One of the most powerful things we can do as leaders is build up and empower our employees to become leaders themselves. Great leaders build great leaders who build great leaders.

Leaders tend to exhibit specific qualities early on that can point to their future in leadership. These are things you should look for in any potential employee. They’re also great things to encourage your employees to work on as they develop themselves professionally.

Great leaders build great leaders who build great leaders.

Here are 7 things to look for in your current and future employees:

1. They step up when they see the need. True leaders don’t believe it’s their right to be a leader.
2. They want the best for other people and the company. They’re often known as the go-to person to help people in a time of need.
3. They’re never afraid to have their voice heard, and they are always adamant about making sure everyone else’s voice is louder than their own.
4. They treat people with respect.
5. They are not a people-pleaser. They do what’s right rather than what’s easiest.
6. They always take the more challenging task at hand.
7. They always have a positive attitude. Always.

There’s no one-size-fits all requirement for a good leader; a good leader may look different depending on situations and challenges at hand. However, there’s one thing that rings true for most leaders: the people around them knew they’d be a leader long before it happened.

Find the leaders in your company and encourage them, teach them, and lead them.

Recent studies have shown that taking breaks for silence revitalizes your nervous system, bolsters energy levels, and allows your mind to be more receptive and creative, and therefore more productive.

However, isn’t it tough for most of us to find a place for this silence throughout the workday? There are usually people everywhere meeting, talking on the phone, etc.

Enter, a zen room.

Zen literally means a Japanese sect of Mahayana Buddhism that aims at enlightenment by direct intuition through meditation. Zen is also a practice that simply pulls you out of your routine, and trains you to live more mindfully. But how does that translate to the workplace?

What’s a Zen Room?

In the workplace, a zen room, or quiet zone, is meant to create peace, tranquility, and focus. The type of break we could all use, right? The purpose of having a separate room for this is to provide your employees an escape and a chance to gain some clarity on their work. It’s a place to get away from the emails, phone calls, meetings, and constant distractions.

Creating a zen room eliminates the possibility of distractions and provides an area for ample focus on more complex or time-sensitive tasks. You should designate an area of your office where no distractions can take place, and allow employees to find the privacy they need to be productive.

Creating a Zen Room

Creating a zen room can be as simple as converting an underutilized room in your office into your new, serene space.

Here are 4 things you can do to an extra room in your office to make it a tranquil space:

1. Embellish the space with artwork, and focus that artwork on positivity.
2. Add soothing music to the area, but make sure you keep it low and calming.
3. Provide dimmable lighting.
4. Add comfortable furnishings for employees to relax.

The more relaxed your employees can be in this space, the better. Your options are really only limited by your creativity, and you don’t even need a brand new space to do it. You can also implement things like gratitude journals or walls, daily office yoga, aromatherapy, and so much more to harness the power of zen.

Improve your employees’ well-being and boost the productivity of the entire office with the power of zen and a room free of distractions. Balance the demands that growing a business places on people, and give your employees the break they need.

Have you tried a zen room in your office? We’d love to see pictures and hear how it’s working for you. Reach out to us on Twitter or Facebook.

It’s 9 p.m. and a thought comes to mind. That problem you were working on with a colleague earlier that day? You’ve figured it out! So you grab your phone and shoot them an email with your discovery.

STOP.

If you (and your employees) are guilty of emailing after hours, it’s time to put a stop to it. It’s certainly not healthy for anyone, and can actually drain your entire team.

A study from ReachMail has indicated Gen-Xers and Baby Boomers, who are more likely to be in management positions, are notorious for sending too many after-hours emails.

We all need a break from work, and email tends to keep us connected 24/7. We’re glued to our smartphones, and sometimes it’s hard to just put it away, especially when that great idea comes to mind at night. But we all need distance from work — a time to step away and get refreshed. And we need to respect that time for our employees as well.

Emailing after hours can lead to:

• Burnout
• Frustration
• A drop in creativity
• A drop in production

While some employees aren’t going to get that email until the next morning (which may make it seem harmless to send the email while you’re thinking about it), others are going to get that notification right away and feel the need to check it. Employees are likely to respond because they feel the need to — if the boss is working at 9 p.m. at night, shouldn’t I be? Or they get the idea that responding right away will make them appear diligent and committed to their work. All false.

Think about the message you’d like to send. Do you intend for your employees to reply to you immediately? Or are you just sending the email because you’re thinking about it at the moment, and want to get it done before you forget? If it’s the former, you’re intentionally chaining your employees to the office 24/7. If it’s the latter, you’re unintentionally chaining your employees to the office 24/7. And this isn’t good for you, your employees, or your company culture.

A few ways to make a conscious effort to stop:

1. Come to a clear understanding with your employees on how everyone prefers to be reached after hours, and make sure this is only used in emergency situations.
2. Use a different communication channel, such as Slack, and make sure everyone on the team has snoozed all notifications after hours. This allows you to send the message if needed without notifying the employee until the next day.
3. If it’s truly important and can not wait for the next time you are at the office, call. This should force you to really think through the importance of the email. If it’s important enough to call someone at 9 p.m., it’s likely very important.
4. Log notes on your phone or through Google Docs that you can come back to, organize, and send to the appropriate employee in the morning.
5. Carry an “ideas/brainstorm notebook” with you or put one by your bed. Use it to write that thought down when it comes to you. Then transfer those notes to your computer (or an email) the next day.

Technology in the workplace, while awesome, can become dangerous when we let it get too far. Take care of your employees first. Protect your company culture. Do what works best for you and your company, but keep in mind the importance of stepping away from the office. Your employees are more likely to come back the next day refreshed and ready for a productive day.

“Find your courage, embrace your authenticity, put down your smartphone, and connect with your team.” – Mick Mooney, Contributor

Challenge: Start a “no emails after work” policy and see how it works for a few weeks. Get back to us and let us know how it went!

Each month we’ll be sharing a new workplace design that we love. Use it as an inspiration for your own office as you gather ideas from cool office spaces around the world.

October’s Design of the Month – Tommy John office space in New York City

The quick facts:

• Developed by Float Studio
• Built in 2016
• 11,000 sqft
• Fashion/Beauty Industry

“We wanted the space to be a brand experience as soon as you step off the elevator.” This space certainly does that. Approachability and comfort were the main drivers in the design of this space, as they are the most important words to Tommy John and his company’s culture. You can clearly see that through the decorative walls the minute you exit the elevator. And that feeling doesn’t ever stop.

From showrooms to meeting rooms to a killer kitchen, this space has it all. The leather-accented banquettes and polished concrete tables make us never want to leave the kitchen. The product showroom is set up to mimic a living room, making it an inviting space that just happens to show off products. It’s all about comfort here. Hints of blue, wood and natural plants are both eye-catching and serene.

The Tommy John office is extremely versatile — even down to walnut boxes that can be used for anything from seating to showcasing products. It’s an open space that seems to encourage creativity and innovation.

Features that stand out:

• Artwork
• Product showroom/living room
• Pendant lighting
• Concrete volumes
• Imposing slabs
• Modular walnut boxes
• Lounge areas with comfortable seating

Image courtesy of Office Snapshots

View more photos of the Tommy John NYC office from Office Snapshots here.

Have an office you’d like to see featured as our Design of the Month? Let us know!

A positive work environment can help your company grow and succeed in many ways. Happiness can lead to creativity, productivity, motivation, and optimism. And happiness in the workplace can lead to fewer sick days, stronger team comradery, and less stress. All things we not only want for ourselves but want for our entire team.

Happiness in the workplace doesn’t just happen though, even if you have the right team in place. There are a few things you can do to encourage this happiness throughout your culture.

Here are 3 things you need in order to achieve happiness in the workplace:

1. Create a culture of happiness and gratitude. Happiness should be engrained in your culture, and your space should reflect that culture. Work should be a fun place that your employees actually want to show up at every morning. This doesn’t always mean bag bags and free stuff. There are many ways you can make your culture a happy one, and gratitude is one of those ways. Show your employees you appreciate them, and encourage them to appreciate each other.

By designing an environment that incorporates wellness, promotes company culture and gives workers the freedom to untether, companies can create happy spaces for happy employees. – Inc.com

2. Promote health and wellness. Health and wellness are directly linked to happiness. Healthy employees that take care of themselves and their bodies are proven to be happier and more productive. Consider things like comfortable ergonomic chairs and adjustable monitors. Providing healthy snacks for employees, encouraging walks outside for some fresh air, and incorporating plenty of natural light in your space all promote health and wellness.

72% of companies stated that their wellness resources made an impact. Focusing on employees’ health and well-being not only makes them healthier but more passionate and productive, too. It’s a win-win strategy. – Source: Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM)

3. Empower your employees. By this we mean, give them the freedom to find out what they need to be productive. If they want to go outside for a few hours while the weather is nice, we encourage you to let them. If they need to take a 10-minute walk for clarity, let them. Equip your employees to be as productive as possible, and take care of themselves while at work.

It all starts with you — the leader. Employees are going to take direction from leadership and they’ll be watching closely. If health, wellness, and overall happiness are important to you, they’ll start to make sure it’s important to them as well.

What have you found as the best way to bring happiness to the workplace? We’d love to hear from you!

We recently had the pleasure of working with Brightlink IP, a technology company supporting some of the world’s largest enterprise and carrier networks.

After some searching, we landed at an absolutely stunning space at Overlook III in Atlanta. The new tech space boasts incredibly bright colors while remaining simple and clean. The open, collaborative space inside is matched with beautiful panoramic city views from their balcony outside. And one of our favorite areas might be their lobby, which is open and inviting, giving off the best first impression of this fun group.

See how it all came together for Brightlink IP:

Like what you see? We would love to work with you to find the perfect space for your company! Reach out to us here.

The right space for your business is so important and can make all the difference in the world. You should be in a space that shows off who you are and what makes you unique. That’s exactly what we did for Art it Out. They are a colorful and creative group that provides counseling services to children, teens, and adults.

“Transcend really understood what my business did and how we’re creative and unique. They helped me find a space that matched that. The team helped me take the vision that was in my head and actualize it.” – Art It Out Owner and Director, Teresa Woodruff

Seeing this space come to life has been so fun! Check it out and let us know what you think:

Like what you see? We would love to work with you to find the perfect space for your company! Reach out to us here.

Each month we’ll be sharing a new workplace design that we love. Use it as an inspiration for your own office as you gather ideas from cool office spaces around the world.

November’s design of the month – Blue Bloodhound in Hickory, North Carolina

The quick facts:

• Developed by Carrie Frye Interior Design
• Built in 2015
• 10,000 sqft
• Technology Transportation Industry

Blue Bloodhound’s space was built in a historic textile mill, and it is pretty sweet. The unexposed brick is what caught our eye, but there’s so much more to this space!

Their culture is evident the second you walk in, as the front end of an 18-wheeler (with working headlights!) is the center of the reception area. They bring a lot of fun energy to their space through London-themed telephone booth doors, exposed wood, and a random gas station. They really had fun with the transportation industry in this space. The space is very open allowing you to view the entire office from wherever you stand — even the meeting rooms have glass doors and walls. And sign us up for the next foosball tournament!

Blue Bloodhound’s company mission is to change how transportation works, and their space fully supports this mission. With decorations that relate to who they are and what they believe in, this space is one of our favorites.

Features that stand out:

• Reception area
• Exposed wood and wood floors throughout
• Suspended cylinder ceiling
• Simplicity of the extra decorations
• Use of color throughout the space

Image courtesy of Office Snapshots

View more photos of Blue Bloodhound’s office from Office Snapshots here.

Have an office you’d like to see featured as Design of the Month? Let us know!

Did you know that 25% of employees don’t trust their employer? (Source: 2014 American Psychological Association survey)

Why the lack of trust in the workplace? Transparency.

Transparency is about being open and honest with everyone in your company. It’s sharing your values and goals and holding everyone (including yourself) accountable.

Transparency has become the new standard for both employees and customers or clients. They want to work with and support a company that has great values — one they can trust and believe in. Because of this, it’s critical that you be as transparent as possible about your business.

Transparency in your leadership is the key to encouraging and building a culture of trust.

Transparency in the workplace is the key to building a strong team and culture, which then translates to your customers. And when your employees truly buy into the company’s mission and goals, they’re more likely to trust you and be productive in their work. They’ll work with more passion.

Here are 5 ways to establish transparency within your company:

1. Ensure everyone knows your core values. Your values are at the core of your business. Everyone should strive to live them daily. Put them up in the office as a reminder, talk about them all the time, and even consider doing awards monthly, quarterly, or yearly to celebrate an employee demonstrating these values.
2. Set goals together. Make these goals about more than the money. What are you trying to accomplish as a team and how can each member of the team contribute?
3. Welcome feedback and opinions. Allow and encourage your employees to voice their opinions and provide feedback. By feeling as though they can contribute, they’ll be more involved.
4. Share updates and progress often. Consider holding bi-weekly or monthly meetings with your employees. Update your team on your business’ ventures, goals, and vision, and listen to any of their issues or suggestions.
5. Be an open book and answer questions. You don’t necessarily have to tell employees all the numbers and behind-the-scenes info to the business, but if they ask a question, be open and willing to answer.

Part of being a transparent company means putting all the pertinent details out there for your employees and customers. If you neglect to include something, it may impact your credibility and transparency, even if you didn’t feel it was important.

Harvard Business Review’s 2013 employee engagement survey revealed that 70% of employees are most engaged when senior leadership continually updates and communicates company strategy.

While transparency may not appear important to you, it can be tough to be truly transparent. Start by asking your employees — are we a transparent company? What would make us better? And get started with that transparency right away by listening to their ideas and suggestions. Transparency is about putting yourself out there. Embrace it. Be open, honest, and accountable.

A recent article by Interior Design really caught our attention. The article shows a Zhongshuge Bookstore in Suzhou, China, whose space is incredible and definitely not what you think of when you picture a bookstore. Zhongshuge is a chain in China, and is often featured on lists of the world’s most beautiful bookstores. We can certainly see why.

Zhongshuge was forced to solve two big issues as they began creating this space. As a brick-and-mortar store with old-fashioned printed books in one of the most technologically-driven countries in the world, it’s tough to bring visual appeal to the store that drives people inside. With this space, they wanted to bring in elements of nature, but could only use man-made materials to do so. This play between nature and artifice was central in their vision, and they had to make it work. Here’s why:

“In my opinion, there is no significant difference between the two (nature and artifice). It just depends on how much humans change their environment. For me, once people interact with or even just observe the natural world, then to some extent they transform it.” – Wutopia principal Yu Ting

The space is broken up in different areas, which you often see in a bookstore — children’s section, fiction, etc. Each area has a purpose, and each area its own color, design, and style.

“For traditional bookstores, designers tend to place too much stress on the shelving,” he says. “What we should pay more attention to is the book itself. So we tried our best to develop the purest display.”

The lighting really grabbed our attention here, and it’s one of the things you notice from the streets below. This is not a big space, but they really use this lighting along with a lot of alternative materials to create implied space and visual interest. It drives people in.

This space truly tells a story and creates interest for everyone that walks in the door. All done for a bookstore. It doesn’t matter what your company does and what you consider “traditional” space for you company. It’s more about your story, your culture, and your belief. And remember, you don’t always need a new office space to create the look of more space (unless, of course, you need actual space). A few small things like adding or upgrading lighting and adding some alternative materials can really transform your space.

View the original article here.

We can’t believe it, but it’s that time of year that we start talking about next year — goals, trends, all the good stuff. It has been an awesome year, and we’ve been able to see some incredible spaces come to life. (Check some of them out on our YouTube channel here.) But we can’t wait to see what 2018 has in store, and predictions are already rolling in.

The office space has changed drastically in the last 20 years. Design trends are constantly changing, cultures are changing, and the workforce is trying to keep up. On top of that, we’ve had an entirely new generation join the workforce (hello, millennials), and they’ve brought with them ideas and ways of working that we never thought of before. Managers and executives are starting to understand the importance of designing a space that your employees will thrive in.

New trends for the upcoming year are starting to emerge, and for the most part, we like where these trends are going. It’s all about culture and happier, healthier employees. Spaces are becoming more efficient, sustainable, and versatile.

Here are 7 things we expect to see next year when it comes to office spaces:

1. Collaborative coworking spaces – You’ll start to see more spaces that have a “work casual” feeling. It’s all about bringing employees together and strengthening relationships. Managers are finding more ways to keep employees comfortable while encouraging more teamwork. Studies have shown that working together with similar people and on similar tasks makes you happier and more engaged in your work.
2. Dividing the office space by activity – Office space division is going to be based more on activity, not people, and these divisions are going to be more subtle. You won’t find walls between areas much anymore. This is much more flexible and allows for both productivity and engagement in any area of the office.
3. Health and wellness perks – More and more companies are putting a large focus on health and wellness, and ensuring they are evident in the space. It’s not just about encouraging employees to be healthy, but you’ll see more standing desks and things that promote health and wellness.
4. Earthly tones and textures – Neutral, warm colors, wooden floors and walls, and greenery are more and more common in the work space, and we love it. This is the idea of bringing the outside in, giving the space an authentic and calming feel. It’s modern and rustic and gives the office space a peaceful vibe.

5. Integrated technology –  Technology has changed the way we do work, but people are wanting it to be more integrated and simple, rather than disruptive and bold. It’s less about making sure people know you have technology. We’re seeing office spaces utilizing simple design with technology that only enhances work — not distracting.

6. Employee behavior and preference taken into account – When it comes to designing a space, managers are finally starting to take their employees into account. They’re looking around at the behaviors of their employees and enhancing the space to continue encouraging those behaviors. Do employees constantly walk into each others’ offices to chat? Maybe it’s time to get rid of those closed-door offices. It’s also all about actually asking employees for input — something we always encourage our managers do.
7. Comfortable design – The idea of creating a space that resembles a home office, coffee shop, or living room is also more common. Think bean bag chairs, booth style seating, yoga mats, etc. These “homestyle” areas are a big attraction for millennials, giving them a fun and calm work environment.

As you look ahead to 2018, think about ways your office space can change. Is it time for an entirely new space? Are there some things you can do to upgrade? Always remembering that your culture should be evident throughout your space. If it’s not, we would love to chat. Reach out to us here.

Each month we’ll be sharing a new workplace design that we love. Use it as an inspiration for your own office as you gather ideas from cool office spaces around the world.

December’s Design of the Month – Saatchi & Saatchi offices in London, England

The quick facts:

• Developed by Jump Studios
• Built in 2017
• 99,996 sqft
• Advertising/Marketing Industry

We love the look and feel of the Saatchi & Saatchi offices, and not just because they have a bar and cafe area. As soon as you walk in you get a “coffee house vibe” and notice the open and collaborative working space. It’s very welcoming, informal, and stylish.

The booth seating to encourage collaboration and high spec lighting and flooring grab your attention everywhere you look in this space. There is a level of detail that is just amazing, and you can tell that reflects the work these guys do. The patterns and materials are different throughout the space, constantly capturing your attention and drawing a reaction, while also distinguishing between different areas designated for different activities. This allows the space to be open while separating individual areas. The chandeliers and candle effect lighting alone make you say “WOW.”

The addition of mid-century furniture and lighting gives a stylish feel to the space, making us wish we were in London having a drink right now. Flexible seating provides the space for employees to ‘break out’ on their own, but still work collaboratively within the office. Everything about this space screams individuality, creativity, and collaboration — and we’re big fans.

Features that stand out:

• Booth style seating
• Lighting – Chandeliers and candle effect lighting
• Exposed duct ceiling
• Central bar and cafe
• Herringbone and houndstooth patterns and designs

Have an office you’d like to see featured as our Design of the Month? Let us know!

We all likely spend a lot of time in meetings. Workscape estimates that middle managers spend about 35% of their workday in meetings, and executives spend as much as half of their day in meetings. And where do the majority of these meetings take place? Conference rooms.

First of all, we aren’t huge fans of the word “conference rooms,” because they seem to have such a negative connotation (see some of our creative naming ideas here). These rooms should promote collaboration and efficiency in your office space, and recognizing them as such is key. The space is the core of your meetings and should enhance those meetings, not take away from them. It should be a comfortable place where people can actually get work done. And that all starts with design.

Think about what your conference room is used for the majority of the time. Is it internal meetings? To accommodate clients? Prospective clients? All of the above? Use this information as you begin to design and create rooms in your office space.

Once you’ve got the essentials (a table, the right number of chairs, a whiteboard, etc.), it’s time to start thinking outside the box.

If you are starting from scratch with your conference room, make sure you take sound and lighting into consideration. Small rooms that are designed to be more comfortable require softer lighting, while a large room utilized for large meetings might require more brightness. If you are using a projector or display, you might need a way to dim the lights. If you’ll be talking on the phone often conferencing people in, make sure your sound comes across ok on both ends. If you have employees right outside the room, or rooms that back up to each other, you might want to make sure they’re soundproof.

Here are 4 other things you likely haven’t thought of when it comes to your conference rooms:

1. WiFi Password – You might think this seems like one of those obvious answers, but this is more than just the idea of having a WiFi password available. WiFi is a necessity for a conference room, but how many times do visitors walk into your meetings asking for the WiFi password? This should be visible and easy for anyone to see. Consider having it on the wall, on the table, or on the TV screen. Whatever it takes to stand out, while also matching the look and feel of the room.
2. Personality – Think artwork, photos, decorations, etc. Your room needs a personality. Tie it back to your company culture and purpose. This doesn’t mean just plastering your logo on the wall. What subtle elements can you bring in that show who you are as a company? Is there a specific type of table you can get? What about the centerpiece of the table? Think about the color of the walls. There are so many things you can do to give your space an edge and some personality.
3. Snacks – If your conference room is often used for long meetings, lunch meetings, early morning meetings, etc. you might want to consider providing some light snacks in the room. This may be something that’s stored away until you need it, or you might want to leave it out all the time. Whatever works best for your team. Just remember, when people are hungry and only thinking about food, your meeting may not be as efficient as it could be with some full of nutrition.
4. Cables and Adaptors – Okay, once again, you’ve likely thought about the idea of having cables and adaptors in your conference room (or at least, your IT guy has). But what people likely forget is it’s not just about the adapters your internal team needs, but also what visitors need to connect, too. A display monitor on the wall is only as useful as the DVI, HDMI, and VGA adapters and other connectivity equipment that go with it. Make sure there is a sufficient number of cables and adapters, and that the excess wire is bound out of sight. You could also go wireless to get rid of those wires. Again, whatever works best for your team is fine, as long as you have the proper adaptors for anyone that walks into that room.

It’s extremely important to consider your meeting environment and processes when designing your conference room(s). You want something that’s well lit, thoughtfully decorated, comfortably furnished, and well staffed with technology (and snack!) needs. A well-designed and thought-out meeting space will help to significantly enhance the experience for your team and guests, and will surely get rid of the negative “conference room” feeling.

Jones & Associates, LLC is a family law and insurance law firm here in Atlanta, and we had the pleasure of finding them a new home on the top floor of the famous Centennial Tower downtown.

This location was perfect for E. Jones & Associates, and their new space has the most incredible city views, including a peek of the brand new Mercedes Benz Stadium. Architecture throughout the space is different and unique, and the glass wall conference room keeps the office open, yet private. It was exactly what E. Jones & Associates needed.

Check out their new space in the video below:

If you want your business at the top like E. Jones & Associates, reach out to us here. We’d love to help elevate your workplace today.

Our team is always looking to get out in the city of Atlanta and we’ve lined up quite a few events for the year. We would love to hear from you if you’ll be at one of the events below, and as always, find us and say hello!

Atlanta Tech Summit

High Tech Prayer Breakfast – We will be hosting a table and serving as a leadership team

Grace at Work – Also part of  High Tech Ministries, we attend this every Thursday at Atlanta Tech Village

Terry Alumni Association – Terry Third Thursdays

Lean In

Meetup Events in Tech

Atlanta Tech Village Events

CREW

TAG Events

Okay, and maybe a few Atlanta Braves games at Suntrust park, too. (Go Braves!)

Have an event that you think we need to be part of? Reach out to us and let us know!

Each month we’ll be sharing a new workplace design that we love. Use it as an inspiration for your own office as you gather ideas from cool office spaces around the world.

January’s design of the month – Silicon Valley Bank Offices in Portland, Oregon

The quick facts:

• Developed by Fennie+Mehl Architects
• Built in 2016
• 4,500 sqft
• Financial/Investments Industry

This space does not look or feel like you are in a bank at all, and that was the goal. It spans over the things they value most: excitement, trust, and collaboration. They truly brought this historical building to life, while revealing the brick and wood structures that had previously been painted over. Who would want to hide that?

Another cool thing about this space is the separation of the two floors. They strategically created an upstairs that is much more private and secure while the downstairs shows off that vibrant and open personality of the brand. We also love that they’ve chosen to display a painting from a local artist in their colors right outside of the office. It sets the tone right off the bat.

The subtle branding pieces throughout the office are just enough and eye-catching — especially the neon signs. Their reception area is extremely welcoming, the wall-mount displays throughout the space grab attention, and their game room is just awesome. They have a way of making the office open, yet private, with areas for every type of task and need. It’s not what you would expect, but once you’re in the space, you can see the culture clearly. This is truly a space that embodies company culture.

Features that stand out:

• Game room
• Large wall graphics
• Exposed brick
• Banquette seating
• Stone tile
• Glass walls

Image Courtesy of Office Snapshots

View more photos of Silicon Valley Bank’s office from Office Snapshots here

Have an office you’d like to see featured as Design of the Month? Let us know!

Open office spaces continue to rise in popularity. In fact, 70% of all U.S. offices have converted to open floor plans, and that number continues to grow (source: TalkBox). With everyone moving to this open space and feeling like it’s the way to go, they’re also looking to make their spaces efficient. However, there’s one thing that gets left off time and time again — having enough areas for people to make private phone calls.

You can never have enough phone booth rooms in your office.

Many companies are starting to realize there are no private areas within an open office space (seems obvious to us, but something that’s been overlooked during this trend). Phone booths not only give space to make phone calls quietly but can also give you that private area to allow employees to use however they wish. Not everyone thrives in an open space environment; some people need peace and quiet to focus and be productive, and an office space should provide that.

Phone booths provide sound insulation and acoustics. It’s an easy space to pop into to take a phone call that requires privacy, or to work on something that requires concentration. If you work in an open office, a phone booth can do away with your noise concerns for good. Today’s workplace strategies need to combine the benefits of collaborative and open spaces along with employees’ needs to work in a quiet environment.

Plan to have to have at least 3 phone booth rooms, no matter how big you are as a company.

Whatever you do, plan to have to have at least three phone booth rooms, no matter how big you are as a company. While open office spaces encourage collaboration and creativity, it’s important to remember that there are times and tasks that your team will require privacy. A phone booth will give your team space and peace of mind. Say goodbye to interrupted phone calls and make sure your office is stacked with phone booths.

If you don’t already have 3 phone booth rooms, we would love to take a visit to your space and find a solution that would work best for your team. Reach out to us here.

Growth. It’s something we all want for our business, but are we prepared for it?

We often run into companies that thought they planned for growth and designed their space accordingly, but as they actually grew, they had to completely demo their office space and start over. What are they doing wrong? They are thinking of spaces individually and addressing immediate needs – not planning a space for multiple functions and long term growth goals.

Here’s what preparing for growth looks like:

• The 1:1 model of 1 desk for every 1 employee is being replaced with a more fluid growth ratio, meaning you can grow without having to take on more space if you plan intelligently and creatively.
• Consider all the different ways you can configure open space in the design phase. Make plans for that space to be arranged two or three different ways allowing for future growth.
• Create all private offices the same size. Short term, you can use them as common conference rooms; long term, you can quickly and easily switch them to private offices as the company grows.

These are just a couple options – there are so many more!

In 2017, we saw that most companies don’t have a growth mindset when it comes to office space. They just think they have to take on more space as they grow and that’s not necessarily the case.

I would love to hear what you’ve done as your company has grown. Feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn here or email me here.

Rendering by Atomic Entertainment

Call it a love note to intown creative arts.

The day after Valentine’s Day, the board of Invest Atlanta approved a $6 million tax incentive to redevelop the 27-acre historic Pratt-Pullman Yard site.

We can’t wait to see how Atomic Entertainment converts the century-old site into a $200 million creative arts campus with a film and television soundstage, outdoor concert venue, office space, restaurants, a boutique hotel plus residential with lots of greenspace. Atomic Entertainment bought the site in Kirkwood from the state of Georgia last year for $8 million, and hopes to open the first phase in 2020.

Fun fact: The Pratt-Pullman facility dates to the early 1900s when it was built for Pratt Engineering, which made equipment for sugar and fertilizer operations. Later it was used to make munitions during World War I.

The Pullman railroad passenger car company bought the complex in the 1920s to perform maintenance and refurbish train cars, but abandoned it in the 1970s. The state of Georgia tried to run a leisure dinner train service between downtown and Stone Mountain, but that venture folded after just a couple of years.

You might recognize Pullman Yard in movies such as The Hunger Games, The Fast and the Furious and Baby Driver. The complex was also a mecca for architecture aficionados and local graffiti artists who were drawn to its historical pedigree and gritty decay.

We look forward to seeing how this landmark transformation will inject activity and vibrancy to this long-neglected piece of history.

Discover how Transcend can find a creative space that inspires your employees and energizes your business by connecting with us here.

Should Amazon choose Atlanta for its $5 billion HQ2, the impact on the local real estate market could be even more profound than the 1996 Olympics.

The Olympics attracted new talent from other cities, transformed the region’s housing market and fueled a commercial real estate construction boom that lured many headquarters relocations. Metro Atlanta’s population has nearly doubled.

Another boom would surely occur if Amazon HQ2 comes to town, bringing 50,000 jobs with salaries averaging $100,000. Atlanta is among 20 cities under consideration, with a decision expected soon.

For context, Coca-Cola and its bottlers have about 7,500 employees in Atlanta. Winning Amazon HQ2 would be like adding six more Coca-Colas to the local economy.

Major selling points by city and state officials? A highly educated local workforce, direct flights to cities across the globe, affordable housing and rich economic incentives.

Those are some of the reasons Porsche executives cited when they chose Atlanta for a new $100 million headquarters after considering 70 locations, while Mercedes-Benz USA CEO Stephen Cannon said relocating to Atlanta would help “achieve the sustained, profitable growth.”

Beyond the direct boost from Amazon HQ2, Atlanta’s real estate market would also benefit from:

• Dozens of other companies opening offices in close proximity
• Expansion in coding and programming, creative and digital marketing, payment processing, IT security and other sectors that cater to Amazon
• More transportation and logistics jobs
• A wave of new startups with Amazon alums inevitable branch out and start their own ventures

All of that requires real estate.

Contact us here if you’d like to take a more proactively strategic approach to real estate.