Brian Brown, Head of Flex Workspaces+. Image courtesy of Irvine Co.
Irvine Co. has launched Flex Workspace+, a new office solution that offers turnkey, fully furnished tailored workspaces with short-term leases starting at six months, and no upfront costs. Brian Brown, a former Knotel executive, has been appointed to lead Flex Workspace+, which is currently available in Irvine Co.’s California and Chicago portfolios.
The new offering replaces the ReadyNow suites program, which Irvine Co. pioneered more than a decade ago. The addition of flexible lease terms and tailored workspaces available within 30 days are among the changes made that are different than ReadyNow. Flex Workspace+ also offers tenants all-inclusive monthly payments and an Irving Co. team to manage the process. The spaces come complete with curated furniture configurations, branding, technology and accessories developed in partnership with Gensler, a leading global design and architecture firm, and Herman Miller, a well-known furniture design company.
Other amenities include concierge-led move-in and onboarding, as well as access to Irvine Co.’s fitness facilities, outdoor spaces, onsite dining options and hospitality-inspired services from teams at the company’s office properties. Flex Workspaces+ will also include business spaces that embrace each tenant’s unique culture and feature activity-based “experience zones” that respond to the shifting needs of a diverse workforce throughout the day.
A DIVERSE CLIENTELE
While Irvine Co. expects Flex Workspace+ to appeal to small- and medium-sized businesses, Doug Holte, president of Irvine Co. Workplaces, noted large companies are also expected to lease the spaces. Holte said in a prepared statement they expect that over the next five to 10 years, many of their large-company customers will be benefiting from Flex Workspace+ as part of their workspace footprints. The new offering also gives smaller and medium-sized companies the flexibility to move into larger spaces as they grow.
Flex Workspace+ isn’t meant to replace companies like WeWork that provide shared working spaces typically for technology and other start-up firms. Irvine Co. does lease to WeWork and others. Earlier this year, WeWork signed a 44,520-square-foot lease at the firm’s 400 Spectrum Center in Irvine, Calif. In the past, companies that started in WeWork space have moved into ReadyNow suites.