Materials Matter Most When Planning New Office

When planning to construct a new office or plant, business owners are faced with a barrage of unmade decisions. Each affects the project’s budget, but perhaps none more than choosing materials for the new building.

However, Northwest Arkansas architects and engineers said executives should consider the selection of materials carefully. Some corners shouldn’t be cut.

Although second-quality supplies might initially save money on the project, part of a company’s reputation depends on the quality and durability of its headquarters.

A structure’s exterior should be top quality, said Jim Foster, a principal architect at Amirmoez, Foster, Hailey, Johnson Architects in Fayetteville. The building’s skin — vinyl, brick, glass, metal or wood — is its only protection from the elements.

“[The exterior] is most prone to failure, leakage and maintenance,” Foster said.

“It’s always a challenge to get premiere materials here in Northwest Arkansas, because they can be so costly.”

For example, Foster said he blamed a shortage of skilled labor in Washington and Benton counties for the rising cost of masonry.

To skirt that additional cost, he said, some developers finish their buildings’ exteriors with a controversial faux stucco, or Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems.

Foster, an architect of 32 years, said owners should only use EIFS as a decorative accent. Nationally, the jury is out about whether EIFS itself is faulty. Some proponents of the system point to shabby installation for causing water leakage and rot.

According to the EIFS Industry Members Association Web site, www.eima.com, the EIFS layering process features a rigid foam core that is attached to wooden or steel framing. The foam is covered with fiberglass mesh, which is then coated with texture similar to adobe.

The $7 million Fayetteville Town Center uses a type of EIFS.

Ron Shelby, a principal architect with Hight-Jackson Associates in Rogers, said a business owner shouldn’t skimp on the parts that create the public’s view of the edifice.

“There are some front-end costs you just need to spend,” Shelby said, adding that public restrooms and the lobby set the tone for the company’s image.

Because bathrooms don’t move or change, Shelby advised owners to install durable ceramic tile and superior fixtures for the room. The lobby often gives clients their first impressions of the business, and Shelby recommended using lasting porcelain-tile flooring in the entrance.

If a developer is building offices or retail space for lease, constructing attractive housing will help attract stronger businesses, Shelby said.

Aside from the structure’s cosmetics, he said, owners should not be too thrifty on the plumbing and wiring.

Although it can mean a 10-15 percent difference in cost, Hight-Jackson faithfully uses cast iron pipes beneath a building’s foundation. Shelby said he personally prefers to use it throughout the project, even though the alternative plastic pipes meet the required building codes.

One architect had a bit of good news for owners preparing to build.

“Dirt is dirt,” said Doug Fredeen, an architect with Freeland-Kauffman & Fredeen Inc. Fredeen plans commercial sites for his clients by designing landscapes, parking lots and driveways.

He said the dirt, gravel and asphalt mixtures used to layer parking lots are set to standards approved by the Arkansas Highway & Transportation Department.

“There’s not a lot to worry about here,” Fredeen said.