Ford & Associates completed the renovation of five floors in the existing occupied Empire office building located at 150 E. Broad Street in downtown Columbus. Three floors were renovated for the new offices for Continental Building Company. Ford & Associates provided all of the initial programming, design, finish selections and coordination with the tenant’s third party vendors including security, AV/Telecom and furniture vendors.
Due to the historical nature of this facility, only one interior stairwell is provided, along with an exterior fire exit stairway. Ford & Associates worked closely with the Columbus Building Department regarding all existing non-code compliant egress and accessibility violations and solutions to meet the code intent while maintaining the construction schedule and budget. For example, the existing non-accessible toilet rooms were upgraded where technically feasible (new countertops, sinks and accessories provided) and the addition of a unisex accessible toilet room was provided. With the balance of the floor remaining occupied, Ford & Associates, along with the general contractor, reviewed multiple options to limit disruption to the adjacent floors, while keeping the construction cost to a minimum.
