Inspired by Millennials, the collaborative office design is now popular across most industries and age groups. Office building landlords are now outfitting lobbies with amenities and creating indoor and outdoor spaces where building occupants can work, socialize and meet with each other or clients.
Office landlords are capitalizing on a concept originally conceived by co-working operators like WeWork, according to JLL National Research Director Julia Georgules. “The bottom line for employers occupying creative office space is they want to attract talent,” she says. But for landlords, enhancing common areas is becoming important to sustaining occupancy levels.
A 2016 Workplace Innovation Survey, administered by architecture and planning firm Gensler, revealed that the most innovative workers are twice as likely to have a choice about where and when they work and are twice as likely to use amenities such as cafeterias, coffee shops, outdoor spaces, gyms, restaurants and childcare facilities, according to Gensler architect Maria Martinico. She notes that landlords are improving office building lobbies with soft seating, wine and coffee bars and trying to create environments that provide an experience.