Creating people-centric, sustainable, workspaces for state employees in California
With construction of the May Lee Complex set to begin in 2020, the Department of General Services for the State of California (DGS) began the procurement process for office furniture as early as 2018. The DGS team identified five critical success factors for the project that would carry over to the furnishings. The space would need to be: integrated, people-focused, practical, sustainable, and embody a timeless design. To add to the complexity of the project, the COVID-19 pandemic coincided with the beginning of construction in 2020. As the project continued, the DGS team realized that employees who were currently working from home would need office spaces that were appealing and functional enough to deliver a positive experience as they returned in person. DGS needed a partner who would go above and beyond to fulfill their criteria.
As part of a multi-year project to renovate and replace aging buildings for state employees in Sacramento, DGS completed the May Lee State Office Complex in 2024. With 1.25 million gross square feet, the office complex has four office towers connected at the ground level by public-facing areas. Within the complex, DGS had built out a lot of amenity space to make this facility an ideal place for employees to work, connect, and stay healthy. Spaces include a gym, child care facility, a 300-seat auditorium, a 25-room training center, limited retail spaces, and a dining hall seating 1,000 people.
For over 24 years, Allsteel has worked closely with the State of California delivering transformative, collaborative spaces with functional, durable, and attractive furnishings. Over the past 7 years, Allsteel has been engaged directly with DGS on high-rise building projects including the Clifford L. Allenby project and new Natural Resources building. When the time came for furnishing the new May Lee Complex, Allsteel was their go-to partner. As part of the State’s agreement with the Prison Industry Authority (PIA), PIA would provide task seating for the complex, while Allsteel was to provide all of the modular office furniture.
"When building or doing a project for government entities, you need to be practical in the way you're building, the way you're designing, the way you're spending money. You make selections based on value as well as aesthetics. Allsteel always has strong options for. They have their essentials collection, which is all of our metal storage. It looks very nice and functions well, but it wasn't super expensive." -
Juli Kawahata, Project Director at California Department of General Services
In keeping with the five critical success factors for the project, the Allsteel team set to work with the DGS team and their designer to identify the type of furnishings that would meet the aesthetic and functional needs of the massive space.
1. Integrated: DGS wanted the seven departments to stay connected at the campus and encourage collaboration.
2. People-focused: Employees needed to look forward to coming to work and be able to easily collaborate with others.
3. Practical: Furnishings needed to be functional and within budget.
4. Sustainable: In keeping with the goal of meeting LEED standards and sustainability goals, DGS was looking for products that were manufactured and packaged in sustainable ways.
5. Timeless: Modular office furniture would need to be durable but able to transform with the changing needs of the space.
"We want everybody to come here and collaborate, even if it's not for work. Socialize, because we haven't done that for a really long time. Once you start to socialize, maybe you'll want to come to work, have lunch with somebody. We wanted to create that interconnected feeling, supported by the furnishings." -
Juli Kawahata, Project Director at California Department of General Services
Allsteel was committed to the goal of bringing people together and set to work providing a series of recommendations to the team. Throughout the open office spaces and breakout areas, they recommended pieces that would encourage collaboration. From high-top tables and chairs to well-placed whiteboards, the entire space would be furnished with pieces that improved communication and impromptu discussions. Allsteel recommended low panels for office spaces to allow people to interact more easily and height-adjustable office desks to provide disability accommodations.
The team was also focused on creating spaces that were both appealing and functional. The selections proposed by Allsteel made it easy for employees to be productive and stay compatible with recent technological advances by providing power modules above sit-to-stand office desks.
To accomplish flexibility and future-proofing, the private offices were built on 120, 180, or 240 square feet with the same office furniture configuration, outlets, lighting, and doors. The team selected office furniture that could be easily modified to turn the space into a private office, huddle room, or storage. Seven-by-seven workstations and seven-by-nine workstations were specifically designed to ensure that the office furniture could be modified to meet the needs of any employee or any department.
Results
Allsteel’s modular furnishings now support the integration of people across the seven departments currently housed at the May Lee Complex in shared spaces as well as office spaces. Collaborative spaces now serve to improve cross-functional communication and teamwork while providing an aesthetically pleasing place to work.
DGS’s commitment to sustainability has been furthered by selecting furnishings that were in keeping with sustainability measures that would meet LEED Gold standards and fit in with the zero net carbon and energy facility. The new buildings now provide a workspace that is functional, flexible, and resilient. Going forward, converting offices to huddle rooms or storage will no longer require any construction. The Allsteel team will be able to assist with the transformation of modular office furniture when needed. By choosing Allsteel, DGS has positioned the new office space for the future and has chosen a partner who stands behind its products.
