Completed: Phased, 2020

Location: Princeton, NJ

MEP Engineer: Seeler Smith and Associates

General Contractor: Irwin & Leighton

The Helm building is a four-story office building at the periphery of Princeton University’s campus. The project was conceived as a modest renovation that modified existing office layouts to accommodate University Services, the Office of Admission, the Office of the Registar, and Undergraduate Financial Aid and Student Employment. The initial idea was to reuse existing furniture and to retain as many partitions as possible. As our space planning effort progressed, it became clear that this approach wouldn’t meet the needs of the departments moving to the building. Despite an accelerated project schedule, we pulled together a more ambitious design that focused on collaborative spaces and shared amenities. Throughout the evolution of the project, we worked to foster consensus among a variety of stakeholders ranging from executive project sponsors to future occupants.