Observations

It’s enlightening to see how people really work

Glass office fronts encourage interaction between brokers.

Soft waves and sandy colors echo the mountains and beaches of San Diego.

The Los Angeles office is branded to represent the downtown vibe.

Maps without names represent brokers' knowledge of the neighborhoods of LA.

One-way glass around the breakroom provides privacy and visually extends the lobby.

compared to how they say they work. We observe actual behaviors

Built-in window seats are part of a strategy that allows large open spaces to be created without having to reinforce post-tensioned floors.

Large spaces are designed to work for multiple uses, including breakout meetings and social gatherings.

Staff use nooks within larger spaces between sessions.

Interactive graphics encourage engagement with the space and other participants.

An existing opening provided a way to connect staff and participants between floors.

A pen-and-ink mural by an Instagram artist depicts paragliders on the bluffs outside.

With 40 meeting rooms, wayfinding is critical. Each room has a unique name, color scheme and photo theme.

1,000 square feet of space was opened to sea breezes and ocean views.

Necessary exposed conduits were transformed into an art installation.

Staff select unassigned spaces to work from based on their daily needs.

Feedback spaces have 20 unique colors, fixtures and furniture, creating options for participants.

Corporate executives arriving for training are greeted with hanging chairs that imply "this is going to be a very different experience."

The classrooms have no front walls since one can learn from everyone in the room. It does, however, have an ocean view.

Magnetic frames are provided for family and company snapshots, similar to a refrigerator at home.

and report back our findings.

Teams often behave differently than they think they do. We’ll embed ourselves into our client’s office for a day (or more) to see how people work with each other, what the traffic patterns are, and how people are communicating.

Other firms often jump right into programming without going through the observation process. Our method allows us to collect better information and create a more complete picture. From there, programming is a much more technical and quantifiable process: How many offices do you need? How many people do you have? How many conference rooms do you need? It’s more operational instead of being driven from a cultural perspective.

We don’t feel that we can do programming without understanding the cultural aspect of an organization. Anybody can count offices. Our expertise is in observing actual behavior and advising on what you need.

**NuVasive** A circular carpet pattern focuses attention on the displays at the center of the presentation.

Telling an interesting story is important, but if we can’t deliver the work on time

and on budget, we haven’t done our job. We are keenly aware of what it takes to make sure that a large project team stays on track.

We know that you’re busy and that you’re going to need to get into other stakeholders’ calendars well in advance. We organize the entire process at the beginning and then hit all of those milestones. We look at a schedule not as a timeline, but as a series of decisions that lead towards a bull’s eye in the center of a target.

Early on in the process, we create digital sketches to pre-visualize the space. They allow us to communicate with contractors and engineers, to analyze every part of the design carefully, and to consider the budget early on. This helps us create efficiencies and maximize the value that our clients receive.

**Center for Creative Leadership** 1,000 square feet of space was opened to sea breezes and ocean views.

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