Earth Day Envy: 8 Offices with Enticing Outdoor Spaces
At this point, outdoor space in some form is a must-have amenity for tenants in their offices, especially as employers continue to prioritize staff wellness. The ability to access the outdoors, get fresh air, and connect with nature has been proven to increase employee productivity and benefit overall health, whether that be on an urban building rooftop or in a lush courtyard patio.
LoopNet is celebrating Earth Day this year by showcasing these eight offices our writers have profiled in part for their outdoor spaces that evoke envy.
The Cannon Brings Coworking and Community to Houston Startups
The break room at Houston coworking space The Cannon features a coffee bar with sliding barn doors that connect to the lounge and game room, and operable garage doors that open up to the large courtyard — all of which can be employed to create an expansive indoor-outdoor event space when needed.
This Atlanta Workspace Is a Community for Creatives
Atlanta's Indie Studios, which leases suites to creative-focused companies, is located in a converted warehouse in the Armour-Ottley Loop neighborhood. Nine suites in the building open up to private patios, and tenants share access to outdoor gardens and have an entry point to the city's Beltline and its biking and walking trails.
Shipping Containers Create a Backyard Feel for Tenants at Austin Business Park
A first of its kind development in Austin, this retail and coworking destination is made entirely with shipping containers and evokes a "backyard feel" for its patrons. Surrounded by a grove of trees and pond views, the outdoor amenities here are endless, featuring chairs, fire pits, open air pavilions, outdoor work areas, and retail and restaurant options with outdoor storefronts.
Century-Old Department Store Converted into Creative Office Hub
At this repurposed department-store-turned office for creative and tech companies in Norfolk, Virginia, tenants of the Assembly building have access to a large rooftop patio for working outside or taking a break. Moveable walls open up a kitchen bar area onto the roof to create a fully functional indoor-outdoor event space. The design team even came up with creative solutions to hide mechanical equipment so as not to take away from usable space or al fresco ambiance by housing it on the roof deck.
Adaptive Reuse Turns Denver Data Center Into Debonair Office Tower
This 1960s concrete data center in downtown Denver left a lot to be desired — mainly natural light, as it barely had any windows. Through an energy efficient update, the building was also able to gain a crucial amenity. It previously had no outdoor space, so architecture firm Gensler created some by cutting off a portion of the roof and building a 12th-floor terrace adjoining a fitness center and indoor lounge.
Data Drives Redesign of Architecture Firm’s Santa Clara Office
Employee surveys conducted by architecture firm One Workplace for the redesign of its office showed that employees really valued outdoor space, and even indoor space that evoked the feeling of being outside and stimulated mental wellness. The firm's new office has both a built-out patio and outdoor workspace, plus individual porch-swing-style chairs next to garage doors that can be opened when the weather is nice — which is more often than not in California.
Creative Office Revamp Combines Barn, Café and Roof Deck
Bringing together several distinct but interconnected buildings that were once used as thrift stores and grocery depots, Synecdoche Design Studio built out a usable roof deck on top of the middle building, and a café lounge with a training room on the second floor that opens via garage doors to a rooftop deck. “We thought about this section as a more public space so that you could close and lock the door that goes into the office area and have a party on the roof without worrying about people going in conference rooms or through peoples’ desks," said the firm.
Austin’s W4 Office Carves Out Creative Space With Post-COVID Advantages
A key element of retrofitting this former retail space in Austin, Texas, into offices involved including outdoor space and balconies that to allow users to interact with the lively Rock Rose district below. The building has several outdoor spaces, described project architect Mark Odom. "A big kitchenette leads to a huge roof deck in the back where it’s quiet and tranquil with a trellis to provide moments of quiet for staff to gather themselves. There’s another large balcony on the front side where you can sit and be seen and see retail activity. Each outdoor space has a different response to the environment.”
