SteelWave transforms spaces into dynamic live-work-play environments for the innovation economy 

SteelWave is a privately held, full-service commercial real estate (CRE) operating company that specializes in creating live, work, and play environments for the innovation workforce. CEO, Barry DiRaimondo, shares an overview of the business: “With a legacy spanning nearly five decades, we’ve developed, acquired, and revitalized projects totaling over 125 million square feet at a cost of almost $18 billion across the Western United States,” he begins.   

“We offer a comprehensive suite of services, including investment management, commercial development, redevelopment, leasing, property management, and full design/build construction. Our expertise encompasses a wide variety of creative office spaces, life-science laboratories, industrial facilities, mixed-use buildings, and residential units.  

“Our approach is very design-forward and focuses on creating environments that are scaled to the human experience. It’s all about creating spaces where people want to interact with one another. We want to create an experience for the user that is adding to whatever they are doing: a place to live, a place to work, or a place to play. The goal is to connect the built environment with the sensitivities of the user. More often than not, it’s very difficult to verbalize what makes a built environment have that desired connection; however, you know it when you are standing in the middle of it.  

“Sustainability comes naturally when working this way. For example, Infinite Labs in Louisville, Colorado, is today a life-science campus that attracts talent from the Denver/Boulder area. In Southern California, The Press, the former Los Angeles Times printing press warehouse and press room, is now a dynamic technology campus located in the northern Costa Mesa submarket that draws in the brightest and best technology talent from across the US. It’s not just renovation – it is reinvention, reinvigoration, and building on what works.  

“The Link in Denver provides a good example of our work. This mixed-use redevelopment exemplifies our vision for a dynamic work environment, combining sustainable design with community-focused amenities to create a vibrant locale in the heart of downtown Denver. This is where people can have a place that lends itself to working in a very collaborative manner. A space where the line between work and play is blurred. This is a vision for the future where work/life balance is achieved and community collaboration is reborn. It is a very human approach with functionality being as important as form.  

“Achieving success with projects like this is a result of an all-hands-on-deck approach that fosters collaboration, agility, and comprehensive problem-solving. It ensures a variety of voices and visions. Differing views create stronger connections and a deeper foundation. By involving diverse expertise at every stage, we ensure that all aspects of a project are meticulously addressed, leading to more resilient and successful developments.  

“Design is central to each and every one of our projects, serving as a catalyst for innovation and community engagement. We prioritize sustainability, functionality, and aesthetic appeal, tailoring each development to its unique context (and the surrounding community and culture). Our collaboration with leading architects and designers ensures that our projects not only meet market demands, but also enrich the communities they serve. We focus on curating the environment with furniture and artwork that is made by local artisans and craftspeople. There is a strong sense of pride in creating landmarks in unison with local sensibilities.”  

Eco-friendly spaces 

Barry then outlines the company’s approach to overcoming the contemporary challenges in the real estate market: “We engage in transparent communication, provide incisive market insights, and offer tailored solutions that address specific challenges. Conviction is a quality that we highly value. In many of our projects, we are creating something that is new and unique to a specific market. By leveraging our experience and research, we guide our partners through market complexities, helping them make informed decisions. Every project and location has a story. The key is to figure out what that story is and express it through design. Having said that, you need a very strong conviction that you have the right story to tell. Our deep background provides us with the foundation and confidence to make bold choices for the future and guide rather than follow.” 

This brought Barry onto the company’s strategy around the environment: “Sustainability is integral to our operations. We implement adaptive reuse strategies, incorporate energy-efficient systems, and utilize sustainable materials. Additionally, we focus on community and our surrounding landscape. We create projects that exist in harmony with the purpose of endurance and longevity. Projects like Infinite Labs showcase our commitment by transforming existing structures into eco-friendly spaces that promote wellness and reduce environmental impact.”  

Sustainable developments 

Looking to the future, Barry outlines the company’s plans moving forward: “Our priorities for this year include advancing our life-science and mixed-use developments, enhancing sustainability initiatives, expanding our presence in key markets to meet evolving demands, and continuing to innovate through digital commercial real estate (CRE) tokenization initiatives like SteelWave Digital.  

“In five years, we aim to be at the forefront of innovative commercial real estate solutions as the market dramatically rebounds. We want to inspire through our sustainable developments and adaptive reuse projects. The built environment will continue to evolve to meet the needs and sensitivities of the users. Architecture will continue to find new ways to inspire. While architecture is visual in nature, transcendent design is visceral – you can feel it, and is less prone to constant adaptation. We will continue to rely on design to guide our activities. The greatest evolution in our world of CRE will come less in the area of built environments and more in the area of asset ownership structures. Today, most CRE ownership structures in projects or portfolios of scale are very cumbersome, expensive to put into place, and limit the ownership audience to large institutions and high-net-worth players. Blockchain and Web3 have the potential to revolutionize how real-world assets, such as CRE, are owned and how these ownership interests are transacted. We created SteelWave Digital four years ago to lead our brand and our efforts into this game-changing ecosystem as the financial world starts to embrace blockchain and Web3. Our future is truly boundless as our experience and dedication to innovation lead us forward.”   

www.steelwavellc.com