Collaboration Without Borders

As National Work From Home Week draws to a close, we’re spotlighting how flexibility, balance, and heart keep us climbing new peaks together.

At Palacio, remote doesn’t mean distant. Every day, our team connects across states and time zones, proving that our people-first culture can’t be contained within an office building.

Culture Without Walls

“Remote work can sometimes feel isolating. I focus on helping our team feel comfortable and relaxed so they get to know each other outside of typical Teams meetings,” says Nicki McGinnis, Human Resources Coordinator.  

A large part of Nicki's role is to create opportunities for connection and vibrant engagement. Palacio offers quarterly challenges, virtual social hours, trivia games, and birthday and milestone shoutouts to make space for fun, laughter, and camaraderie. These aren’t just “extra” activities—they’re essential touchpoints that remind us we’re part of something beyond our screens.

Using tools like engagement surveys, Nicki adapts her approach to keep our team feeling supported and engaged. “I continue to explore new ways and techniques to reach out, encourage involvement, and help our team feel more connected,” Nicki adds.

Home is Where the Work (and Pets) Are

No matter where we log in, we’re climbing the same mountain together. From sunny window views and furry coworkers, peek into our team’s real-life workspaces where our team collaborates daily.

And our team has a lot to say about what the Palacio remote work culture and their carefully curated workspaces mean to them!

“I love my view while doing takeoffs. It’s not too shabby! Thank you to Palacio—the ability to work from home is priceless.”  — Mitch Carmichael

“My desk is messy, but I love that I can bounce on my yoga ball when I have extra energy to burn. My dogs are a hilarious distraction, too!” — Michelle Cook

“My favorite parts, aside from the coffee, are being surrounded by natural light and photos of Michelle, our dogs, and assorted nicknacks from my childhood and early career.” — Tim Cook

“My favorite part of my desk setup is my bright orange Dragon Ball Z chair (I’ve never watched the show) or the paintings in the background—one of them looks oddly like me, which is why I bought it!” — Jamie Kyle

“I love my little office area! I am a crazy cat lady, so I love being home with them every day. I also love being three steps from my espresso machine.” — Katie Kyle

“My desk has family photos, Paris souvenirs, always a favorite 80/90’s mug (Star Wars), and my pup Bailey who is always waiting on a treat that’s in a drawer. —  Angela Zelaya

“I've got a picture of my son and my dog Milo to keep me company. I just need to add a plant!” —  Krista Zelaya

“My favorite part about working from home is that every day is ‘bring your cats to work day.’ ” — Julia Vasilenko

“One of the best parts about working remotely is the flexibility to travel and still get my work completed. It’s the perfect balance of productivity and freedom!” — Nicki McGinnis

"I love the flexibility to work around my kids' busy schedule. How do they have a better social life than me? LOL!" – Andrea Newman

Fueling Connection with Flexibility

Our tools are digital, but our relationships with our clients and one another are real. We believe connections are created and it’s not something a shared office automatically provides. Virtual meetings, shared digital dashboards, and instant updates make it easy for us to stay on the same page no matter the time zone.

At Palacio being fully remote means we’re built for responsiveness. Our team is fully equipped with the latest technology and robust IT support is just a phone call away. In addition, through real-time collaboration tools like our proprietary Genesys® cost-modeling platform, we work with architects, owners, and project teams to review budgets, test design options, and align decisions in the moment. 

Learning that Travels with You

Our commitment to connection extends into Learning and Development, where we’re building a remote learning ecosystem designed for every employee’s unique journey.

“Every employee learns differently,” shares Michelle Cook, Director of Learning & Development. “We use flexible, interactive tools and virtual collaboration to make training accessible anywhere. This approach keeps our team engaged, supported, and future-ready.”

Palacio’s approach includes bite-sized learning through short, focused modules that fit into busy remote schedules, combining self-paced eLearning with reference materials. We create knowledge-sharing sessions where team members share expertise and lessons learned, implement learning sprints as short, time-bound challenges for developing new skills or tools, and maintain feedback loops by collecting input after each training to refine and tailor future content.

Michelle and her team like to stay one step ahead in a constantly shifting industry. They hold regular focus groups with learners to understand what’s changing and what they need next.

 “Our agile development process means we can quickly update and refine course materials as client priorities and new tools evolve,” Michelle said.

Whether we’re developing an early cost model for a campus master plan in Georgia, reconciling estimates in the Carolinas’, or planning employee benefit packages for the upcoming year, collaboration is thriving at Palacio.