Steve & Barry leased a 56,000-square-foot space at the Corum Station Shopping Center at 4880 Louetta Road in Spring. Reportedly, Steve & Barry is one of the fastest growing retail companies in the nation and is known for affordable clothing. It currently owns and operates nearly 200 stores in 33 states. The Corum Station Shopping Center, built in 1985, is a 135,417-square-foot complex occupied by varying tenants and anchored by Sears Hardware Store. Jeff Beard and Diana Gaines of J. Beard Real Estate Co. LP represented the landlord, Stan Herman.
For more inforamtion see: www.houstonrealtyadvisors.net
or www.houstonrealtyadvisor.com
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
51,000 sq ft expansion in Clear Lake, Tx.
Jacobs Engineering executed a renewal/expansion for 51,204 square feet of office space at the 2222 Bay Area Blvd. in Houston. The firm now resides between two floors. Built in 1979, the property features card-key access and consists of a total 64,403 square feet. The building is now fully leased. Lou Cushman of Cushman & Wakefield represented Jacobs Engineering. Ace Schlameus and Laura Schlameus of Grubb & Ellis represented the landlord, Triyar of Texas.
For more information see: www.houstonrealtyadvisors.net
or www.houstonrealtyadvisor.com
For more information see: www.houstonrealtyadvisors.net
or www.houstonrealtyadvisor.com
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Aligning Real Estate and business goal
"The concept of aligning real estate and business goals is of paramount importance.
Since a corporation's cost of occupancy is its largest fixed operating cost, real estate alignment means two things:
(1) Driving down costs in existing facility operations,
and
(2) Planning ahead to minimize the initial costs for new
occupancy.
Space planning and the accurate growth projections, for instance, will do much to drive down and stabilize long-term real estate costs.
Alignment is like two parallel lines. If the lines illustrate the alignment between real estate and the business and the length of the lines illustrates time, then any small diversion in either the real estate or business direction today can create a huge gap three, five or seven years out.
Obviously, a failure to implement a good strategic plan will result in poor decision making. The more transactions made outside the context of the client's entire portfolio, the more poor decisions will be made and the more misaligned the client's portfolio will be in the future.
Corporate real estate managers need to check alignment frequently because it's easier to expand or contract incrementally than it is to sublease or otherwise dispose of excess space. On the flip side, you lose any leverage if you're forced into decisions during expansion.
Often, CRE managers will lease space reactively and end up wildly misaligned especially in de-centralized environments. One client I worked with underwent several mergers and found themselves with eight leases of varying sizes in one relatively small city. They knew of their problem but they didn't know how to relate. See www.houstonrealtyadvisors.net
Since a corporation's cost of occupancy is its largest fixed operating cost, real estate alignment means two things:
(1) Driving down costs in existing facility operations,
and
(2) Planning ahead to minimize the initial costs for new
occupancy.
Space planning and the accurate growth projections, for instance, will do much to drive down and stabilize long-term real estate costs.
Alignment is like two parallel lines. If the lines illustrate the alignment between real estate and the business and the length of the lines illustrates time, then any small diversion in either the real estate or business direction today can create a huge gap three, five or seven years out.
Obviously, a failure to implement a good strategic plan will result in poor decision making. The more transactions made outside the context of the client's entire portfolio, the more poor decisions will be made and the more misaligned the client's portfolio will be in the future.
Corporate real estate managers need to check alignment frequently because it's easier to expand or contract incrementally than it is to sublease or otherwise dispose of excess space. On the flip side, you lose any leverage if you're forced into decisions during expansion.
Often, CRE managers will lease space reactively and end up wildly misaligned especially in de-centralized environments. One client I worked with underwent several mergers and found themselves with eight leases of varying sizes in one relatively small city. They knew of their problem but they didn't know how to relate. See www.houstonrealtyadvisors.net
Office of the Future
The office of the future will be liberated from endless rows of gray cubicles, hard-walled conference rooms and bleak break areas.
from The Triangle Business Journal - August 18, 2006
"New, more mobile technology and a push for increased personal interaction are redesigning the office. There's so much emphasis now on communication. People are going to work in offices where they see people face to face, so there's going to be less of an emphasis on walled offices.
It's not surprising that many of the changes in office look and feel are related to the wants and needs of a younger work force. This generation under 30 is into entitlements. They want to work in an environment that's friendly.
Increased mobility and a growing trend toward telecommuting has put the traditional office in a precarious position. Companies have to compete with home offices. Businesses need to provide an enticing environment if they hope to make people want to spend time in the office.
In this new environment, even traditional office furniture is not as important as it once was. It's all about change and mobility. Instead of stationary desks that tend to isolate workers into separate work spaces, teams of employees often will gather around tables. They don't want to move furniture. They want to move people.
Some theorize that workers who are mobile feel less isolated and are better able to exchange ideas. People are creating lots of spaces for conferencing opportunities spread throughout the office - everything from bar-height stools to easy chairs.
In an era where some younger workers are more productive working on their laptops at a nearby Starbucks, newer office designs can include open cafes, lounge areas and smaller comfort areas for quick meetings.
Companies are competing for employees like never before. Those that can implement these changes are better at attracting and retaining employees.
But it's not just tech companies - which historically have attracted young, free-thinking workers - that have begun remaking the office. It's across the board. Tech companies drove the trends of funky work environments. But we're seeing all industries, even companies like Bank of America and RBC Centura, using a cutting edge approach."
Tear down the walls.
The first step in transforming today's workplace into the office of the future is to rethink the use of space based on what tasks need to be done and by whom. It's not who you are but what you do and what it takes to do your job well.
It is a breaking down of hierarchical space. Large office suites that traditionally were reserved for executives take up a lot of floor space.
The placement of these executive work spaces also is changing.
Historically, walled offices were built along the perimeter of each floor of an office building, so that executives got the benefit of having windows while the rest of the employees had to toil under fluorescent lights. But now, a growing trend is to move executive offices into the center of the room and put employee workstations along the perimeter to take advantage of natural light.
And while the ubiquitous cubicle is expected to remain a fixture in future offices, its basic design is changing. Cubicles are getting shorter. The lower walls are high enough to give you voice privacy but low enough to give you all-around visibility. The growing use of laptops and flat-screen monitors in the workplace also means that cubicles don't have to be as large - or as tall - as they once were.
The importance of office design on worker productivity was dramatically underscored by an online survey conducted by Gensler, a leading architecture and design firm with 28 offices around the globe. The results of the Gensler 2006 U.S. Workplace Survey showed that of the random sample of 2,013 office workers in all staff and management strata in the U.S., the most common complaints about today's office include a lack of space, too few quiet areas, uncomfortable workstations, and bad layout and design.
Nearly 90% of senior executives surveyed believe that a better physical working environment would have a positive impact on their company's bottom line, and that their companies would be able to perform an average of 22% more work if their office environments were better designed. Furthermore, two-thirds of office workers believe they are more efficient when they work closely with co-workers.
Yet 30% said they don't think their current workplace promotes spontaneous interaction or collaboration among colleagues.
And as for the way corporate executives work, 62% said they have great respect for leaders who work in an open plan environment with their teams rather than in private offices.
Turning up the heat
Sustainability issues and the trend toward environmentally friendly, or green designs, are helping to reduce energy costs while improving employees' comfort and health. One innovation could bring a peaceful solution to the office thermostat wars. Access flooring, basically a raised floor under which cabling is run, also can accommodate pared-down HVAC duct work so that employees can control temperatures at their own workstations. Typically, heated or cooled air in an office is forced out of ceiling vents. But getting the right temperature air down to a seated employee - normally four feet above the floor - requires more energy, both in heating or cooling the air and blowing it down from the ceiling.
Individual floor vents require less energy and provide a greater comfort level. Newer buildings are starting to take advantage of natural light by using larger windows and more of them."
For more information see: please call 713 782-0260
The office of the future will be liberated from endless rows of gray cubicles, hard-walled conference rooms and bleak break areas.
from The Triangle Business Journal - August 18, 2006
"New, more mobile technology and a push for increased personal interaction are redesigning the office. There's so much emphasis now on communication. People are going to work in offices where they see people face to face, so there's going to be less of an emphasis on walled offices.
It's not surprising that many of the changes in office look and feel are related to the wants and needs of a younger work force. This generation under 30 is into entitlements. They want to work in an environment that's friendly.
Increased mobility and a growing trend toward telecommuting has put the traditional office in a precarious position. Companies have to compete with home offices. Businesses need to provide an enticing environment if they hope to make people want to spend time in the office.
In this new environment, even traditional office furniture is not as important as it once was. It's all about change and mobility. Instead of stationary desks that tend to isolate workers into separate work spaces, teams of employees often will gather around tables. They don't want to move furniture. They want to move people.
Some theorize that workers who are mobile feel less isolated and are better able to exchange ideas. People are creating lots of spaces for conferencing opportunities spread throughout the office - everything from bar-height stools to easy chairs.
In an era where some younger workers are more productive working on their laptops at a nearby Starbucks, newer office designs can include open cafes, lounge areas and smaller comfort areas for quick meetings.
Companies are competing for employees like never before. Those that can implement these changes are better at attracting and retaining employees.
But it's not just tech companies - which historically have attracted young, free-thinking workers - that have begun remaking the office. It's across the board. Tech companies drove the trends of funky work environments. But we're seeing all industries, even companies like Bank of America and RBC Centura, using a cutting edge approach."
Tear down the walls.
The first step in transforming today's workplace into the office of the future is to rethink the use of space based on what tasks need to be done and by whom. It's not who you are but what you do and what it takes to do your job well.
It is a breaking down of hierarchical space. Large office suites that traditionally were reserved for executives take up a lot of floor space.
The placement of these executive work spaces also is changing.
Historically, walled offices were built along the perimeter of each floor of an office building, so that executives got the benefit of having windows while the rest of the employees had to toil under fluorescent lights. But now, a growing trend is to move executive offices into the center of the room and put employee workstations along the perimeter to take advantage of natural light.
And while the ubiquitous cubicle is expected to remain a fixture in future offices, its basic design is changing. Cubicles are getting shorter. The lower walls are high enough to give you voice privacy but low enough to give you all-around visibility. The growing use of laptops and flat-screen monitors in the workplace also means that cubicles don't have to be as large - or as tall - as they once were.
The importance of office design on worker productivity was dramatically underscored by an online survey conducted by Gensler, a leading architecture and design firm with 28 offices around the globe. The results of the Gensler 2006 U.S. Workplace Survey showed that of the random sample of 2,013 office workers in all staff and management strata in the U.S., the most common complaints about today's office include a lack of space, too few quiet areas, uncomfortable workstations, and bad layout and design.
Nearly 90% of senior executives surveyed believe that a better physical working environment would have a positive impact on their company's bottom line, and that their companies would be able to perform an average of 22% more work if their office environments were better designed. Furthermore, two-thirds of office workers believe they are more efficient when they work closely with co-workers.
Yet 30% said they don't think their current workplace promotes spontaneous interaction or collaboration among colleagues.
And as for the way corporate executives work, 62% said they have great respect for leaders who work in an open plan environment with their teams rather than in private offices.
Turning up the heat
Sustainability issues and the trend toward environmentally friendly, or green designs, are helping to reduce energy costs while improving employees' comfort and health. One innovation could bring a peaceful solution to the office thermostat wars. Access flooring, basically a raised floor under which cabling is run, also can accommodate pared-down HVAC duct work so that employees can control temperatures at their own workstations. Typically, heated or cooled air in an office is forced out of ceiling vents. But getting the right temperature air down to a seated employee - normally four feet above the floor - requires more energy, both in heating or cooling the air and blowing it down from the ceiling.
Individual floor vents require less energy and provide a greater comfort level. Newer buildings are starting to take advantage of natural light by using larger windows and more of them."
The office of the future will be liberated from endless rows of gray cubicles, hard-walled conference rooms and bleak break areas.
from The Triangle Business Journal - August 18, 2006
"New, more mobile technology and a push for increased personal interaction are redesigning the office. There's so much emphasis now on communication. People are going to work in offices where they see people face to face, so there's going to be less of an emphasis on walled offices.
It's not surprising that many of the changes in office look and feel are related to the wants and needs of a younger work force. This generation under 30 is into entitlements. They want to work in an environment that's friendly.
Increased mobility and a growing trend toward telecommuting has put the traditional office in a precarious position. Companies have to compete with home offices. Businesses need to provide an enticing environment if they hope to make people want to spend time in the office.
In this new environment, even traditional office furniture is not as important as it once was. It's all about change and mobility. Instead of stationary desks that tend to isolate workers into separate work spaces, teams of employees often will gather around tables. They don't want to move furniture. They want to move people.
Some theorize that workers who are mobile feel less isolated and are better able to exchange ideas. People are creating lots of spaces for conferencing opportunities spread throughout the office - everything from bar-height stools to easy chairs.
In an era where some younger workers are more productive working on their laptops at a nearby Starbucks, newer office designs can include open cafes, lounge areas and smaller comfort areas for quick meetings.
Companies are competing for employees like never before. Those that can implement these changes are better at attracting and retaining employees.
But it's not just tech companies - which historically have attracted young, free-thinking workers - that have begun remaking the office. It's across the board. Tech companies drove the trends of funky work environments. But we're seeing all industries, even companies like Bank of America and RBC Centura, using a cutting edge approach."
Tear down the walls.
The first step in transforming today's workplace into the office of the future is to rethink the use of space based on what tasks need to be done and by whom. It's not who you are but what you do and what it takes to do your job well.
It is a breaking down of hierarchical space. Large office suites that traditionally were reserved for executives take up a lot of floor space.
The placement of these executive work spaces also is changing.
Historically, walled offices were built along the perimeter of each floor of an office building, so that executives got the benefit of having windows while the rest of the employees had to toil under fluorescent lights. But now, a growing trend is to move executive offices into the center of the room and put employee workstations along the perimeter to take advantage of natural light.
And while the ubiquitous cubicle is expected to remain a fixture in future offices, its basic design is changing. Cubicles are getting shorter. The lower walls are high enough to give you voice privacy but low enough to give you all-around visibility. The growing use of laptops and flat-screen monitors in the workplace also means that cubicles don't have to be as large - or as tall - as they once were.
The importance of office design on worker productivity was dramatically underscored by an online survey conducted by Gensler, a leading architecture and design firm with 28 offices around the globe. The results of the Gensler 2006 U.S. Workplace Survey showed that of the random sample of 2,013 office workers in all staff and management strata in the U.S., the most common complaints about today's office include a lack of space, too few quiet areas, uncomfortable workstations, and bad layout and design.
Nearly 90% of senior executives surveyed believe that a better physical working environment would have a positive impact on their company's bottom line, and that their companies would be able to perform an average of 22% more work if their office environments were better designed. Furthermore, two-thirds of office workers believe they are more efficient when they work closely with co-workers.
Yet 30% said they don't think their current workplace promotes spontaneous interaction or collaboration among colleagues.
And as for the way corporate executives work, 62% said they have great respect for leaders who work in an open plan environment with their teams rather than in private offices.
Turning up the heat
Sustainability issues and the trend toward environmentally friendly, or green designs, are helping to reduce energy costs while improving employees' comfort and health. One innovation could bring a peaceful solution to the office thermostat wars. Access flooring, basically a raised floor under which cabling is run, also can accommodate pared-down HVAC duct work so that employees can control temperatures at their own workstations. Typically, heated or cooled air in an office is forced out of ceiling vents. But getting the right temperature air down to a seated employee - normally four feet above the floor - requires more energy, both in heating or cooling the air and blowing it down from the ceiling.
Individual floor vents require less energy and provide a greater comfort level. Newer buildings are starting to take advantage of natural light by using larger windows and more of them."
see www.houstonrealtyadvisors.net
or www.houstonrealtyadvisor.com
from The Triangle Business Journal - August 18, 2006
"New, more mobile technology and a push for increased personal interaction are redesigning the office. There's so much emphasis now on communication. People are going to work in offices where they see people face to face, so there's going to be less of an emphasis on walled offices.
It's not surprising that many of the changes in office look and feel are related to the wants and needs of a younger work force. This generation under 30 is into entitlements. They want to work in an environment that's friendly.
Increased mobility and a growing trend toward telecommuting has put the traditional office in a precarious position. Companies have to compete with home offices. Businesses need to provide an enticing environment if they hope to make people want to spend time in the office.
In this new environment, even traditional office furniture is not as important as it once was. It's all about change and mobility. Instead of stationary desks that tend to isolate workers into separate work spaces, teams of employees often will gather around tables. They don't want to move furniture. They want to move people.
Some theorize that workers who are mobile feel less isolated and are better able to exchange ideas. People are creating lots of spaces for conferencing opportunities spread throughout the office - everything from bar-height stools to easy chairs.
In an era where some younger workers are more productive working on their laptops at a nearby Starbucks, newer office designs can include open cafes, lounge areas and smaller comfort areas for quick meetings.
Companies are competing for employees like never before. Those that can implement these changes are better at attracting and retaining employees.
But it's not just tech companies - which historically have attracted young, free-thinking workers - that have begun remaking the office. It's across the board. Tech companies drove the trends of funky work environments. But we're seeing all industries, even companies like Bank of America and RBC Centura, using a cutting edge approach."
Tear down the walls.
The first step in transforming today's workplace into the office of the future is to rethink the use of space based on what tasks need to be done and by whom. It's not who you are but what you do and what it takes to do your job well.
It is a breaking down of hierarchical space. Large office suites that traditionally were reserved for executives take up a lot of floor space.
The placement of these executive work spaces also is changing.
Historically, walled offices were built along the perimeter of each floor of an office building, so that executives got the benefit of having windows while the rest of the employees had to toil under fluorescent lights. But now, a growing trend is to move executive offices into the center of the room and put employee workstations along the perimeter to take advantage of natural light.
And while the ubiquitous cubicle is expected to remain a fixture in future offices, its basic design is changing. Cubicles are getting shorter. The lower walls are high enough to give you voice privacy but low enough to give you all-around visibility. The growing use of laptops and flat-screen monitors in the workplace also means that cubicles don't have to be as large - or as tall - as they once were.
The importance of office design on worker productivity was dramatically underscored by an online survey conducted by Gensler, a leading architecture and design firm with 28 offices around the globe. The results of the Gensler 2006 U.S. Workplace Survey showed that of the random sample of 2,013 office workers in all staff and management strata in the U.S., the most common complaints about today's office include a lack of space, too few quiet areas, uncomfortable workstations, and bad layout and design.
Nearly 90% of senior executives surveyed believe that a better physical working environment would have a positive impact on their company's bottom line, and that their companies would be able to perform an average of 22% more work if their office environments were better designed. Furthermore, two-thirds of office workers believe they are more efficient when they work closely with co-workers.
Yet 30% said they don't think their current workplace promotes spontaneous interaction or collaboration among colleagues.
And as for the way corporate executives work, 62% said they have great respect for leaders who work in an open plan environment with their teams rather than in private offices.
Turning up the heat
Sustainability issues and the trend toward environmentally friendly, or green designs, are helping to reduce energy costs while improving employees' comfort and health. One innovation could bring a peaceful solution to the office thermostat wars. Access flooring, basically a raised floor under which cabling is run, also can accommodate pared-down HVAC duct work so that employees can control temperatures at their own workstations. Typically, heated or cooled air in an office is forced out of ceiling vents. But getting the right temperature air down to a seated employee - normally four feet above the floor - requires more energy, both in heating or cooling the air and blowing it down from the ceiling.
Individual floor vents require less energy and provide a greater comfort level. Newer buildings are starting to take advantage of natural light by using larger windows and more of them."
For more information see: please call 713 782-0260
The office of the future will be liberated from endless rows of gray cubicles, hard-walled conference rooms and bleak break areas.
from The Triangle Business Journal - August 18, 2006
"New, more mobile technology and a push for increased personal interaction are redesigning the office. There's so much emphasis now on communication. People are going to work in offices where they see people face to face, so there's going to be less of an emphasis on walled offices.
It's not surprising that many of the changes in office look and feel are related to the wants and needs of a younger work force. This generation under 30 is into entitlements. They want to work in an environment that's friendly.
Increased mobility and a growing trend toward telecommuting has put the traditional office in a precarious position. Companies have to compete with home offices. Businesses need to provide an enticing environment if they hope to make people want to spend time in the office.
In this new environment, even traditional office furniture is not as important as it once was. It's all about change and mobility. Instead of stationary desks that tend to isolate workers into separate work spaces, teams of employees often will gather around tables. They don't want to move furniture. They want to move people.
Some theorize that workers who are mobile feel less isolated and are better able to exchange ideas. People are creating lots of spaces for conferencing opportunities spread throughout the office - everything from bar-height stools to easy chairs.
In an era where some younger workers are more productive working on their laptops at a nearby Starbucks, newer office designs can include open cafes, lounge areas and smaller comfort areas for quick meetings.
Companies are competing for employees like never before. Those that can implement these changes are better at attracting and retaining employees.
But it's not just tech companies - which historically have attracted young, free-thinking workers - that have begun remaking the office. It's across the board. Tech companies drove the trends of funky work environments. But we're seeing all industries, even companies like Bank of America and RBC Centura, using a cutting edge approach."
Tear down the walls.
The first step in transforming today's workplace into the office of the future is to rethink the use of space based on what tasks need to be done and by whom. It's not who you are but what you do and what it takes to do your job well.
It is a breaking down of hierarchical space. Large office suites that traditionally were reserved for executives take up a lot of floor space.
The placement of these executive work spaces also is changing.
Historically, walled offices were built along the perimeter of each floor of an office building, so that executives got the benefit of having windows while the rest of the employees had to toil under fluorescent lights. But now, a growing trend is to move executive offices into the center of the room and put employee workstations along the perimeter to take advantage of natural light.
And while the ubiquitous cubicle is expected to remain a fixture in future offices, its basic design is changing. Cubicles are getting shorter. The lower walls are high enough to give you voice privacy but low enough to give you all-around visibility. The growing use of laptops and flat-screen monitors in the workplace also means that cubicles don't have to be as large - or as tall - as they once were.
The importance of office design on worker productivity was dramatically underscored by an online survey conducted by Gensler, a leading architecture and design firm with 28 offices around the globe. The results of the Gensler 2006 U.S. Workplace Survey showed that of the random sample of 2,013 office workers in all staff and management strata in the U.S., the most common complaints about today's office include a lack of space, too few quiet areas, uncomfortable workstations, and bad layout and design.
Nearly 90% of senior executives surveyed believe that a better physical working environment would have a positive impact on their company's bottom line, and that their companies would be able to perform an average of 22% more work if their office environments were better designed. Furthermore, two-thirds of office workers believe they are more efficient when they work closely with co-workers.
Yet 30% said they don't think their current workplace promotes spontaneous interaction or collaboration among colleagues.
And as for the way corporate executives work, 62% said they have great respect for leaders who work in an open plan environment with their teams rather than in private offices.
Turning up the heat
Sustainability issues and the trend toward environmentally friendly, or green designs, are helping to reduce energy costs while improving employees' comfort and health. One innovation could bring a peaceful solution to the office thermostat wars. Access flooring, basically a raised floor under which cabling is run, also can accommodate pared-down HVAC duct work so that employees can control temperatures at their own workstations. Typically, heated or cooled air in an office is forced out of ceiling vents. But getting the right temperature air down to a seated employee - normally four feet above the floor - requires more energy, both in heating or cooling the air and blowing it down from the ceiling.
Individual floor vents require less energy and provide a greater comfort level. Newer buildings are starting to take advantage of natural light by using larger windows and more of them."
The office of the future will be liberated from endless rows of gray cubicles, hard-walled conference rooms and bleak break areas.
from The Triangle Business Journal - August 18, 2006
"New, more mobile technology and a push for increased personal interaction are redesigning the office. There's so much emphasis now on communication. People are going to work in offices where they see people face to face, so there's going to be less of an emphasis on walled offices.
It's not surprising that many of the changes in office look and feel are related to the wants and needs of a younger work force. This generation under 30 is into entitlements. They want to work in an environment that's friendly.
Increased mobility and a growing trend toward telecommuting has put the traditional office in a precarious position. Companies have to compete with home offices. Businesses need to provide an enticing environment if they hope to make people want to spend time in the office.
In this new environment, even traditional office furniture is not as important as it once was. It's all about change and mobility. Instead of stationary desks that tend to isolate workers into separate work spaces, teams of employees often will gather around tables. They don't want to move furniture. They want to move people.
Some theorize that workers who are mobile feel less isolated and are better able to exchange ideas. People are creating lots of spaces for conferencing opportunities spread throughout the office - everything from bar-height stools to easy chairs.
In an era where some younger workers are more productive working on their laptops at a nearby Starbucks, newer office designs can include open cafes, lounge areas and smaller comfort areas for quick meetings.
Companies are competing for employees like never before. Those that can implement these changes are better at attracting and retaining employees.
But it's not just tech companies - which historically have attracted young, free-thinking workers - that have begun remaking the office. It's across the board. Tech companies drove the trends of funky work environments. But we're seeing all industries, even companies like Bank of America and RBC Centura, using a cutting edge approach."
Tear down the walls.
The first step in transforming today's workplace into the office of the future is to rethink the use of space based on what tasks need to be done and by whom. It's not who you are but what you do and what it takes to do your job well.
It is a breaking down of hierarchical space. Large office suites that traditionally were reserved for executives take up a lot of floor space.
The placement of these executive work spaces also is changing.
Historically, walled offices were built along the perimeter of each floor of an office building, so that executives got the benefit of having windows while the rest of the employees had to toil under fluorescent lights. But now, a growing trend is to move executive offices into the center of the room and put employee workstations along the perimeter to take advantage of natural light.
And while the ubiquitous cubicle is expected to remain a fixture in future offices, its basic design is changing. Cubicles are getting shorter. The lower walls are high enough to give you voice privacy but low enough to give you all-around visibility. The growing use of laptops and flat-screen monitors in the workplace also means that cubicles don't have to be as large - or as tall - as they once were.
The importance of office design on worker productivity was dramatically underscored by an online survey conducted by Gensler, a leading architecture and design firm with 28 offices around the globe. The results of the Gensler 2006 U.S. Workplace Survey showed that of the random sample of 2,013 office workers in all staff and management strata in the U.S., the most common complaints about today's office include a lack of space, too few quiet areas, uncomfortable workstations, and bad layout and design.
Nearly 90% of senior executives surveyed believe that a better physical working environment would have a positive impact on their company's bottom line, and that their companies would be able to perform an average of 22% more work if their office environments were better designed. Furthermore, two-thirds of office workers believe they are more efficient when they work closely with co-workers.
Yet 30% said they don't think their current workplace promotes spontaneous interaction or collaboration among colleagues.
And as for the way corporate executives work, 62% said they have great respect for leaders who work in an open plan environment with their teams rather than in private offices.
Turning up the heat
Sustainability issues and the trend toward environmentally friendly, or green designs, are helping to reduce energy costs while improving employees' comfort and health. One innovation could bring a peaceful solution to the office thermostat wars. Access flooring, basically a raised floor under which cabling is run, also can accommodate pared-down HVAC duct work so that employees can control temperatures at their own workstations. Typically, heated or cooled air in an office is forced out of ceiling vents. But getting the right temperature air down to a seated employee - normally four feet above the floor - requires more energy, both in heating or cooling the air and blowing it down from the ceiling.
Individual floor vents require less energy and provide a greater comfort level. Newer buildings are starting to take advantage of natural light by using larger windows and more of them."
see www.houstonrealtyadvisors.net
or www.houstonrealtyadvisor.com
Monday, June 25, 2007
WHAT IS A CLASS "A" BUILDING REALLY?
Many business owners would like to believe their offices are in Class A buildings, the highest-status buildings in the real estate market.
from Philadelphia Business Journal, August 18, 2006
Commercial real estate firms continually research building classifications to understand what determines top of the market and rate office buildings using several criteria.
As new properties are developed and the market changes, classifications can be a moving target.
Most experts agree Class A space typically makes up the top 10 percent of the market. What experts cannot agree on is what factors are used to determine that top 10 percent.
The benchmark rental rates for any office market are found in the top-performing Class A projects, and those rents set the tone for rates in new Class A projects under development.
To see how your building and others measure up, consider the following elements.
§ Location -- There typically are one or two key
intersections or thoroughfares in every metropolitan area that everyone agrees are Class A locations that consist of Main Street concentrations of developments. All real estate decisions typically revolve around location. Is the property highly visible? Is there easy access? Is the neighborhood conducive to a professional office environment?
And, the most important locational consideration is whether this is the place where your enterprise will achieve the greatest success.
§ Design -- The industry generally agrees that today's Class
A office building has large, column-free floor plans that provide 25,000 to 50,000 contiguous square feet per floor. A central lobby readily guides visitors to their destination; and the building complies with governmental regulations, current zoning and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
While various architectural styles and construction methods may be employed, the building design and materials must have an element of timelessness to be considered among the best in the market. It cannot look old in five or 10 years. At the same time, a building does not qualify as Class A simply because it is new construction.
§ Infrastructure -- Some of the most important physical
features of a Class A building include telecommunications and information technology infrastructure necessary to adapt to modern technology, as well as up-to-date electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems.
§ Building operations and management -- Building operations
and management may be the most obvious factor in determining if a building fits into the upper echelon of the market. Is there an on-site management and engineering presence? Are common areas and exteriors well-maintained? Most people can sense this by just walking through the building lobby, speaking with tenants or using the washroom.
Class A office buildings should feature an on-site, readily identifiable management staff with daily, ongoing maintenance and cleaning services.
Systems should be in place to quickly and professionally address tenant needs. If the building owner is the person who changes light bulbs and unclogs toilets, the building is probably not Class A.
§ Amenities -- A long list of popular building amenities
exist in Class A buildings, and firms have their preferences. Most agree that on-site or proximate food and sundry services are important, but some also want a health club, valet parking, concierge service, child care, shoe shine, upscale retail, auto detailing and repair services.
What is realistic? Is your ideal environment a trophy office project, a shopping center or a mixed-use project?
Look closely at your company. Class A amenities have a positive impact on employee productivity and enhance the experience your clients have when visiting your office. Amenities also should simplify and improve life for you and your company.
Ultimately, there is only one judge -- the tenant. Office tenants seek Class A office space for many reasons, including upgrading or maintaining their firm's image, providing clients and employees with better amenities or to justify rents at an existing location.
Create your own definition of Class A and find a building that facilitates the success of your business. Speak with your real estate agent and determine the amenities and features that are essential to attract employees, serve your customers and build your business. The companies who pay rent have the power to define a building's class through their checkbooks and tenancy."
FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE WWW:HOUSTONREALTYADVISORS.NET
OR www.houstonrealtyadvisor.com
from Philadelphia Business Journal, August 18, 2006
Commercial real estate firms continually research building classifications to understand what determines top of the market and rate office buildings using several criteria.
As new properties are developed and the market changes, classifications can be a moving target.
Most experts agree Class A space typically makes up the top 10 percent of the market. What experts cannot agree on is what factors are used to determine that top 10 percent.
The benchmark rental rates for any office market are found in the top-performing Class A projects, and those rents set the tone for rates in new Class A projects under development.
To see how your building and others measure up, consider the following elements.
§ Location -- There typically are one or two key
intersections or thoroughfares in every metropolitan area that everyone agrees are Class A locations that consist of Main Street concentrations of developments. All real estate decisions typically revolve around location. Is the property highly visible? Is there easy access? Is the neighborhood conducive to a professional office environment?
And, the most important locational consideration is whether this is the place where your enterprise will achieve the greatest success.
§ Design -- The industry generally agrees that today's Class
A office building has large, column-free floor plans that provide 25,000 to 50,000 contiguous square feet per floor. A central lobby readily guides visitors to their destination; and the building complies with governmental regulations, current zoning and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
While various architectural styles and construction methods may be employed, the building design and materials must have an element of timelessness to be considered among the best in the market. It cannot look old in five or 10 years. At the same time, a building does not qualify as Class A simply because it is new construction.
§ Infrastructure -- Some of the most important physical
features of a Class A building include telecommunications and information technology infrastructure necessary to adapt to modern technology, as well as up-to-date electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems.
§ Building operations and management -- Building operations
and management may be the most obvious factor in determining if a building fits into the upper echelon of the market. Is there an on-site management and engineering presence? Are common areas and exteriors well-maintained? Most people can sense this by just walking through the building lobby, speaking with tenants or using the washroom.
Class A office buildings should feature an on-site, readily identifiable management staff with daily, ongoing maintenance and cleaning services.
Systems should be in place to quickly and professionally address tenant needs. If the building owner is the person who changes light bulbs and unclogs toilets, the building is probably not Class A.
§ Amenities -- A long list of popular building amenities
exist in Class A buildings, and firms have their preferences. Most agree that on-site or proximate food and sundry services are important, but some also want a health club, valet parking, concierge service, child care, shoe shine, upscale retail, auto detailing and repair services.
What is realistic? Is your ideal environment a trophy office project, a shopping center or a mixed-use project?
Look closely at your company. Class A amenities have a positive impact on employee productivity and enhance the experience your clients have when visiting your office. Amenities also should simplify and improve life for you and your company.
Ultimately, there is only one judge -- the tenant. Office tenants seek Class A office space for many reasons, including upgrading or maintaining their firm's image, providing clients and employees with better amenities or to justify rents at an existing location.
Create your own definition of Class A and find a building that facilitates the success of your business. Speak with your real estate agent and determine the amenities and features that are essential to attract employees, serve your customers and build your business. The companies who pay rent have the power to define a building's class through their checkbooks and tenancy."
FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE WWW:HOUSTONREALTYADVISORS.NET
OR www.houstonrealtyadvisor.com
ESTOPPEL CERTIFICATE INFO.
Estoppel certificates are typically utilized when a landlord desires to sell a building or refinance it. When purchasing a building or making a loan with a building as collateral, the purchaser and lender want to confirm certain facts that could influence their decision:
Is the tenant:
a. Current in rent?
b. In default under the lease?
c. Claiming that landlord is in breach or default under the
lease?
Does the tenant:
a. Purchase the building?
b. Renew or extend the lease?
c. Expand its space?
d. Terminate the lease?
e. Contract its space?
What is the rental rate?
Has there been any prepaid rent?
Is there any remaining free rental periods?
Confirm:
a. Commencement date of the lease,
b. Expiration date of the lease, and
c. Length of the lease term.
While it is typically the landlord that initiates the request for an estoppel certificate to be signed by a tenant, sophisticated tenants bargain for a reciprocal right to obtain an estoppel certificate from the landlord. By bargaining for the right to require the landlord to provide an estoppel certificate, the tenant will be in a position to provide prospective merger partners, assignees, subtenants, and major lenders the level of comfort of knowing that a lease remains in a pace and confirmation of the material facts of the lease. The ability to require a landlord to also fill out and submit an estoppel certificate aids the tenant in negotiating what is contained in an estoppel certificate. For example, once a landlord knows that it too will be required to submit an estoppel certificate, the landlord is much more realistic about the time periods for responding to a request for an estoppel certificate.
Illegitimate Intended Purpose
Frequently, in connection with a potential purchase of a building or in connection with making a loan on a building, the purchaser or lender will review the existing leases and find that there are certain provisions that the purchaser or lender would have preferred to have been included in the lease. These typically will include provisions pertaining to:
ü Extended cure rights for the landlord,
ü Terrorist insurance requirements,
ü Telecommunications.
ü Use of insurance proceeds, and
ü Condemnation proceeds.
Most lawyers believe that it is not appropriate to seek modifications to a lease in connection with an estoppel certificate.
The purpose of the estoppel certificate is to confirm the existence or certain rights and obligations, not to change such rights and obligations. Nevertheless, there are a few landlords, probably at the urging of their lenders or purchasers, who cannot resist the temptation to utilize the request for an estoppel certificate as a disguised attempt to modify the rights and obligations of the terms under the lease. Sophisticated tenants are aware of this tactic and simply delete provisions that constitute a modification and a waiver of significant rights of the tenant.
Do not assume that the initial draft of the estoppel certificate has been carefully drafted or is correct.
Responding correctly to the estoppel certificate:
The only way to property review an estoppel certificate is simply to take each item in the estoppel certificate that is set forth as a fact and look to the lease (and all amendments) to find where each fact is set forth in the lease.
Resist the temptation to vent or get even.
The only purpose of an estoppel certificate is to allow the sender to confirm the existence of the lease and the essential provisions of the lease. Occasionally, a tenant with a vivid imagination or a hidden agenda (e.g. too much space at above market rents) will try to gain leverage with the landlord by responding to the estoppel certificate with statements that are either not factual or embellished.
Do not procrastinate.
Most leases have a time period to respond to an estoppel certificate."
FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE: WWW.HOUSTONREALTYADVISORS.NET
OR www.houstonrealtyadvisor.com
Is the tenant:
a. Current in rent?
b. In default under the lease?
c. Claiming that landlord is in breach or default under the
lease?
Does the tenant:
a. Purchase the building?
b. Renew or extend the lease?
c. Expand its space?
d. Terminate the lease?
e. Contract its space?
What is the rental rate?
Has there been any prepaid rent?
Is there any remaining free rental periods?
Confirm:
a. Commencement date of the lease,
b. Expiration date of the lease, and
c. Length of the lease term.
While it is typically the landlord that initiates the request for an estoppel certificate to be signed by a tenant, sophisticated tenants bargain for a reciprocal right to obtain an estoppel certificate from the landlord. By bargaining for the right to require the landlord to provide an estoppel certificate, the tenant will be in a position to provide prospective merger partners, assignees, subtenants, and major lenders the level of comfort of knowing that a lease remains in a pace and confirmation of the material facts of the lease. The ability to require a landlord to also fill out and submit an estoppel certificate aids the tenant in negotiating what is contained in an estoppel certificate. For example, once a landlord knows that it too will be required to submit an estoppel certificate, the landlord is much more realistic about the time periods for responding to a request for an estoppel certificate.
Illegitimate Intended Purpose
Frequently, in connection with a potential purchase of a building or in connection with making a loan on a building, the purchaser or lender will review the existing leases and find that there are certain provisions that the purchaser or lender would have preferred to have been included in the lease. These typically will include provisions pertaining to:
ü Extended cure rights for the landlord,
ü Terrorist insurance requirements,
ü Telecommunications.
ü Use of insurance proceeds, and
ü Condemnation proceeds.
Most lawyers believe that it is not appropriate to seek modifications to a lease in connection with an estoppel certificate.
The purpose of the estoppel certificate is to confirm the existence or certain rights and obligations, not to change such rights and obligations. Nevertheless, there are a few landlords, probably at the urging of their lenders or purchasers, who cannot resist the temptation to utilize the request for an estoppel certificate as a disguised attempt to modify the rights and obligations of the terms under the lease. Sophisticated tenants are aware of this tactic and simply delete provisions that constitute a modification and a waiver of significant rights of the tenant.
Do not assume that the initial draft of the estoppel certificate has been carefully drafted or is correct.
Responding correctly to the estoppel certificate:
The only way to property review an estoppel certificate is simply to take each item in the estoppel certificate that is set forth as a fact and look to the lease (and all amendments) to find where each fact is set forth in the lease.
Resist the temptation to vent or get even.
The only purpose of an estoppel certificate is to allow the sender to confirm the existence of the lease and the essential provisions of the lease. Occasionally, a tenant with a vivid imagination or a hidden agenda (e.g. too much space at above market rents) will try to gain leverage with the landlord by responding to the estoppel certificate with statements that are either not factual or embellished.
Do not procrastinate.
Most leases have a time period to respond to an estoppel certificate."
FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE: WWW.HOUSTONREALTYADVISORS.NET
OR www.houstonrealtyadvisor.com
Friday, June 22, 2007
Continued: Tenant reps tout lack of conflicts
For background, I am a co-author of the Code of Ethical Principles and
Standards of Professional Practice of the Society of Industrial and Office
REALTORS. As well, I am a co-author of the Society's four hour ethics
program entitled "What Makes A Professional". My term of service as an
industrial and office broker is now thirty three years. My study of
brokerage in a legal and ethical framework is now approaching thirty years.
I have chaired ethics and professional standards committees at the local and
national levels as well.
I can say without reservation that the best way to serve a real estate
client is as a single agent, providing advocacy only for that client. In
that, all other situations that may arise will present conflicts of interest
or perceptions of conflicts of interest to the client base. All one needs
to do is follow the money!
It has always been interesting to me how full service people believe that
disclosures and disclaimers provide the necessary shield against the
opportunity to play both sides of a transaction. This issue gets worse when
you throw in dual agency or dual representation concepts into the
discussion. Full service brokers use various inducements to a client to win
an assignment to be their representative, only to have to ask the client to
waive the brokers' responsibility when a dual agent situation arises. The
client is suddenly left with no representation at all. Bullhonkey! It
doesn't pass the smell test.
As the brokerage model of the past fifty or so years continues to devolve,
however, most of these kinds of discussions will fade into that past. In
spite of the industry's cling to the status quo, technological advances,
standardization of data and documentation, opening up of data into the
public domain and other efficiencies not presently being employed (but
available) will replace the tried and true, list and sell, be all and do all
broker of the present.
Clients will still need advocates with a solid knowledge base. Those who
make the transition to single client advocacy and can provide the necessary
support will be labeled ethical technicians. It is this kind of creature
who will still be standing in wake of the coming fallout of traditional,
head in the sand brokers.
Vic Bruno, CRA ;President . Qualifying Broker
Vic Bruno Co.
For more information see : www.houstonrealtyadvisors.net
or www.houstonrealtyadvisor.com
Standards of Professional Practice of the Society of Industrial and Office
REALTORS. As well, I am a co-author of the Society's four hour ethics
program entitled "What Makes A Professional". My term of service as an
industrial and office broker is now thirty three years. My study of
brokerage in a legal and ethical framework is now approaching thirty years.
I have chaired ethics and professional standards committees at the local and
national levels as well.
I can say without reservation that the best way to serve a real estate
client is as a single agent, providing advocacy only for that client. In
that, all other situations that may arise will present conflicts of interest
or perceptions of conflicts of interest to the client base. All one needs
to do is follow the money!
It has always been interesting to me how full service people believe that
disclosures and disclaimers provide the necessary shield against the
opportunity to play both sides of a transaction. This issue gets worse when
you throw in dual agency or dual representation concepts into the
discussion. Full service brokers use various inducements to a client to win
an assignment to be their representative, only to have to ask the client to
waive the brokers' responsibility when a dual agent situation arises. The
client is suddenly left with no representation at all. Bullhonkey! It
doesn't pass the smell test.
As the brokerage model of the past fifty or so years continues to devolve,
however, most of these kinds of discussions will fade into that past. In
spite of the industry's cling to the status quo, technological advances,
standardization of data and documentation, opening up of data into the
public domain and other efficiencies not presently being employed (but
available) will replace the tried and true, list and sell, be all and do all
broker of the present.
Clients will still need advocates with a solid knowledge base. Those who
make the transition to single client advocacy and can provide the necessary
support will be labeled ethical technicians. It is this kind of creature
who will still be standing in wake of the coming fallout of traditional,
head in the sand brokers.
Vic Bruno, CRA ;President . Qualifying Broker
Vic Bruno Co.
For more information see : www.houstonrealtyadvisors.net
or www.houstonrealtyadvisor.com
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