Higher Education
Reuben-Cooke Building Renovation
Client
Lechase
Project Owner
Duke University
Location
Durham, North Carolina
Project Value
$45,300,000
Industry
Higher Education
Account Executive(s)
Tom Thomas, Jodi Harrelson
Services Provided
Presentation Coaching |
Presentation Development |
Proposal Development |
Renderings & Animations |
Higher Education
Reuben-Cooke Building Renovation
Client
Lechase
Project Owner
Duke University
Location
Durham, North Carolina
Project Value
$45,300,000
Industry
Higher Education
Account Executive(s)
Tom Thomas, Jodi Harrelson
Services Provided
Presentation Coaching |
Presentation Development |
Proposal Development |
Renderings & Animations |
Project Overview
The Reuben-Cooke Building Renovation represented the first phase of a nine-building renewal initiative at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. With a construction budget of $45.3 million, the project required a delivery team capable of managing a complex, phased academic renovation alongside a full design and preconstruction effort. The client assembled a team that included design partners O’Brien Atkins and Annum to pursue the preconstruction and construction management contract. To strengthen that pursuit, the client engaged PRESWERX to produce proposal materials, photorealistic renderings, animations, and a polished presentation, and to coach the team through the selection process.
Client Challenges
The Reuben-Cooke Building Renovation was the first project in a nine-building campus renewal at Duke University, and the pursuit carried expectations to match:
A $45.3 million scope within a larger institutional initiative required a narrative that conveyed both the individual project and the broader campus program
Duke University expected visual evidence of design quality and construction capability before a single shovel hit the ground
A curated, invite-only selection process raised the bar for differentiation, requiring a presentation that felt deliberate and prepared
With a strong design partnership already in place, the client needed pursuit materials that made the full team’s capability visible and compelling to the owner.
Scope of Work
PRESWERX delivered a full suite of pursuit materials for the Reuben-Cooke Building Renovation. The proposal package established the client’s qualifications and team story in a format tailored to Duke University’s procurement process. Photorealistic renderings visualized the renovation’s intended design quality, giving the selection committee a concrete preview of the finished space. Animations brought key building sequences and spatial relationships to life in ways static images could not. The client’s team then worked through structured presentation coaching with PRESWERX, sharpening their delivery, clarifying their message, and building confidence ahead of the live selection presentation.
PRESWERX Approach
PRESWERX treated the pursuit as a coordinated strategy, not a collection of independent deliverables.
The proposal framed the client’s full team story as a unified narrative, positioning each partner’s role and value clearly for the owner
Renderings and animations were built to the specific program and spatial conditions of the Reuben-Cooke Building, grounding visual quality in the actual project
Presentation coaching sharpened the team’s delivery and prepared them for evaluator questions before the live interview
Every piece reinforced the others, giving the client a cohesive case rather than a stack of separate materials.
Results Delivered
PRESWERX produced a complete pursuit package calibrated to a high-profile, institutionally significant selection.
The proposal gave the selection committee a clear account of the team’s qualifications, approach, and design vision for the renovation
Renderings and animations provided Duke University’s evaluators with a tangible visual picture of the finished building before construction began
Presentation coaching aligned the team’s spoken delivery with the written materials, giving every team member a confident, consistent message
The client entered the selection with the full weight of their team’s capability on display.
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SUCCESS STORIES
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