Office Tenants Doing More With Less

ST. LOUIS, MO-HOK Interiors claim that the office consolidation moves that have dominated most markets in the past three years, plus technology advances, have changed workstation sizes. The phrase “do more with less” has hit the professional services industry.

Michael Nolan with HOK says he’s seeing a reduction in personal space in office design today, though offset by an increase in group space. “We’re seeing new ways of working,” Nolan says. “There’s a continued desire to tighten up real estate, and this can be done in terms of space, furniture and technology.”

Not only are there fewer people in offices today, the way they’re working has seen a tremendous change due to a move to more powerful laptop computers and wireless work areas, he says. “It used to be every workstation had a big 45-degree corner to hold a big desktop, and you just don’t need that anymore. Also, there’s more mobility with a computer or pad, meaning people can work in groups much easier today.”

Also, the trend of moving away from private offices along the windows to more open spaces, with offices on the interior, continues from before the recession, Nolan says. “Having an office today is getting to be more based on function than on rank.

Nolan says his office infused these ideas in the development of 27,000 square feet for Cassidy Turley’s new national headquarters in the Centene Plaza in Clayton, MO. The office includes 12 formal and informal meeting areas, as well as a table with chairs in the center of the room. Complementary positions within the firm, such as the St. Louis marketing manager and the corporate marketing manager, share office space to optimize efficiency, and integrated teams work side by side.

One final office area that’s getting a major upgrade is the break room, Nolan says. Gone is the small kitchen area, with more offices creating dynamic break areas with cafes to allow workers to take a break in-house to maximize productivity. The caf