The mule barns were constructed in 1912, making the Fort Worth Stockyards the largest horse and mule market in the U.S. Beginning in 2018, these Mule Barns went through a major overhaul to provide new office, dining, shopping, and entertainment experiences. This development is reshaping the Barn’s story... bringing it up to date while also keeping much of its history intact. The project was a unique opportunity for adaptive re-use and Simpli.fi was able to see the potential very early on. With so much character, not only are the barns an impressive space for an office build out, but by moving into the barns, Simpli.fi’s new workplace truly promoted a sense of community for the employees. There is now an opportunity for all employees to sit in the same size workstation and on one main level. This helped to break down the silos of different teams and instead, create a sense of connectiveness and community. Collaborative rooms were placed under haylofts to create smaller neighborhoods throughout the plan and a large Break and Game area were also provided to encourage spontaneous interactions. Being a historic renovation project, the team had unique challenges along the way. Typical construction standards that we often take for granted weren’t always permissible when building out a pre-first-generation office space. An example of this was that the team was not allowed to attach anything to the underside of the roof so everything from lighting, mechanical and wall supports were designed to attach to the sides of the beams instead. By partnering with key consultants, the team was able to properly design a space that met Energy Codes, even when occupying a barn that is over 100 years old. The old roof had never supported such weight but the team was able to find an efficient HVAC solution that met everyone’s requirements. The Barns also had beautiful clearstory windows which were updated to be more energy efficient. These windows provided great natural light which reduced the electrical lighting needs yet still ensuring quality light throughout the space. With a predicted LPD of .75, the project was able to capture a baseline LPD of .82. Key strategies in achieving energy efficiency included Daylight Harvesting, use of occupancy sensors and light timers. The project was also able to achieve 30% more efficient lighting than code required. Material selection was carefully handpicked and reviewed to best compliment the space. Thoughtful consideration was made in selecting environmentally friendly materials that contributed to Indoor Air Quality by having the CRI Green Label Plus certification and meeting the Building Challenge: Red List materials and chemicals.