People in today’s hectic business world spend more time in the office than at home. As a result, creating just the right work environment has become a key priority for employers and employees alike. Company owners realize that a happy, inviting work space can increase employee productivity and job satisfaction. It can also produce better efficiency and improve staff retention. Nevada’s leading architects and interior designers are now being hired to create modern work settings that meet a variety of demands.
Many of those spaces are being created with environmentally conscious products and practices. The U.S. Green Building Council, a Washington D.C.-based coalition, rates projects through a points system called LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Essentially, LEED is a framework for assessing a building’s performance in meeting sustainability goals through “green” designs that strive to conserve energy, minimize water use and improve environmental quality through architecture.
“The U.S. Green Building Council advocates sustainable design by using natural fabrics, low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints and recycled products, among other measures,” saidCourtney Johnston, an interior designer with DekkerPerich/Holmes/Sabatini Ltd. of Las Vegas. “There is more sensitivity to the users and how comfortable they are within an environment.”
Creating that comfort level can entail such things as improved air quality and reduced lighting glare. Although more costly to construct, sustainable buildings can save money through enhanced efficiency and conservation. Operating costs account for 35 percent to 50 percent of office rents, yet energy bills can vary up to $1 per square foot among similar buildings just a few feet apart.
“It’s clear that the building with the lowest operating costs will have more options when negotiating with tenants,” said B. Alan Whitson, a national authority on facility design and management and CEO of California-based B. Alan Whitson Co. “Turning green can cut energy costs by 40 percent or more, and upgrading a building’s lighting can add $6 per square foot to its value.”
Many designers are minimizing the amount of artificial light needed by using extensive glazing and light shelves. And by blurring the line between indoors and outside, office space can become a more open and natural setting.
“We are trying to project daylighting into the back-office spaces with open floor plans that lend themselves to light filtration,” said Domingo Cambiero, president of Domingo Cambiero Corporation Architects of Las Vegas. “With sunlight, employees have direct contact with the outside, resulting in happier, more effective workers.”
The old workplace paradigm of large, closed corner offices with smaller cubicles is being replaced with accessible group interiors. It reflects a shift in business philosophy from a boss-driven hierarchy to a team mentality. “Some people still need privacy, but we are trying to reduce the office sizes, and make them more transparent without creating a fishbowl appearance,” Johnston said. “Higher windows and sandblasted glass enable privacy while still allowing light to come in.”
Instead of fixed rooms constructed from drywall, interiors are now being subdivided with operable partitions, many built from opaque materials such as plastic or glass. Offices are also using muted colors coupled with earth hues, giving them a lively but toned-down feel. Coloration can be very important, affecting user mood and psychology. Most designers opt for neutral shades that lend some character and longevity to their interior spaces. But colors can additionally delineate functions, while creating continuity and harmony.
“Traditional spaces are giving way to new uses,” said Wade Simpson, a partner with Welles Pugsley Architects LLP of Las Vegas. “For example, we have a client who turned the company’s reception area into a break room and bar, for a relaxed living-room feel.”
Workplace amenities such as fitness rooms, lounges, kitchens and daycare areas can go a long way toward keeping employees content. It can also limit the amount of offsite activities that might otherwise be needed, translating into less travel time and more work hours for better efficiency. New developments, such as The District at Green Valley Ranch in Henderson, are increasingly using mixed-use space that combines office with retail, entertainment and living quarters The $80 million, 30-acre urban complex, developed by American Nevada Company, opened in April 2004. It contains restaurants, clothing stores, retail outlets, condominium units and 30,000 square feet of Class-A office space for a live-work-play environment.
“That’s going to be a part of the future, with a lot of proposed high-rise mixed-use towers,” said Jonelle Vance, vice president of interiors for JMA Architecture Studios of Las Vegas. “But right now, people are downsizing the amount of square footage per person.”
In part, the downsizing is the result of new technology, such as laptops and flat-screen monitors that require less space. Contemporary offices now need less room for storage and filing cabinets, relying on digital recording to preserve business documents. The move has enabled the office area to be used for other things. “With laptops and wireless systems, a lot of people are sharing spaces,” Vance said. “It gives us more flexibility for moving people around. We no longer need people sitting in cubicles anymore.”
The technology has facilitated more of a communal atmosphere in the modern workplace, emphasizing collaboration rather than top-down decision-making. Workers now have a sense of equal footing among their superiors, with everyone contributing toward a shared goal. Yet, the modern office is one of constant change and consolidation, in which different cultures can merge or collide at any time.
“One of the universal requests we’re seeing is for flexible space,” said Bruce Goff, president of Domus Design Group in Reno. “Corporate cultures are changing so that individual space is being driven out in favor of more informal, common rooms.”
Companies are now thinking in less permanent terms, compared to the headquarter-style buildings of the past. Many firms will take out a three-year lease for an office space, rather than construct a new building. And while some do it to save on operating expenses, others simply don’t know where their business will be in the three years. As a result, design budgets have been cut to the bare minimum. Oftentimes, offices will use a tenant improvement allowance to design the interior. That sum typically ranges from $20 to $30 per square foot, or enough to paint the walls and put down a cheap carpet. Architects are subsequently being asked to use every square inch available for maximum space and cost efficiency. “There aren’t as many specialized rooms as there were a few years ago, and we’re not going into high-end finishes,” Goff said. “Office users are looking to landlords for design money.”
The uncertainty surrounding office environments has also meant more interchangeable desks, furniture, couches and partitions that can transform into different spaces once leases expire or conditions change. Designers are purchasing more durable, timeless pieces that are adaptable to several different office settings. With the current business atmosphere of mergers and acquisitions, smaller firms being bought out by larger ones, or companies of equal size combining resources, the furniture must often withstand the wear and tear of being moved from office to office.
“Much of the actual design activity is coming from tenant improvements, building modernizations and/or office expansions, rather than new office construction,” said Molly Westfall, a project manager with Perlman Architects Inc. of Henderson. Aging properties are being revitalized to become more competitive with newer buildings, while existing businesses are expanding their offices, rather than changing locations or building anew. “Rising land prices and increased construction costs are also driving more building rejuvenations,” Westfall said. “An upgraded building may qualify for redevelopment tax credits, providing yet another incentive.”
Perlman recently rehabilitated a vacant 100,000-square-foot warehouse building, located at 11 Sunset Way in Henderson, transforming the structure into the new University of Southern Nevada. The undertaking entailed a total overhaul, gutting the interior and converting it into a more student-friendly campus environment. Perlman added high-tech fiber optic connections, as well as skylights to bring in natural light, and replaced industrial dock doors with sheets of glass that opened up the interior.
Meanwhile, new office construction is largely occurring in suburban communities along freeway thoroughfares, as opposed to downtown or other traditional business corridors. The migration reflects a major shift in the business workplace in which being closer to home, as well as nearer to employees and clients, is a main concern. Limiting travel time as well as having everyday amenities nearby, such as a gym and a grocery store, can also contribute to an office setting that ensures a cheerful workforce.
Ultimately, the modern office is being asked to provide more functions and solutions than ever before. Architects and designers are rising to the challenge by crafting highly efficient, flexible spaces that adapt and evolve over time.
