May 31, 2023

This paid piece is sponsored by Maguire.

When Maguire started planning for an all-new, state-of-the-art campus in Sioux Falls, company leaders began by engaging their employees.

“Our team members and how they flourish both personally and professionally is important to us,” CEO Gene Jones Jr. said. “We want our new campus to be a place where our team members come and do amazing work in the water storage tank industry as we help our customers store and protect quality water.”

After listening to team members across the company, safety, innovation and employee comfort were identified as the top three priorities for the project. These building blocks have become the foundation of the new campus.

“Anytime we can listen to our team members’ ideas and use them in a project like this, it makes our company better,” president Scott Jones said. “They are the people who are doing the work every day and know what would improve their jobs.”

To help take these ideas and expand upon them, BranchPattern, a firm with expertise in designing spaces and buildings around the priorities that were identified by Maguire, was brought in to lead the process.

BranchPattern associate principal Marcel Harmon and senior associate Dannie Dilonno shared more about how the firm is helping to create this employee-centered headquarters.

Who is BranchPattern, and what services do you provide?

BranchPattern is a high-performance building consultancy dedicated to creating Better Built Environments® through our many interwoven specialisms. Our beliefs are rooted in nature, which has taught us that true sustainability sits at the intersection of human experience and environmental stewardship.

Creating truly high-performing buildings is complex, but we believe that it shouldn’t feel that way for our clients. By working to tackle the complexity ourselves, we make it easier for our clients to achieve their goals. Our practices are led and supported from start to finish by our team of progressive experts in the fields of engineering, architecture, the social sciences, testing and analytics.

BranchPattern services include:

• Acoustics
• AV, security and telecom
• Building performance modeling
• Climate action planning
• Commissioning
• Enclosures
• Green building certification
• MEPT engineering
• Smart buildings

What goals did Maguire have for BranchPattern during this project?

BranchPattern was brought in to help the team set a project vision with specific, measurable targets to define success. The team has been integral in the energy and daylight modeling process, health and wellness consulting, and working towards a Fitwel certification. After hosting two three-hourlong workshops with over 25 Maguire employees from various departments, the following goals in the graphic below were determined:

Through design and continuing into construction, BranchPattern has been responsible for helping Maguire reach these goals and targets.

What factors were considered with Maguire’s current facility before beginning to design for the new campus?

BranchPattern had the pleasure of doing on-site indoor environmental quality, or IEQ, assessments involving the interview of employees, IEQ measurements and establishing a baseline with the current facility. BranchPattern identified various attributes of the indoor environment that can be improved upon for the new facility based on these assessments. The following factors are being considered for the new facility based on how the current facility is working or failing:

• Safe acoustical levels in the manufacturing facility.
• Incorporating a wellness room for employees.
• Privacy in the future open office area.
• Better lighting in the manufacturing facility.
• Enough storage rooms.

Why is it so important to design workspaces with employees’ well-being as the focus?

Focusing on the employees’ well-being is generally important for the following reasons:

• Productivity: When employees are comfortable in their workspace, they are likely to be more productive. A workspace designed for well-being might include, as it has for Maguire’s new facilities, ergonomic furniture, a wellness/workout room, sufficient lighting and access to natural light, which can all help reduce fatigue and improve focus.
• Retention and attraction: A well-designed workspace can also help retain existing employees and attract new ones. When employees feel that their company values their well-being, they are more likely to stay with the company. Additionally, prospective employees may be drawn to a company that prioritizes well-being in their workspace design.
• Health and safety: Workspaces designed with well-being in mind often also take into account the health and safety of employees, particularly important for the manufacturing facility. This can reduce the risk of workplace injuries, which can lead to absenteeism, increased health care costs and potential legal issues.
• Employee engagement: Employees are more likely to be engaged and invested in their work when they feel their well-being is a priority. This can lead to increased job satisfaction, better performance and more positive work culture.
• Reducing stress: A well-designed workspace can help reduce stress levels. High-stress environments can lead to burnout and other long-term health issues as well as contribute to accidents, negatively impacting safety, productivity and morale.
• Adaptability: Workspaces designed with well-being as a focus often consider flexibility and adaptability to cater to the diverse needs of employees. In an office environment, this includes adjustable desks, quiet spaces for focused work and collaboration areas for team meetings. In a manufacturing environment, this includes equipment-mounted task lighting, access to noise-canceling ear muffs and access to exterior spaces for recharging.
• Fostering innovation: A workspace that promotes well-being can foster creativity and innovation. Employees who feel comfortable and at ease are more likely to think creatively and contribute new ideas.
• Sustainability: Often, a focus on employee well-being can align with sustainability efforts. Natural light can reduce energy use, and the use of nontoxic, sustainable materials can improve air quality and reduce the company’s environmental footprint.

What was the process that was used to determine the design features of the new Maguire campus?

The project visioning workshop series mentioned above helped determine the overarching project goals as well as the on-site IEQ assessments. The Maguire employees are shaping the design features of the new campus by being able to provide feedback about what is working and what isn’t in the current facility. While BranchPattern has expertise and experience and has brought both to this project, success will more likely be reached if employees feel they were team members in the design of their new facility.

What is Fitwel, why was this certification selected, and what are the criteria for this certification?

Fitwel is the pioneering real estate platform driving health insights in building, ESG performance and bottom-line value. There are several certification options under the Fitwel Platform, including certifications for sites — community, and commercial and industrial — and buildings — workplace, multifamily residential, retail and senior housing — and can be applied to new or existing buildings.

Due to the emphasis on health, well-being and indoor environmental quality discovered in the project visioning and facility assessment phases, Fitwel became a verification process to validate that major goals and desires related to occupant health and well-being were successfully addressed.

Fitwel certification is a points-based, third-party validation. Projects need to achieve at least 91 points to earn a certification. There are seven impact categories:

1. Increase physical activity.
2. Promote occupant safety.
3. Reduce morbidity and absenteeism.
4. Promote social equity.
5. Instill feelings of well-being.
6. Impact surrounding community health.
7. Enhance access to healthy food.

Some examples of ways the new facility is earning points in the Fitwel certification program include the following:

• Having a climate-controlled manufacturing floor with both heat and air conditioning.
• Having a dedicated fitness area for employees.
• Active staircases promoting employees to use the stairs instead of the elevator.
• Establishing an indoor air quality policy along with annual testing and sharing results with employees.
• Including access to natural daylight and views of nature.
• Water bottle refilling stations.
• Establishing a healthy food and beverage policy.

Maguire is on track to achieve a one-star Fitwel certification, making it the first company in South Dakota to achieve that designation. How big of a deal is that?

It’s a HUGE deal! It demonstrates Maguire’s commitment to the health and well-being of its employees. Since they will earn the first certification in the state, it showcases their exemplary indoor environment in the workplace, which will promote employee retention, satisfaction and productivity, as well as reduce absenteeism and the spread of viruses. Maguire’s dedication to their staff is incredibly noteworthy, and hopefully, other companies in South Dakota follow suit.

What does it say that a construction company like Maguire is designing its new campus focused on employees?

It’s really cool and very unique to start the design process with a project visioning workshop series inclusive of so many departments within the company. Oftentimes, architects start designing without engaging employee stakeholders, but in this project, we wanted to make sure it was right from the very beginning. By establishing goals early on, building consensus across employee groups on measurable targets and following through with validation, such as the Fitwel certification, Maguire is drastically increasing the chances of having a very thoughtful, healthy and successful facility that will last 50 to 100 years!

“We are excited about our new campus and how these investments for our team and how they interact with our facilities will enhance the experience they have every day,” Jones Jr said. “We want to continue to be the place people choose to have a career because of how they are treated and the facilities they work in.”

Maguire is always looking for great team members to be part of this growing organization. To find out more about the positions that are available, click here. You can also learn more about the new Maguire campus by clicking here.

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