Occupied / Design / Build / Move-in

Build it and they will come” turned into “as you build it, they will fill it” on the Digital Think project. DPR’s San Francisco office worked around a fully functioning, growing .com to complete a four-phase seismic renovation and interior improvements project - transforming a 42,000-sq.-ft. warehouse into a new home for Digital Think, the leader in designing, developing and deploying e-learning solutions for Fortune 1000 companies.

“Fast-track is an understatement,” said Ned Fennie of Fennie & Mehl, who served as the architect. “Our biggest challenge was keeping up with Digital Think’s astronomical growth. One week after the first interview with the client - even before we drew the first plan - Digital Think had hired 20 people and needed places for them to sit. They would fill space as soon as it was built-out.”

Along with the aggressive six-month construction schedule, DPR put its construction skills to the test with the addition of a large mezzanine level to the building, complete with its own structural system. According to Rocky Moss of DPR, this created another challenge, as the building’s interior height constraints and the fact that it was occupied did not allow for normal pile driving. As a result, the project team came up with an innovative solution and drilled 35 tube screw piles, averaging 46 feet into the ground.

“The piles were augered with a large drill bit and filled with grout in lieu of the standard pounding system,” said Moss. “We took every measure to ensure minimal disruption to the client’s working office.”