The “Building 10” project on the Cisco Campus, which had a ribbon cutting ceremony October 19, is innovative in many areas. It was the first complete and compliant large scale Title 24 project on the campus. It was also the first set of design build electrical plans presented and successfully passed without comments by the city of San Jose Planning, Building and Code Enforcement Department. It was the first building to integrate “Power over Ethernet Lighting” in its executive spaces. It was the first high density telepresence and intelligent space consolidation of that magnitude. It was the first time the lobby was re-imagined since the building was constructed. And last but not least, it was the first major re-visioning of the building as a whole in nearly 15 years.
General Foreman Ron Heimbuecher, who is part of the construction team, said all the new lighting technology controls, which incorporated a new watt stopper, is one of his favorite parts of the project.
“People have greater control over lighting and it’s a nicer light – easier on the eyes,” Heimbuecher said, who added he has also enjoyed seeing the building’s transformation. “It’s a lot more modernized and the lobby is definitely a nice showroom.”
A CH Reynolds electrical team led by Sr. Project Manager Sage Firebaugh, Superintendent Terry Wahl and General Foremen Heimbuecher and David Kirchner in subcontract/partnership with Devcon Construction and CBRE helped Cisco Systems Inc. rebuild their San Jose corporate and technology center “Building 10.” The structure is five-stories and is integral to the overall corporation and the showcase of the campus. Working closely with Devcon Construction’s Project Executive Susan Becher, Project Engineer Christian Bertolotti, Architect Pamela Warren, Designer Linda Snashall, Gensler Architects and Cisco’s own WPR the task took a year from design development to build to finish.
It started in August 2014 with a technology overlay to the first floor EBC, which renovated the fishbowl and the executive briefing center conference rooms. Each location was reinvigorated with the latest in audio visual advances. At the same time, the Paris conference room was converted into a new Cisco Experience Theatre. After those initial changes were completed, the venture grew in strength and presence as the CCW Phase One started. The fourth and fifth floors were designed, demolished and renovated. The old boardroom was quietly retired and a new cutting edge boardroom complete with a 30-foot prysm wall and 20-foot table loaded with theatrical interfaces was commissioned. After achieving the milestone of relocating the executives to their new space on levels four and five, the construction team turned their attention to the demanding Phase Two. In this segment of the project the second and third floors were redesigned and brought up to CCW and CXC Cisco standards. In tandem with this scope the North center quadrant of the second floor was removed to add dramatic space for the new first floor Lobby.
There were many challenges in this phase, in the forefront was schedule. Though all trades had maintained a remarkable pace, Phase Two was to be completed in half the time as Phase One. Through intense coordination and remarkable people the project continued in long hours, weekends and in some instances late into the night with dual shifts. During the ribbon cutting ceremony, the space was populated as employees found their new offices. The ribbon was cut by former CEO John Chambers and current CEO Chuck Robbins with Senior Director of Global Workspace Innovation Group Alan McGinty spreading congratulations all around to the entire construction team. As Chambers stated when the newly remodeled EBC was rechristened the “John T. Chambers Customer Experience Center:” “this is a place to be proud of.”
“I’m incredibly proud of the effort our team displayed and their desire to succeed was incredible,” Firebaugh said. “We were all a part of a great group of construction professionals who left behind a legacy of high standards and excellence.”
Cisco Systems Inc. is an American multinational technology company that designs, manufactures and sells networking equipment and has headquarters in San Jose.
