Gone are the days of hospital white walls, beige generic carpet, and the institutional decorating style of yesteryear. Well, mostly. The trend today – whether you are a law firm, a tech start-up, or a manufacturing company – is to create an office environment that your team loves to be in. A place that is more home than work. A place that inspires, encourages, and fosters collaboration. These types of places sometimes cost more – but always make their costs back in productivity.
Departures Magazine recently published an article by Horacio Silva, The Glamorous Work Space, which explores this shift in attitude towards office space that has transformed the industry over the past 20 years. Per Horacio, “in the past two decades, technology companies led the way with alternative concepts such as the office complex as a campus (Microsoft, Facebook) and the Chuck E. Cheese, primary-colored playground (Google).” Horacio focuses specifically on the invention of the coworking space, and how a development in Manhattan is revolutionizing what shared space is “supposed” to look like.
NeueHouse, located east of Madison Square Park in Manhattan, is a four-story, 50,000 square foot “coworking space, members’ club and cultural center” designed to feel like a boutique hotel with high-end finishes, a creative, industrial-meets-cozy-chic vibe, and a more upscale atmosphere than you might find at traditional incubators/coworking spaces.
The Living Room, clad with comfy furniture and an old-world-meets-new vibe (thanks to the antique light fixture, glass storefront windows, and Restoration Hardware-esque furniture scattered throughout) welcomes visitors to sit down, grab a latte, and work from the comfort of the oversized sofa.
The Studio, an all-glass chamber with lots of light and efficient built-in office furniture, is the perfect place to spread out your paperwork and dig into that business plan.
The Gallery, outfitted with some of the trendiest art in Manhattan, is a showroom meets library meets upscale lounge, with its high ceilings (20 feet!), terra-cotta walls, and dark metal finishes.
Lastly, what coworking space would be complete without a screening room? Forget the 9 to 5 – I’d like to move right in for good.
For more on NeueHouse’s innovative and dynamic workspace, read the full article here on Departure’s website.
Star Hughes-Gorup is executive managing director at Hughes Marino, a global corporate real estate advisory firm that specializes in representing tenants and buyers. Star is a key member of Hughes Marino’s brokerage team, where she specializes in tenant representation and building purchases. Star also makes frequent media appearances to speak on business issues from a millennial perspective, and regularly writes for Hughes Marino’s “Spaces We Love” blog. Contact Star at 1-844-662-6635, or star@hughesmarino.com.
