Compuware Revs Up Downtown Detroit

Compuware's new downtown Detroit headquarters consolidates satellite offices, clusters of departments, and diverse employee groups that finally can work together having abandoned fragmented suburban Detriot offices. The first major new office building in downtown Detroit in 30 years since construction of the Renaissance Center, the $400 million facility has 2,400 employees working in a building designed to accommodate 3,500. The computer business software and technical services company whose products make other companies more productive, is helping revitalize downtown Detroit. The neighborhood has a new park, and a Hard Rock Café opens in November in the building's ground floor retail space. The high-paid, high-tech Compuware workers are bringing life to the city that has been suffering since the late 1960s.

The 1.1 million-sq.ft. building has 15 floors, and includes 60,000 sq.ft. of retail space, and a 12-story garage (10 above ground) that will feature original art by Detroit's College for Creative studies. This facility is a much-needed departure from its former suburban three-story 250,000-sq.ft. building. "It was a major culture shock and also a visionary decision to move people from the suburban setting where they lived five minutes away to downtown Detroit, says Mr. Kelly Deines, interior designer, Rossetti. "When we decided to move our headquarters to Detroit from the suburbs, we worked with Gensler to fast-track a skin and bones programming effort. This was an attempt to do a draft design of the functional requirements and specs of the new headquarters-based user needs," says Larry M. Fees, vice president, Facilities and Administration.

"The company was seeking best practices for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. However, we really wanted to focus on human factors that make a workplace productive, healthy and enjoyable, not just a building. It is both our headquarters and a multi-tenant retail building. The raised floor [Compuware installed] provides wiring flexibility for Compuware but will also work for other tenants. Everyone has churn to manage," says Fees.

The multi-billion dollar company initially considered conventional construction but decided on a raised floor throughout the space with a specialized HVAC under floor system. Compuware asked Gensler for help with the raised floor study and to determine that under floor plenum space would be a cost-effective way to do cooling." The building generates heat and only needs heat on winter mornings. Gensler's study found operational efficiencies in employing an under floor system. Diffusers exist in each cubicle or workspace so employees can warm up or cool down. The typical temperature is 72 to 74 degrees with 58-degree air coming through the diffusers.

Fees insisted on a raised floor facility throughout, even when he got resistance from the architect, engineer and developer, mostly because they had never done a raised floor system throughout a high-rise. Fees proved his point to be affordable. When the contractor went back and looked at the cost, it actually turned out to be less because it reduced overall floor to floor structural steel required. Fifteen floors times six inches of space saved money other ways and also covered the cost of the raised floor. "We reduced the amount of steel needed to build the building and eliminated the ductwork of traditional cooling systems, by having in-floor cooling," says Fees who has a technical background as an IS manager.

"The interior ceiling height is 9ft.6in. Eighteen inches above the ceiling function as a return air plenum. Air circulates and is recycled," explains Fees, who was selected for the project because of his institutional knowledge at Compuware and his tech sophistication. "It's a very efficient system. When you embark on a venture that no one has done before, it gets scary, but everyone learned how to do a raised floor properly. Further, all electrical power is in the floor allowing power to move among workstations easily without rewiring. Electrical planning can be done without knowing who is sitting where as long as a department's data or electrical needs are known. There is uniform electrical with maximum electrical density off each floor and for data. Additional workers can be put in place with Haworth's Quick Connect (in the furniture system) in a couple of hours. Electricians work to a plan under the floor and can easily jump power from one zone to another, according to Ms. Paddy Benson, who represents walls and furniture company Smed International in the state of Michigan. (Haworth owns Smed).

Modular construction wins

When Compuware's procurement group and some facilities people went to furniture manufacturer Smed in Calgary and learned about modular construction vs. conventional construction, it also helped them embrace the advantages of modular construction, according to Benson. "Compuware wanted to keep things off the walls so move management would be easier. We kept a low number of parts and sizes so walls can be reused and furniture moved easily," she explains. "Everything is independent and provides ease of reconfiguration. There was a very aggressive time frame; Smed walls helped tremendously with that."

Design firm Rossetti did a mini-mockup of Smed LifeSPACE Movable Walls in its Southfield, Michigan, design studio and also did a mock-up at Compuware. As a design element, curved modular walls-which can be difficult to re-use-were installed from the reception area to the conference spaces. Compuware actually can reuse these wall segments since straight sections and custom connectors were installed that curve the wall but still can be managed as part of the module. "It could be reconfigured later for a conference room or a back wall. It becomes a usable wall, not just a design element with a one-off application," says Benson.

Furniture for a change

"Compuware wanted furniture that could change with the company and was easy for the FM staff to move and maintain," says Barbara Thomas, manager of Constructive Solutions for University Business Interiors, Farmington Hills, Michigan. "They wanted a change from what they had in the existing facility." Described as "super cubicles," offices are equipped with personal ventilation and dry-erase boards. Haworth's Race furniture system and Tas chairs, and Smed LifeSPACE walls, Legs furniture system and Cabriolet storage dominate the environment. The wall system is used for everything except the core walls. The company can take a floor down to its bare walls and re-plan it out. Private offices use Smed Legs' furniture system.

"The reason we bought the Haworth Race System is because we wanted fewer pieces and parts. Haworth and UBI helped with the planning. When we do reconfigure, it should be easier and some parts are interchangeable. That's why we picked what we picked," says Fees. "At a certain level, furniture systems are commodities." What Fees found while working with several different vendors, is they work to different standards and that's what makes the decision.

Churn down; flexibility up

Two years ago churn was at 70 percent, and it was horrible," says Fees. "We were crammed in the space; we had to move every time a team would grow. After the move to the headquarters, Compuware management decided not to move anyone for a while and there is room to grow around every working group. They have had a lot of wiring changes but have added cabling and wiring through the access floor. In January, Fees expects churn will increase 20 to 25 percent because the space exists to move around. "There is so much flexibility now, churn is not an issue. In the previous place, we had eight facilities people. We have the same number now even with more people at this location." There are 50 Compuware offices in the US and 50 elsewhere around the world; headquarters FMs service the other locations as well.

"From a facility management standpoint, it's a highly studied yet simplified clean neutral workplace that everyone shares with some hierarchies. As a living workplace, it's very soothing; conducive, and has reinforced teaming interaction between departments, as people finally get to work together under one roof, according to Rossetti's Deines, whose firm is hoping to do a post-occupancy study.

The building was designed for rear and vertical expansion to accommodate an additional 2000 people. If Phase II occurs, then 5,000 full-time employees will use it and up to 8,000 with hoteling capabilities. Compuware uses its new facility as an employee retention tool as well, providing daycare in the facility to 300 Compuware employee children, infant through kindergarten, a wellness center that offers a full-size gym with cardiovascular and traditional health club equipment as well as racquetball, spinning classes, massage and sauna. The food service facility employs five chefs, including a pastry chef and seats 500, serving a few thousand meals a day. The largest indoor waterfall/water sculpture in the US is in the lobby along with 30-foot tall bamboo trees. A 12-story garage (10 above ground) features original art by Detroit's College for Creative studies.

For more information on some of the firms featured in this story, please go to: www.compuware.com, www.rossetti.com, www.gensler.com, www.smednet.com, www.haworth.com