K2M has been providing facility management and assessment services to clients for many years. Services such as general assessments, accessibility studies, building envelope and roofing evaluations, as well as many other facility condition assessments.
You can now find information on these services on our sister site, K2Mfacility.com:
Facility Condition Assessments – a thorough and comprehensive report to aid in the understanding of the condition of your facility
Deferred Maintenance Assessments – document existing facilities conditions to support the accountability reports, build and justify the annual budgets, and as a functional performance metric trended over time
Accessibility Assessments – comprehensive surveys of each existing facility, roadway and project site to determine levels of compliance
Post Occupancy Evaluations – type of facility conditions assessment that goes steps further than traditional building assessments and pre-occupancy systems commissioning
Single System Assessments – custom assessments of building systems and components based on your needs
Scott Moore, one of K2M Design’s Correctional Practice Group Leaders, attended the 2017 American Correctional Association (ACA) Winter Conference in San Antonio, TX and upon his return the entire Correctional Practice group was excited to share the latest news and insight in the corrections industry.
The conference incorporates various business segments such as owners, both public and private, national and regional contractors, detention equipment contractors, security integrators, and manufacturers, along with industry design architects and engineers.
Take-aways from each segment are highlighted below:
Public Owners, commonly from the Department of Corrections of each state, have been focusing their attention on green and sustainable initiatives with special attention paid to water reduction, energy reduction, and recycling efforts which allow for tremendous cost savings for the state. There are also many new manufacturers and products geared toward sustainable products that have entered the correctional market recently.
The Private Owners (like a CCA and The GEO Group) were discussing the recent election and the impacts the new administration could have on the future of private sector corrections. The immigration crack down proposed by President Trump would require the construction of 1000’s of additional Immigration and Customs Enforcement beds for immigrants that will be detained. The Private Sector has provided these beds in the past because it is a much quicker solution than a government option.
Most alarming was the fact that national and regional Contractors are very busy with hefty backlogs and many potential future projects. They are actively seeking staff to keep up with the current and anticipated future demands. They are concerned with the contraction of the corrections industry manufacturers, and how that contraction will impact future projects. Over the past 10 years we have seen greatly reduced detention equipment contractors and manufacturers who supply to the products required in the industry. With fewer manufactures to supply products coupled with the increased future demand, there will come a point when demand will surpass supply.
The industry design architects and engineers are seeing a break away from solitary confinement with an increased emphasis on Mental Health issues and the impacts of these issues to the design of facilities.
Overall, the 2017 Winter ACA Conference left the majority feeling positive about future growth with the correctional industry and the potential for change in sustainable techniques and design that impact both the bottom line and inmate comfort.
K2Mr Amanda Wunzin went to Japan with her husband and 8 of their friends. The ten day trip was intended to be a ski trip, but Amanda doesn’t care for snow that much, so she and her husband veered off course a bit.
The first night, they arrived in Tokyo and went straight to Akihabara, nicknamed Electric Town and it definitely lives up to it’s name. Being jet lagged and over stimulated is an challenging combination, but the Robot Cafe didn’t let them down. Tokyo is a sprawling metropolis with endless things to see and do. Their random assortment of sights included: a visit a Maid Cafe, a Samurai museum, Tokyo Tower, the world’s largest pedestrian crossing (Shibuya), and a beautiful park in the city to see the Meiji Shrine – Amanda’s favorite part of Tokyo because it was so serene and quiet!
The main reason for the trip was visiting Nozawa Onsen, which is in Nagano Perfecture where the ’98 Olympics were held. For not liking snow, Amanda thought Nozawa Onsen was pretty great. This tiny town is a “hot spring mountain village”, with 24 hot spring Japanese baths throughout the small town. The town uses the hot springs to bathe, cook food, and heat the roads – no plows or salt needed here even when it snows 10 feet in one week! While in Nozawa, they took a day trip to see the snow monkeys and ate okonomiyaki, which are savory pancakes. If you’re wondering about the skiing, everyone said it was the best powder of their life.
Next stop: Kyoto. They visited the Bamboo forest, hiked up to Okochi Sanso Villa for Kyoto views, rode bikes with friends through the city, and hiked up to the Fushimi Inari Shrine. They also visited the Nishiki market (Amanda’s husband got some Japanese kitchen knives) and the Gion district at night, an entertainment district famous for it’s geishas.
To cap off the trip, Amanda and her husband headed to beautiful Koyasan. Mount Koya is the founding location of Shingon Buddhism. With about 120 temples at the top of the mountain, many monks study here while also provided lodging for visitors. Amanda and her husband did a night walk through Okunoin, the largest cemetery in Japan, with a monk as their tour guide and then awoke to an early morning fire ceremony with the monks at Kumagaiji temple. Awesome experience in a gorgeous location.
Enjoy the pictures!
Akihabara at night
Talk about sensory overload!
The show at the Robot Cafe!
Akihabara in the day time
At the Maid Cafe – Maidreamin
Very kawaii (cute)
Tokyo Tower
The view from Tokyo Tower
Shibuya Crossing – a bus got caught in the middle
Meiji Shrine
The park where Meiji Shrine is located
The Samurai Museum
The best way to travel in Japan – Shinkansen bullet train
The view from our room in Nozawa Onsen
Nagano Perfecture where the ’98 Olympics were held
Looking down on Nozawa from gondola
Parts of the ski trails
That car has been there a while…
Steamed buns on the street!
An onsen (hot spring bath house) in the middle of town
The hike to see the snow monkeys
Hitching a ride
Cuddling
Feeding time for snow monkeys
Sake in the masu
Savory pancakes – okonomiyaki
Sometimes you get off at the wrong stop, and it’s not that bad
The Bamboo forest in Kyoto
Okochi Sanso Villa
The view from the Okochi Sanso Villa hike
Drinking matcha tea and a green tea cake
Riding bikes in Kyoto!
Fushimi Inari shrines there are roughly 32,000 of these
The gang hiking up Fushimi Inari
The group on a hike up to Fushimi Inari
Views from the top of the hike
Nishiki Market – one hundred shops across 5 blocks
The group in Kyoto at night
Gion district at night
Gion district at night
On our way up to Koyasan
This cable car took us up the mountain to Koyasan
Our room at the monk temple – this is a heated table!
Monk food – all vegan and very good!
During dinner, the monks make up our beds
Kumagaiji temple courtyard at night – the walk to the bathroom
All the lanterns have different moon phases on them
Since its founding in 2001, K2M Design has created environments for businesses that are reflective of their vision, shared values, and desire to improve operational efficiencies by identifying the uniqueness of your business. We use our specialized Visioning process to learn: who you are, what you do, and what you stand for. Through this process we are able to take your uniqueness and translate that into an environment that captures the visual, emotional, physical, and spiritual essence of your business. Our talented team can create a dynamic work spaces that reflects your unique culture. With the tools, passion, and ability as your Culture Architect, we will create a dynamic environment reflective of your unique culture.
We can do this for you, because we’ve done this for ourselves! Each K2M location uses these basic principles; and from our insight, we’ve designed offices that are reflective of the vibe, culture, and needs of the individuals that inhabit them. We’ve developed environments that are more collaborative, open, and vibrant; promote learning and fosters the right professional environment. Analysis of our research shows true benefits and quantifiable returns: the staff are more productive, hours at work have increased, K2Mrs were happy to come to work, and retention increased. Our people were also more likely to recommend K2M to their friends.
Taking our two passions, good design and good business, we blend our entrepreneurial mindset with creative environments. These spaces are proven to have a bigger return on investment and a greater impact on the people and culture.
Want to make a mark in your business by crafting an environment to perfectly fit you? Is having your physical infrastructure providing a ROI something that appeals to you? Are you a visionary and can see where you want your business to go? If you answered YES to any of these questions, K2M can help. Until then, Crush It!
Major department stores, including Macy’s and Sears / Kmart, have collectively closed hundreds of stores over the last couple years to address the losses from unprofitable stores. As is typical at the start of a new year, many companies just announced another series of closures expected in 2017. When an anchor store closes, it often triggers a “downward spiral in performance” for shopping malls as shopper traffic tends to fall when anchor stores close.
Closures can have severe consequences for shopping malls, especially in markets where it’s harder to transform vacant mall space into non-retail space like apartments or commercial space for example. Finding new tenants for stores that are two stories and occupy over 100,000 square feet is few and far between. This begs the question, what is a landlord to do with all this new found dead space?
Recently we’ve seen several opportunities for our retail team to address these large anchor store closings. At K2M, we are taking a positive approach to the closing and thinking about how the retired anchor store box can be rethought and breathe new life back into the traditional mall.
The value of the land is typically quite substantial. Why not buy back the boxes from the department store and begin the process of re-envisioning the mall. There may also be a partnering opportunity with the department store to co-develop.
This re-envisioning process should likely reduce the Gross Leasable Area of the mall. This is a good thing especially if the mall is older and the community the mall serves is shrinking.
Use this as an opportunity to engage the community in crafting solutions that work for them. After all they are the client….
Tear down these old, lifeless boxes and design uses that bring vibrancy and a centerpiece to the mall. Entertainment, and food and beverage integration has shown to work great. Look at smaller junior anchors and mid-sized grocery stores that draw large numbers of people to the property. Finding ways to draw them through the mall.
Consider a larger project area to create a small community of building, landscape, art, media, and hardscape. The design could form pedestrian pathways which draw people into the mall itself, where the former store pad and parking lot existed, creating a new front door to the property.
The real driver here is budget – whatever we envision needs to be economically viable while socially and emotionally engaging shoppers in to the fabric of the mall.
Key West, FL – February 2017 – K2M is officially open for business in our new building in Historic Key West, at 1150 Virginia Street. The new facility was designed by the K2M team and is on the corner of White Street and Virginia Street, moving the from K2M’s previous location on Whitehead Street. The sustainably engineered facility also provides new retail space, accommodating up to three tenants within Old Town Key West. The firm was excited to share their new office with the community with a Grand Opening Celebration and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony.
The Keys operations are led by Steve Grasley, AIA, who is passionate about growing K2M relationships and presence in the Keys and South Florida. The grand opening in Key West, in addition to K2M’s recently renovated Marathon office and branch in Key Largo, provide strategic locations that allow the team to efficiently serve the Upper, Middle and Lower Keys with prompt and reliable professional services. K2M has provided professional services for multiple projects within the Keys recently, including Marathon City Hall, The Key West Doubletree Resort, the Marathon and Key West airport customs facilities, and numerous residential projects along with several charitable projects for the Boys and Girls Club and Habitat for Humanity.
Peer to peer markets, also known as the sharing economy, have been popping up in long established industries as alternates to the traditional goods and services. From ride sharing, like Uber and Lyft, to home and vacation rental sites like Airbnb and VRBO – how are these peer to peer markets impacting the established hotel market? It’s hard to put a real number to it, but it’s also important to not ignore the trends.
Here are some tips on how hotels can maintain their share of the hospitality business.
Compare Price Points with Amenities – This doesn’t mean change your pricing model, but understand your competition and highlight your strengths. Make your amenities more accessible and create public spaces for guests to enjoy.
Make it Easy – How many clicks does it take from search to booking? Can you improve this? If not, it might be time to update your website.
Be Local, Be Proactive – Create more interpersonal, authentic experiences by making your staff ambassadors of your hotel and your city. Great customer service is the reason someone will stay at a hotel versus someone’s extra bedroom. Remember, guests take reviews seriously, be sure you address the negative reviews.
Transparent – Most travelers like to understand the costs upfront. Is your website clear and understandable? Will they be surprised when they get the bill?
Brands that embrace the changing landscape and work to continuously improve the guest experience will thrive in this new economic model. The competitive advantage hoteliers have is data, the ability to understand your guest and their needs at each individual location, will give your hotel the tools to succeed. Creating a memorable experience will keep your hotel at the top of the list on a guest’s next adventure.
The Sirulog festival in Cebu Philippines was absolutely amazing. This annual cultural and religious festival celebrates the history of Cebu with a nine days of festivity which ends with the Sinulog Grand Parade. There are nearly 2 million people on the streets and groups gets to participate in the parade, which often lasts 9-10 hours! Lucky for us Julie arranged everything perfectly – the float, dancers, supporting team, bus, costumes, and weather. What an interesting experience to walk along the parade route and get to take pics and interact with the locals. The little kids were too cute cheering for us as we went past.
When in Cebu with 350 friends what’s a guy to do? Why not have the lead singer of Journey perform a personal concert for you and tell his story to the crowd. Once in a lifetime experience and so fortunate to meet Arnel Pineda. He was so gracious with his time and energy for us.
To cap off the trip I decided to stay an extra day to see if I could swim with the whalesharks. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate so this is the closest I got to seeing a whale shark that day. The good news was I got to know several EOrs from the US and Asia better with the 12 hours on the bus as we passed the time traveling to and fro. Such is life when the weather doesn’t cooperate.
Sinulog Festival in Cebu Phillipines
Our host built this float for the Sinulog Festival
3k walk with everyone matching in black and special hats and scarves
The dance team supporting the EO event
When in Cebu with 350 friends what’s a guy to do? Why not have the lead singer for journey perform a personal concert for you and tell his story to the crowd.
Once in a lifetime experience and so fortunate to meet Arnel Pineda. He was so gracious with his time and energy for us.
Whale sharks are right by those bouys, they like rough seas as much as the little canoe that take us out to see them
Scott Maloney headed to the Asia this January to visit Thailand and the Philippines for an amazing series of EO events. While there, he had the opportunity to tour the Queen Grandmother’s palace in Bangkok, meet the Governor of Cebu, dine alfresco at the Blue Water Resort while being entertained by some of the best dancers in the Philippines. Later this week, you’ll see Scott participate in the Sirulog festival, and capped off the trip with a private concert with Arnel Pineda (lead vocals for Journey). Thank you to so many for making this once in a lifetime for me. Check it out.
One amazing highlight of my trip was the opportunity to tour the Sra Pratum Palace once home to the Queen Grandmother, in Bangkok Thailand. This building is very rarely opened to the general public, but fortunately the EO Thailand chapter has all the right connections. I only wish cameras were allowed to show you the beautiful grounds and buildings that make up this property.
After the event my good friend Lalida (a highly regarded and talented designer in Thailand) treated me to lunch at Ma Maison, a quaint little restaurant set in a park. Lalida is launching a new design studio focused on the Hospitality and Residential markets. Thank you for letting K2M be part of your success. Together we’ll do great things in the years to come.
After a few short days in Bangkok, I traveled to Cebu Philippines to kick off a weeks’ worth of activities there is support of Asia Bridge Forum and the Asia Bridge Campus events.
Our first night in Cebu, we were welcomed by the Governor of the province who hosted MyEO at his palace along with his family members and key leaders in government. What a beautiful night – food, drink, friends, and live performances all made for a wonderful time had by all.
The following day my friend Julie Vergara hosted a party at her Bluewater resort. Mom Julie as she is known throughout the Philippines is an incredible host and spoiled us all. The food was amazing and all done in a traditional Filipino style. A local children’s band performed for us as well as one of the top dance teams in the world. Amazing! No better way to cap off a night than with fireworks over the bay and more dancing.
Ma Maison in Bangkok
Lunch at the quaint ma maison
Scott and Lalida
Welcomed by the governor of Cebu, who hosted the event at his palace
Hilario Davide III, The Governor of Cebu
Blue water Resort in Cebu
Mom Julie
Local band of children performing
Ballroom dancers from one of the top dance teams in the world
As we enter 2017, it’s important to reflect on years past, looking into how design philosophy has evolved and where we see those philosophies in design moving in coming years. We understand the challenges associated with government entities moving slowly when change is needed, but we are optimistic with the movements afoot that are revolutionizing each building type we focus our attention on at K2M.
Corrections Facilities
Treatment based programming and facilities will continue to be the focus of design for youth, men, and women’s facilities. These treatment based facilities have been shown to reduce recidivism in our prison and jail populations, along with providing a more humane treatment of incarcerated individuals. This progress provides safer and more secure facilities for both staff and inmates. The picture to the left is a rendering of the Circleville Juvenile Correctional Facility, currently in design development with the HOK and K2M team.
As we discussed last year in a blog, costs in correctional construction continue to rise due in part to a contraction in available manufactures. As costs rise for material and labor in most markets, facility design will continue to lend itself to using building modularity methods such as steel cells, wall panels, and precast construction. This will put added pressure on the manufacturers to increase their capacity to handle the demand. The importance and power of relationships with the manufacturers, security electronics contractors (SECs), and detention equipment contractors (DECs) will also play a critical role for all parties involved in a building project or operations.
Judicial Buildings
Operationally inefficient court operations and an aging infrastructure will drive the right sizing of court operations, as will constrained construction budgets that are available for new judicial facilities. The best practice trends below will shrink the traditional square footage allowances per judge and the overall size of court facilities.
Space utilization – use of shared space, open work areas, and clear circulation reduces wasted space and maximizes building efficiency.
Optimal adjacencies – decisions like co-locating all public service functions, prioritizing high-volume functions on lower floors and consolidating departments reduces unnecessary movement through a courthouse.
Staffing – departmental consolidation and co-locating work areas in open offices creates opportunities for cross training and eliminates some redundancy in staff functions.
Case processing – minimizing physical obstacles in moving cases along, such as prisoner delivery time to a courtroom, courtroom availability and case file flow reduces
Service and Maintenance Facilities
As with correctional facilities mentioned above, pre-manufactured facilities will continue to be the general focus for the majority of service based buildings such as: vehicle maintenance, buildings & grounds service, and warehouse / storage facilities to name a few. Pre-engineered metal buildings offer government a fast and relatively inexpensive way to develop buildings of this type. In addition, the manufacturer’s ability to customize the exterior to suit virtually any architectural design guideline is critical for communities that are highly sensitive to a buildings aesthetic qualities.
Administrative Functions
We anticipate governments across the country will find new ways to improve access, efficiency in operation, and ability to retract / retain a younger population of workers. In order to best serve its constituents, many will evaluate techniques being used in the private market and at a federal level. Finding ways to incorporate best practices that can be implemented, such as reducing its footprint, designing office space that is more open to a collaborative environment approach, using modular furniture and wall systems will help admin functions remain flexible to the changing demands in its operation and needs of its employees.
Having extensive experience in multiple markets, both public and private, allows K2M a unique perspective into trends and solutions that can be adapted to every scenario. Contact our team to discuss improving efficiency and productivity within your administration.
As we enter 2017, we’ve been doing some real thinking and reading about the core elements of good hotel design and operations that separate properties from being “OK” to creating raving fans that keep coming back. The concept of “work, play, lounge, and eat” in the 3-4 star market really sums up the basic essentials most travelers are looking for in their next stay. This is even more important for those of us that are road warriors, staying in various properties week after week. This basic concept will manifest itself in several ways, as brands and owners alike continue to embrace the changing evolution of the guest’s needs.
Communal spaces are key to this success and will continue to see large investments creating these multifunction zones of social engagement. As we wrote in 2016, hotel lobbies are the hub for socialization and their continued evolution will enhance the guest experience.
Simple is better or less is more. Whatever your take – this will reign true, especially as construction costs continue to rise and the industry as a whole is reaching its peak. No matter what market segment you are in, branded or unbranded, your property needs to look and feel good. Incorporating timeless design elements will ensure longevity in your property.
The push for a more personalized experience will give way in 2017. Guests will expect a more curated stay from the time they book their room until they check-out. Teach the staff to think outside the box and create more of a localized experience for a guest visiting a new town. Local venues provide a greater connection to what makes a town special and really enhances the experience during a guests stay. It’s a nice twist to an otherwise familiar world for the road warrior.
Empowering the employees at the hotel to serve their guests needs will not only garner better satisfaction scores by the guest but also provide a more satisfying career for the employee.
Traveling back to Asia to start this year, Scott Maloney had the opportunity to stay at four distinct properties where service was a priority. The same holds true for a recent stay he had in Lima, Ohio at a local, newly refurbished Hampton Inn. The staff was outstanding and stood out to me as loving their work. The property was fresh, clean, and met the guests needs. The communal spaces, the simplicity of design, the custom experience, and the people that work at every property truly are the hallmarks of what will continue to build enjoyable guest experiences around the world. In short, service remains the hallmark to the operations of any great hotel.
The Weatherhead 100 awards the entreprenuerial spirit of fast growing businesses in the Northeast Ohio area. K2M is proud to be a 6 time winner of the CASE Western Reserve University Weatherhead 100 award; for being one of the fastest growing companies in our region. This is a distinction that we are extremely proud of because the honor is a true testament to hard work, commitment, innovation, and the dream to succeed.
K2M Design’s DoubleTree Key West project was featured on the cover of Floor Focus Magazine with an great article from K2Mr Rachel Maher. The article will be posting on the Floor Daily website later this month!
Mobility within the workplace is the freedom to choose to be productive in spaces and places other than one’s desk, based on what will best suit the task to be performed. This flexibility has profound implications on the culture of a company, affecting how employees see their work and the value placed on it. These types of work environments imply a certain autonomy and can promote a more open and vibrant workplace. These principles can promote collaboration and knowledge sharing that may not happen in a more traditional work environment. It reduces the tendency for work functions to become siloed and can drive the cross-pollination of ideas and opportunities.
Mobility can be external or internal in nature. External mobility can be working from home, hotelling or participating in flex work programs. Internal mobility can be working within an wide range of settings within the office, such as shared spaces like conference rooms, huddle space, informal meeting groupings, and cafeterias. The best collaborative workplaces maintain a balance of “we” space with “me” space, that also support solitude and allow employees to have a focus space when needed.
Designing spaces within a mobility model can impact recruitment efforts to attract top talent. Frequently, flexibility is perceived as more of a forward thinking company that values its employees, encouraging them to think and act in creative, dynamic ways. With a mobile staff, it’s important to have solutions in place for collaboration, this can be in the form of cloud computing, social messaging, and also tracking of business analytics and ROI.
Building a happy, productive workforce takes well thought out design and a strategic effort to make it successful.
Scott Maloney with the MyEO Cuba group, attended the Feria Havana, an annual international trade fair where companies from nearly 40 different countries exhibited their brands and products that are desired by the Cuban government and its people. In addition to the fair, he was able to connect with a local architectural professor and real estate attorney discussing matters of architecture for the past 60 years on the island, the ability for foreign companies to work there, real estate issues, and general impressions of life in Havana. The professor, whose elders were also architects, had incredible knowledge in the development of “modern” Cuban architecture and planning considerations post revolution. This time here was an incredible experience and a great way to begin building relationships with the people poised for change. A special thank you to friends Raul and Cristina for making this all possible.
K2M’s interests lie just 90 miles away with our three offices in the Florida Keys. In the US we’ve been able to work on preparatory projects relating to travel between our borders, including multiple Ferry and Custom terminals. We’d like to continue that work in Cuba. As our relationships grow locally, K2M will be poised to support projects between governments, industry, and tourism as we have for the past 15 years.
Go Forward!
Outside of the Puerto Rico pavillion
The convertible rented for the trip
Scott and Lazarus, a professor of history at the University and an excellent host and tour guide
Selfie in the back of the convertible
Steel outline of Ernesto Che Guevara
Steel outline of Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro inside a building being renovated
Restaurant and Cigar bar named Abel’s, famous for making cigars for Fidel Castro
The tower of el Cocinero restaurant
A concert inside an art gallery called ‘F.A.C.’
Catedral de San Cristobal in old town Havana
Many of the building have center courtyards, at the end of the street to the right is the hotel Jimmy Carter used to stay at, next to the US Embassy
Scott with El Caballero de Paris in front of San Francisco de Asis
Plaza Vieja in historic Old Town Havana
Taken in 2016, you can tell because of the Red Bull sign on the wall
Marathon, FL – November 2016 – K2M Design continues to invest in the Keys with the recent renovation of their Marathon office, located at 3000 Overseas Highway. The Marathon community and K2M Staff members celebrated the Grand Re-Opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony and cocktail party on November 1st. K2M Design merged with Solaria Design in 2014, becoming the only full-service provider of architecture, engineering, interior design, and planning in Monroe County. The Marathon office renovation was one of the final steps in this merger, creating a unified brand to provide professional services in both the public and private sectors throughout the Keys.
K2M’s investment doesn’t stop in the Middle Keys, the firm will open a new office in Historic Key West in the coming months. The new facility, designed by the K2M team will open on the corner of White Street and Virginia, moving the firm from their previous location on Whitehead Street. The sustainably engineered facility will also provide new retail space, accommodating up to three tenants within Old Town Key West. The firm is excited to share their new office with the community and look forward to a Grand Opening Celebration for the Key West location in early 2017.
Additionally, earlier in 2016, K2M opened a branch office in Key Largo. These strategic locations allow the team to efficiently serve the Upper, Middle and Lower Keys with prompt and reliable professional services. “Having locations within the entire Florida Keys creates a nimble and productive project process throughout our geographic area. Our ongoing dedication to our Client relationships in the Keys, along with an opportunistic outlook on future growth made this dream a reality.” Stated Steve Grasley, COO of K2M and long-time Keys resident.
The Keys operations are led by Steve Grasley, AIA, who is passionate about growing K2M relationships and presence in the Keys and South Florida. In addition to the renovation in Marathon and the new site in Key West, K2M has also provided professional services for multiple projects within the Keys recently, including Marathon City Hall, Angler and Ale at Hawk’s Cay, The Key West Doubletree Resort, the Marathon and Key West airport customs facilities, and numerous residential projects along with several charitable projects for the Boys and Girls Club and Habitat for Humanity.
Indianapolis, IN – November 2016 – We are pleased to announce the addition of Scott Moore, AIA, to K2M Design’s Correctional Practice Group. Over the past 20+ years Scott has designed and managed nearly $700 million in construction for Correctional and Detention Facilities throughout the United States. In this new role, Scott will continue to grow as a Practice Group Leader at K2M, providing senior project management, planning, design, and mentoring to an incredible team at K2M.
With Mr. Moore’s addition, he launches K2M Design’s newest branch office in Indianapolis, Indiana. This strategic growth further expands the reach of K2M within the Midwest criminal justice market which as more than doubled its practice group in the last two years with key senior leaders. Additionally the growth into Indianapolis further enhances our company vision of growth and development in strong markets like Indianapolis.
Scott further solidified this new relationship by saying; “I am excited to be part of the K2M Team and continuing to grow this dynamic market sector at K2M. With the experience I bring to the team, coupled with the power of K2M’s relationships and project history, it will help make us a force in the correctional market.”
Scott is a graduate of Ball State University and is a Registered Architect in Indiana and Florida. In addition, Scott is a LEED Accredited Professional who is also an active member of the American Correctional Association, serving on the Facility Design Committee. Scott also brings a collection of Governmental, Municipal, Aviation, Healthcare and Hospitality experience to the K2M Team.
About K2M Design, Inc.
K2M Design, Inc. is an award-wining architecture, engineering, interior design, asset management, and specialty services firm that is passionate about people and projects. We recently celebrated our 15 year anniversary on September 1, 2016. K2M Design continues to flourish; growing staff, office locations and market sectors across the country. We strive to build relationships with our clients that are based on trust and results and are committed to being an active partner from project start to finish and beyond.
Technology continues to change the way we interact within our environments. In our homes, at the office, and while traveling, we are inundated with the fast pace in which technology is making our lives easier. These days when renting a car, you reserve in advance and then walk to your parking spot to pick up your vehicle. When you fly, you check in on your smart phone and use a digital boarding pass to get through TSA, and eventually board the airplane.
The hotel check in process has also moved into the digital world. An increasing number of hotel brands are offering automated check ins directly on your smart phone. In lieu of the standard key card, room access can be delivered through the hotel app and your phone becomes your key card. The entire check in process can happen before a guest even steps into the lobby of a hotel.
Instead of the traditional front desk, the environment has an opportunity to become barrier free – think Apple Store, but less sterile. This allows a brand to leverage their front desk staff to become more of a brand ambassador and social networkers, than a typical front desk steward. This new-found freedom puts hotel staff at the forefront of the hotel lobby, opening the door for guests, getting to know them, and connecting with them without the restrictions of a front desk. It also shortens the time for check in for the guest, which is a blessing for those road warriors checking in late at night. If losing the desk isn’t an option, a smaller, more intimate configuration might be a possibility, where guests and hotel staff partner in the check-in procedure, taking the mystery out of the process. Implementing self-serve kiosks with an ambassador to assist in the process, is an additional tactic to achieve this experience.
Furthering the check-in experience, guests can control their hotel room from their smart phones, before even stepping foot in their room. They can turn on lights and set thermostats to their unique preferences. They can order a snack through room service or have additional pillows delivered to their guestroom, all on their smartphones.
Now more than ever, hoteliers have the opportunity to create an organic environment that’s energized and promotes a destination within the hotel where guests will come to relax, socialize, eat, drink, and work. It’s all about re-thinking the traditional hotel environment, for the benefit of the guest leveraging technology and freeing hotel staff to be truly hospitable. Design in many ways can support the freedom to make this all possible.
At K2M, we continue to re-think the possibilities of design and where we go from here. To discuss the future of hotel design and the changes that can transform your guests stay, contact Kelli Schaffran and the Hotel Design team at K2M.
Over the past week, Scott Maloney explored Chiang Mai, Thailand visiting many temples, walking around the city, riding in tuk tuks, and even took a motor bike up Doi Suthep, a nearby mountain. Check out the photos and a description of the locations below:
The Rachamankha Hotel, where he stayed is a 25-room boutique nestled in the old town area across from Wat Pra Singh, a famous temple in Chiang Mai. Architect Ong-ard Satrabhandhu chose the unassuming architecture of the centuries old vernacular Chinese dwellings, a carefully orchestrated sequence of courtyards as a source of inspiration. The architecture and landscape design of Rachamankha celebrates local Lanna historical heritage, climate and traditional building practices of the Northern Thai region. Southeast Asian architecture defines the character of the hotel, which is full of delightful surprises, a studied composition of light and dark, open and closed outdoor spaces to achieve a true sense of place that expresses serenity and mystery. Definitely recommend this property, if you are ever in Chiang Mai. The place is stunning and the staff are exceptional.
Wat Phra Singh is located in the western part of the old city centre of Chiang Mai, which is contained within the city walls and moat. The temple houses an important Buddha statue: the Phra Buddha Sihing which gives the temple its name.
Wat Umong – The temple was built in 1297 by King Manglai of the Lan Na dynasty. The grounds encompass 15 acres of temples, monks homes, a lake where you feed the fish, and talking trees. Scott said, this place is truly unique from all that he’s ever visited.
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep – The original founding of the temple remains a legend and there are a few varied versions. The temple is said to have been founded in 1383 when the first stupa was built. Over time, the temple has expanded, and been made to look more extravagant with many more holy shrines added.
On my last night, Scott was very fortunate to have his friend Sasamon and her family surprised him with a dinner at Woo Restaurant on the river. What an experience…
Scott Maloney and Kelli Schaffran attended the Lodging Conference 2016 in Phoenix, Arizona and they returned with the latest news from insiders and experts in the hospitality industry.
Although the impact of public REITs and large equity companies staying on the sidelines is reflected in the transaction volume being down 50%+ in 2016 over 2015 and portfolio deals down 77%, there are bright spots ahead. According to industry forecasts, there is a steady pipeline of development and renovation projects to come in the next few years. The greatest volume is predicted to occur in the next 18 months and then again in 2019, when the transaction volume comes back with confidence, according to experts.
Harry Javer, CEO, Co-Founder, and Producer of the Lodging Conference, kicked off the program discussing what will keep the hoteliers’ foot on the gas.
There are a lot of drivers that are contributing to the incredible success experienced by many in the industry:
Boomers have more time to travel and the means to do it.
Millennials are using their funds to travel frequently in lieu of buying homes and cars.
Household incomes continues to rise, feeding discretionary spending on lodging.
Travel is far more convenient to than it was even 10 years ago. People are exploring and going farther than they ever have before. Technology is fueling a whole new level of travel.
There is record level occupancy and room rates.
Upper midscale, independent, upscale, and upper upscale have all grown through the recession challenges.
Overall, the 2016 Lodging Conference left the majority feeling positive about 2017 and the potential for industry growth that lie ahead.
For images of the conference and a little fun, check out our Maloney on the Move blog.
Scott Maloney attended the Lodging Conference in Phoenix, with a special guest appearance by Kelli Schaffran! The Lodging conference is a top hotel industry event and tradeshow; and a great place to connect with old friends, clients, partners, and industry experts – all working on and learning about the future of hospitality.
Special thank you to Albert Chase McArthur, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s on-site consulting, for creating such an incredible venue for this conference, the Arizona Biltmore.
Check out some pictures from the conference below – they had a contortionist at the Poolside Cocktail Party!
Chicago – what an amazing city for EO Thrive! Scott Maloney was even lucky enough to participate in a MyEO event where he flew in a helicopter around the city on a picture perfect day.
Scott also got to see Heidi Hanna again who really has studied the entrepreneurial brain – confidence, clarity, and connection to fuel the mind and soul; as well as one of the greatest coaches of all time – Ditka!
Check out some of the pictures from his trip below!
Heidi Hanna speaking at EO Thrive
A helicopter ride above Chicago
Chicago from above Lake Michigan
Got to listen to one of the greatest coaches ever speak
Ditka!
Ended the trip on a yacht cruising across the skyline
With the advent of mobility made possible by technology (smart phones, tablets and ever smaller laptops), there are greater opportunities for a flexible work environment. With technology, comes freedom from paper that has traditionally tied us to a fixed office – making possible the true paperless office environment. In reality, it has changed the very concept of “an office”; it’s now a Starbucks, a park bench, a conference room, a desk, all of the above. Mobility is the ability to choose to be productive in spaces and places other than one’s desk, based on what will best suit the task to be performed.
Office hotelling, touchdown desks, hot desking – no matter what you call it – it’s a method of reserving space and resources versus assigning an employee to a specific desk. Instead of having a designated desk for each employee, your staff members can reserve a desk, a spot at a communal table, an ergonomic work pod, or meeting room based on their needs that day.
Hotelling works best when you have at least 25% of your staff working remotely on any given day. There are many benefits to office hotelling including: financial savings – you could potentially reduce the square footage of your office space by efficiently defining your peak needs; opportunity to centralize and streamline resources – digitizing your file system eliminates redundancy office storage, and potential errors; employee empowerment – by giving your staff a flexible work environment and removing the requirement of daily attendance, you can increase moral and productivity while promoting employee interaction that is difficult in a 1 to 1 configuration. It also flattens the power structure, anyone can reserve the corner office.
Hotelling might sound like a fun idea for your office, but before you start taking reservations, take some of these tidbits into consideration:
Clean and organize your company file process and develop streamlined systems for file organization before implementing hotelling. Create procedures for labelling and reviewing records, so that people know where to look for items they are looking for.
Be proactive to understand and troubleshoot potential issues. Have a method for accommodating different types of visits, but also understand the challenges of providing items that might promote longer or shorter stays. For individuals who utilize short visits, a simple desk or communal table with power outlets and internet capability would be adequate. Longer visiting individuals might require additional file storage, white boards, etc., but these spaces will then be unavailable to the drop in visitor. Lockers are also helpful for individuals who use the same location regularly. Plan for overflow spaces when capacity passes the expected peak.
Systems for finding personnel who are on site and locating employees who are off site are important. Daily walk about checks can be reduced with technology such as occupancy sensors that can indicate whether a desk or conference room is in use. Some of the newer systems allow for reservations, wayfinding, and roll calling that can be accessed remotely or displayed in a common area. These programs can also help you leverage your space needs more efficiently.
Like most things, communication is key. Creating a larger mission and making sure your employees understand the benefits of office hotelling (greater mobility and flexibility, improved networking, efficient file storage) to get buy in before implementing a broad change within your company. Change Management is an important part of the process.
Visit other companies who have implemented hotelling, or host a lunch and learn to understand their experience.
As workplace environments continue to evolve we can help your team adapt to change. Every company has a unique DNA that works best, our collective experience and research can your team find the perfect fit!
Throughout the downturn, there was a significant contraction in the number of correctional projects, which spurred consolation and retraction in the industry. As the economy improved, a litany of much needed projects are brought to the forefront. These changes have led to monumental pressure in the industry that will impact everyone.
When Scott Maloney first started in correctional design over 20 years ago, there were 20 A/Es for every project, 20 manufacturers for each system, and 20 contractors to install them. Many of the business were regional, but there were several that had a national footprint.
With the slowdown of County Jail and State Prison construction, there have been so many changes in the business, that have caused large ripples through the industry:
The steel cell market has contracted to (3) companies
The metal wall panel market has contracted to (1) company
The precast companies serving correctional markets has contracted to (1) company
The detention hollow metal market has contracted to (4) companies
The detention door / lock market has contracted to (4) companies
The security electronics market has contracted to (6) companies
The security window market has contracted to (2) companies
There are 4-5 national players in the A/E world capable of delivering a $200+M project without absorbing their entire operation
The majority of the industry professionals are mid 50s+ with many nearing the retirement age in a couple of years
When you take this consolidation in the market with a mega increase in correctional projects across the county – ‘Houston, we have a problem’. There is likely $8-$10B in correctional projects forecasted at this time across the country, that will be vying of for the attention of the constricted industries.
Of course with this amount of work, some manufacturers may restart their detention manufacturing, but how will we find architects and engineers to perform the work? And ones with an expertise that will take the project from start to a successful finish with the retirement of many correctional architects and engineers we’ve worked with over the years? Both pose surmountable problems that can be tackled through the power of knowledge and relationships!
Know how to ask the right questions when interviewing the A/E team. What is their capacity? Will the team presented be able to work thru the (5) year project (for those larger jobs)? How will the A/E handle attrition? How strong is their relationship in the industry to ensure products can be delivered to this project?
With the inability to get a minimum of (3) bids on every project for each component of design perhaps leverage the CM or contract direct with a DEC to perform your work as you do an A/E. Your Architect should possess the knowledge on who to bring to the table for government entities to interview.
Go openly to the market in multiple areas early on using your CM and secure a production schedule timeframe for the critical components of the building design. This will require negotiation of an early GMP so be ready to make a deal halfway thru a project!
In the end, there are a lot of projects vying for the same production capacity of those that service the industry. Take care to leverage the relationships of your professionals to make sure the project can be delivered to your expectation.
Should you wish to discuss your project or content of this writing do not hesitate to contact Scott Maloney.
In celebration of our 15 year anniversary, we created a look book – join us as we take a trip down memory lane into K2M’s history, its people, key milestones, projects that made an impact, and where we envision our future.
Without the dedication of all K2Mrs and our valued clients, partners, and consultants, we couldn’t have achieved this milestone together. We thank you for all the support over the years and cheers to the next 15!
