
Pandemic Delays Avoided By Hardworking bkm Team
Along with most industries in San Diego, Naval Building One’s future workforce was included in the national shutdown initiated in the spring of 2020. This coincided with many of the manufacturing and shipping deadlines for the expansive project. But despite the unforeseen challenges bkm stayed on schedule. To keep workers safe glass partitions were raised along corridors and aisles. Temperature screening stations were installed. The style of the building’s design also already strongly supported social distancing. Shipment delays and manufacturing shutdowns were handled—and one of the largest furniture installations in San Diego history was completed during the pandemic. The certificate of occupancy was issued in October of 2020 as planned, with the workforce moving in several months later.
Because this building is a reconsolidation of military headquarters for the city, it has also cleared the way for the tearing down of several hundred-year-old buildings in bad shape. The Navy will develop new projects on the land and lease out the remaining space. Updated, modern facilities bring workers together for a unified front and a more efficient, productive workspace. The beautiful work of manufacturers Steelcase and OFS are heavily featured. Workstations are a combination of high design, functionality, open collaborative planning, and natural lighting. Desks and chairs are ergonomic and height-adjustable, with dual-monitor arms and increased airflow.
With the help of bkm’s modern, future-proof conference room and office furniture design, Naval Building One returns the Navy’s venerable workforce to 21st century-quality work life here in San Diego. To learn more about the Naval Building One project click here.