A Fast-Paced Finish for a High-Tech Office

When NOVO Construction chose Canterbury Contractors for the Malewarebytes office buildout, the ask was clear: finish four floors of office interiors—fast. This tenant improvement for tech client Malware Bytes came with a tight schedule, layered trades, and a premium design by Studio Blitz that left no room for shortcuts.

Our work included painting, wallcovering, and acoustic wall panels throughout the multi-floor space. On paper, it was straightforward. In the field, every decision mattered.

Take the ceilings, for example. The design called for black-painted exposed ceilings, but the surface was raw Monokote fireproofing—naturally rough, whitish, and highly absorbent. Getting consistent black coverage meant using nearly three times more paint than a typical ceiling finish. And yet, our team hit every milestone without slowing the broader schedule.

modern office with reception desk and corridor

Flexible seating areas in a modern office.

conference rooms and corridor in a modern office

Stadium seating area in a modern office.

Seating area and conference rooms in a modern office.

Kitchen and break area in a modern office.

Bench seating and wall graphics on a blue wall in a modern office.

Getting It Right Across Four Floors

This wasn’t a job where we could do one floor at a time. Mechanical, drywall, electrical, and finishes were all moving in sync across multiple levels. We had to sequence our crews floor by floor, shifting quickly as areas became available.

The acoustic wall panels required precise placement and clean coordination with adjacent trades. Wallcoverings had to align with the design vision, especially in public areas and executive offices.

Speed mattered. But so did craftsmanship. We weren’t just meeting deadlines—we were helping shape the look and feel of a modern workspace built to impress.

PROJECT INFO:
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: NOVO
ARCHITECT: STUDIO BLITZ
OWNER: MALWAREBYTES
CITY: SANTA CLARA
COMPLETION YEAR: 2016

Working Smart With the Right Materials

To stay on track, we had to be strategic about our materials. One of the biggest wins was choosing dryfall paint for the exposed ceiling surfaces. Dryfall dries almost instantly and falls as dust, which meant we could safely spray near ductwork, lighting, and other finished components without creating a mess.

Still, spraying black over Monokote was no small task. The absorbency of the fireproofing material meant each pass soaked up paint fast—what would normally be a one-coat job took three full coatings to get the depth and consistency Studio Blitz expected. That meant triple the material, triple the effort, and no margin for error.

On-the-Fly Adjustments That Kept the Project Moving

As with many tech interiors, the schedule shifted daily. Rooms opened up unexpectedly. Other trades needed to work in parallel. We kept our teams flexible, often working around the clock to avoid bottlenecks.

Instead of waiting for full floors to be turned over, we worked in zones, coordinating closely with NOVO's superintendents to jump in where possible and jump out when needed. That kind of agility—knowing when to press forward and when to pause—is part of what helped us finish on time despite the unexpected demands.

Spray Tips for Exposed Ceilings
ON JOBS LIKE THIS, SPRAY CONTROL IS CRITICAL. HERE ARE THREE MUST HAVES:

DRYFALL PAINT to avoid overspray messes
HIGH-EFFICIENCY SPRAY RIGS for consistent coverage
EXPERIENCED CREWS who can coat Monokote without patchiness

How We Delivered: Precision, Materials, and Manpower

Despite the triple-coating challenge on ceilings and the need for constant rescheduling, we stayed locked in on quality. Every floor had its own quirks—custom wallcoverings in client-facing spaces, acoustic panel placements in collaborative zones, and clean paint transitions throughout.

We matched our manpower to the moment. More crew when ceilings opened up. Smaller teams for detailed panel and wallcovering installs. And because we were already familiar with fast-paced office builds, our field leads knew how to make up time without sacrificing finish.

What Helped Us Succeed

If you’re planning a fast-turn TI build, here are five lessons from the Malwarebytes project:

Choose finishes that work with—not against—your schedule
Know your surface prep: painting Monokote requires more coverage and time
Stay in sync with the General Contractor’'s sequencing to avoid conflicts
Keep materials on hand to prevent delays (we tripled our ceiling paint supply)
Build in flexibility—your trade partners will thank you

Final Thoughts

The Malwarebytes job was high-speed and high-impact. By managing materials, sequencing work carefully, and staffing smart, we delivered on time—without cutting corners.

The black ceilings look seamless. The walls are crisp. The panels are precise.

That’s how we build trust with general contractors, owners, and architects across Northern California—one successful finish at a time.

Key Takeaways

The Malwarebytes project spanned four full floors with a fast-track schedule.
Canterbury performed painting, wallcovering, and acoustic wall panels under tight timelines.
Exposed Monokote ceilings required black dryfall paint, needing triple the usual coverage.
Despite extra coatings, the team met all milestones without delays.
Flexible crew scheduling allowed work to progress zone by zone across floors.
Dryfall paint minimized mess and allowed work near active MEP installations.
Close coordination with NOVO helped avoid bottlenecks and kept the schedule on track.
The project highlights the importance of matching manpower to evolving site needs.
Every finish installed met high design standards set by Studio Blitz.
The final space delivered both on design and on-time completion for the owner.

INSIDE THE MALWAREBYTES PROJECT: PAINTING FOUR FLOORS FAST IN SANTA CLARA