SAN JOSE—LPA Inc. recently completed two reimagined corporate spaces in downtown. Ten Almaden was designed to create a space for tenants to work, lounge and gather. The improvements at Towers @ 2nd support technology-based organizations with custom workspace designs.

In this second part of a two-part exclusive, LPA's Patrick McClintock, associate principal/design director, and Vlatka Bojer, project designer, discuss sustainability, reimagined spaces, designs that change hands and the future of downtown design.

GlobeSt.com: How do you think tenants feel about sustainability in their office buildings?

Bojer: I think the way people look at sustainability is that things like fresh air, operable spaces, connections of the indoor/outdoor, recycling, are good practice and how you're a good steward of the environment. Absolutely tenants care about that because that's in their lifestyle. So why wouldn't their work environment reflect that lifestyle? They care that it fits into the value system important to them. It's all about human comfort.

McClintock: At the Towers @ 2nd, we focused on amenities that fostered creativity of an innovation-based workplace. We provided scalable strategies that allowed for the ownership to spend dollars where it had the greatest impact. An example of that would be the VIP lounge in Towers @ 2nd. While operable walls provide for ultimate flexibility, their cost allowed us to discern where they would have the greatest value. We picked our moment and chose the exterior wall that separated the VIP lounge and our outdoor gathering to create a seamless flow between in the indoor and outdoor spaces.

GlobeSt.com: How do you approach designing for buildings that are sometimes turned over to new owners/tenants?

Bojer: We try to design a corporate office building so that even when they turn over the space, they can keep the elements that are built in for the next tenant that comes in. We always try to think what is flexible—something that caters to a law firm as well as a startup company.

McClintock: Ownership has annual operational budgets. The best way we can ensure that the property continues to function as designed and look its best is to plan for the operational realities of daily use: Designing for ease of maintenance, storage and security. For instance, when we include outdoor lounge furniture, we think about things like where the cushions get stored, and how to secure furniture and equipment.

GlobeSt.com: How does the design process differ from a ground-up development to a reimagined property?

Bojer: When it's a reimaging of a building, you are working within the structural bones of that building. Oftentimes, we can't just get rid of columns that are already established. Essentially, you need to be a little more creative to design in those spaces, whereas a ground-up building is a blank canvas and you can have a lot more freedom.

McClintock: Ultimately, they both respond to specific needs and a program of spaces that allow for the success of those activities. Reimaged properties present a new set of opportunities that take cues from the existing context of the site, building infrastructure and other existing elements. Existing buildings have a unique history that can relate to a place and industry or its former occupants. People are looking for authenticity and connection, and reimagining gives us fantastic platform to reinvigorate the dialogue between understanding the past and forging the future.

GlobeSt.com: What do you think is the future of the downtown San Jose commercial real estate design?

Bojer: We are seeing tech companies from Santa Clara move into downtown San Jose, which is going to be challenging because downtown does not have a lot of room. A lot of the buildings will be revitalizing work to attract these new tenants.

McClintock: Downtown San Jose will continue to benefit from the vibrancy that is realized in the contrast of new and old. Downtown is at the hub of the innovation-based economy and that will not be defined by walls, hours or workstyle. There's going to be a continued focus on the human-centric side of design and the need for spaces and places that foster the social, nimble and fluid nature of the organizations that drive the Silicon Valley.

GlobeSt.com: How do you think tenants feel about sustainability in their office buildings?

GlobeSt.com: How do you approach designing for buildings that are sometimes turned over to new owners/tenants?

GlobeSt.com: How does the design process differ from a ground-up development to a reimagined property?

GlobeSt.com: What do you think is the future of the downtown San Jose commercial real estate design?

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