JT Magen, a national construction firm specializing in preconstruction, construction management, design-build, and general contracting across a variety of industries, has completed a full office renovation for Owlchemy Labs, a video game developer, in Austin, Texas.
JT Magen served as the construction manager for the 8,079-square-foot project, overseeing all aspects from budgeting, procurement of materials, managing subcontractors and conducting the final handover upon completion.
As a fully remote company, Owlchemy Labs had a vision to provide an event location that supports the local Austin video game community and offers an employee gathering space that fosters connection, collaboration and creativity. Founded in 2010 and acquired by Google in 2017, Owlchemy Labs is an XR studio with a passion for polished, playful, and innovative VR games and experiences. Owlchemy’s titles include the award-winning, platinum-selling VR launch title “Job Simulator,” the Emmy-nominated “Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality,” the top ten VR title “Vacation Simulator” and its newest VR title “Cosmonious High.”
“We celebrate the opening of Owlchemy Labs new event space in Austin, which aligns with the company’s vision of creating an environment for everyone to enjoy,” said Dan Longshore, Southwest Regional Director at JT Magen. “It was rewarding to see the project come together and be able to deliver a high-quality space that met Owlchemy’s current and future goals.”
JT Magen worked with Revel Architecture to create a seamless, engaging environment for Owlchemy Labs. Prior to the renovation, the office was compartmentalized into individual employee workstations, separated by high walls that blocked the natural light. To better support Owlchemy’s growth and its move to a fully remote environment, the project team created several areas for larger group gatherings, smaller connection spaces, and a place to kick back and play video games. They also maintained the private meeting rooms.
The office was designed to reflect Owlchemy’s fun, playful and vibrant brand with a balance of neutral shades of white with pops of teal and blue throughout the space and a perimeter floor of polished concrete that adds a bit of contrast. The ground-floor space features large windows that allow for natural light, supported by dark metal pendant lighting throughout.
JT Magen’s Austin office is one of the region’s leading general contractors and construction managers. Led by Dan Longshore, the team has been involved in number of projects across the retail and commercial interiors sector for clients such as the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, JBGoodwin REALTORS®, The Roarty Law Firm, Oak Point Real Estate, TAWA, and UNIQLO.