Slalom moved into a heritage space at 8 King Street East. But dating back well over a century, it was plagued with problems that various contractors had taken a whack at over the years. Once we opened up the walls, we identified issues that you don’t want to inherit as a liability – like asbestos. So we ensured everything was cleaned up and shored up properly.

We’ve navigated Slalom through two moves and at the time of publication, are looking forward to the third. The relationship works because Slalom knows that when we say we’re going to do something, we do it. They’ve learned that they can trust that we’re going to deliver and we’re going to protect their interest – not just our own. Simply stated, they look at us as business people who happen to do construction.

Lesson learned
Having Edify be part of their real estate assessment team helps Slalom make smarter decisions in terms of how much ROI a given space is going to deliver. For instance, you could say you want a boardroom that can accommodate 20 people, lunch room, private offices, and 35 support people in workstations. Add that up, and you need 20,000 square feet.

But not all space is usable space – so that 20,000 square feet can range from 19,000 to 25,000 square feet depending on the building. Prorate that over a 10-year lease at $50 gross per square foot, and you’re in the millions of dollars of additional costs – just because you’ve selected the wrong space.

Designer: Gio Tan
Engineer: MCW Consultants