The Leader - March/April 2008 - (Page 26)

real e stat e MaNaGeMeNt Renovating Pitney Bowes’ World HQ: A Commitment to Sustainability By MaureeN faHy aNd JiM ryaN I n 2005, Pitney Bowes Inc., a leading provider of mail-stream solutions based in Stamford, Conn., was faced with the challenge of consolidating area operations to cut costs and increase collaboration across business units. To accomplish this objective, the company embarked on a renovation of its World Headquarters (WHQ). It was an important and high-profile project. While Pitney Bowes owns or leases more than 600 properties worldwide, comprising some 10 million sq. ft. (929,030 sq. m.) of space, the company’s headquarters is truly a showcase. The 400,000-sq.ft. (37,161-sq.-m.) building, designed by I.M. Pei & Associates, opened more than 20 years ago just a few blocks away from the spot where Pitney Bowes was founded in Stamford’s South End neighborhood in 1920. Renovation was not the first option the company considered. The building was up for sale for about two years, but when no viable buyers emerged with the right offer, the company took a second look at how to capitalize on the existing space while renewing the commitment to its historical roots in the South End. By redesigning the headquarters for higher density, the company realized it could vacate other buildings it occupied nearby, achieving an annual reduction in occupancy costs. The WHQ renovation project would ultimately transform the company’s existing office space, which, with high walls, perimeter offices and a cool grey color scheme, lacked energy and imparted a cave-like, closed-in feeling. The directive from the company’s then Chief Executive Officer, Mike Critelli, and then Chief Operating Officer, Murray Martin, was to create a collaborative workspace environment that would energize employees. With the renovation dubbed, “Here Comes The Sun,” the renovation task force set forth to formulate a workspace that maximized daylight and views for all employees; increased density to maximize use of space; and produced an agile, flexible workspace that supports dynamic business needs through streamlined standards and box moves as opposed to further, more expensive, renovations. Due to budget constraints, the project began as a partial building renovation of 125,000 sq. ft. (11,613 sq. m.) of general office space. This initial phase colocated business units in the same wing on two floors of the WHQ building, below the executive wing. The objective was to facilitate serendipitous interaction, idea-generation, and collaboration between these groups and give them easy access to executive management. An interconnecting stair was added to 2 0 0 8 tHe le ade r 26 M arcH / ap r i l

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The Leader - March/April 2008

The Leader - March/April 2008 Leadership Contents Message from the CEO Real Estate in the News Taking CRM Programs to the Next Level A Commitment to Sustainability GSA’s National 3D-4D-BIM Program Sustainability at ABN-AMRO Getting to the Real Issues in Today’s Competitive Marketplace ManPower Consolidates Real Estate & Project Management with One Provider HP's Renee Leach and Team Como's Robin Harris San Antonio's Mario Hernandez Chicago Workplace, Mid-Atlantic, and Boston The Gold Standard: California Is the State for Innovation Pat Crumley: Education Is a Path to Success Postcards from the Edge Tribune's Stephanie Pater Economic Development in the News A Look Ahead EDP Continues Expansion in Asia-Pacific

The Leader - March/April 2008

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