Companies engineering their offices as comfortable environments for employees to work and collaborate in are discovering that common spaces have become popular hangouts for a different crowd: their clients.

A number of businesses in the New York area are designing offices with a focus on creating less formal meeting environments for clients, ranging from couches and stools in office cafes to small meeting rooms and game areas, said real-estate consultants and designers.

Today, a visit from a client might involve not just a meeting or two but also an extra hour to have coffee or plug into the free Wi-Fi and work. In some cases, companies even encourage clients to bring clients of their own.

Via wsj.com