Ken Birdsall

VP of Construction

Ken has 25+ years of experience in commercial and industrial construction and possesses an extensive background in tenant improvement, cleanroom, and bio-pharmaceutical projects. Ken is well-versed in cost engineering, subcontract administration, estimating, scheduling, and the coordination of subcontracts and trades. In addition, Ken possesses a complete understanding of mechanical and electrical systems and construction techniques, knowledge and experience in administering projects from inception through completion, and a thorough understanding of the practical application of design/build and value engineering concepts.

Ken holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from California State University – Long Beach and a Certificate in Construction Management from San Jose State University.

Here are some of the projects he was involved:

NEW CONSTRUCTION / MAJOR BUILDING RENOVATION

Garden Court Hotel, Palo Alto
90,000 SF tenant improvement project consisted of improvements to the existing four-story Garden Court Hotel. The interior work included updates to the lobby vestibule and reception desk, a new solarium overlooking the terrace, a library, a drawing room, a beautiful lounge with a bar, and updates to the corridors on all floors. In addition, we patched and repaired flooring, walls, and ceilings throughout the hotel and updated all wall fixtures both inside and out. The exterior included a new entryway door and canopy, a new fireplace, a fence with a water fountain, and gate realignment in the back patio. The unique challenge to this project is the high-end, fragile fixtures and materials shipped from overseas with long lead times.

80 Willow | Sunset Building, Menlo Park
The Iconic Sunset Magazine Building. Hillhouse Construction was hired to perform demolition, interior upgrades, and exterior modification to this 42,000 SF historic building which sits on 17 acres of lush lawn and garden area. The project’s highlights were constructing a complete seismic retrofit, new ADA restrooms and showers, and a new deck and seating area around a courtyard fountain. MEP work consisted of a new VRF system, a complete wet fire sprinkler system with multiple risers, and two street hydrants. Landscaping and path upgrades took place in the front and back of the building to enhance the existing, meticulously maintained landscape setting.

ServiceNow, Santa Clara
13,000 SF tenant improvement project was for executive office space on the building’s 4th floor. In an occupied area, the scope included building an open workspace, private offices, and a break area – installing new walls and partitions with added structural requirements, specialized glass walls, and high-end finishes. Each of the private offices and conference rooms was built to unique and user-specific requirements. To accommodate move-in needs, we met a highly accelerated schedule.

Data Center (Confidential Client), San Jose
The 80,000 SF building was renovated into a Tier 3, 10-megawatt data center. The work consists of a complete seismic upgrade with a 20,000 SF steel structure – ten above the existing roof to house the HVAC equipment. In addition, the building included a 15,000 SF screened utility yard for switchgear and six diesel generators. The architectural features included a new entry, a storefront glazing system, the interior build-out of the lobby, a breakroom, a Network Operations Center (NOC), a conference room, and two data halls.

Ceribell, Sunnyvale
16,500 SF design-build tenant improvement included constructing two new conference rooms, shipping/receiving, manufacturing areas, and adding 80 workstations.

SRI International, Menlo Park
This tenant improvement project is for the client’s International Security Console Room, a central security hub for their 63-acre site in Menlo Park, Colorado, Washington DC, and Florida campuses. The project included complete demolition and rebuild. Due to its high profile and complexity, it required the utmost communication coordination.