Where One Size Doesn't Fit All

Unlike your favorite college sweatshirt, one size does not fit all in creative office, JLL managing director Jim Plummer tells us.

Jim and other cool cribs pros will be speaking at Bisnow’s Chicago Creative Office Summit on Jan. 30. He’s noticed huge interest in these new collaborative office spaces meant to appeal to Millennials. (The creative office evolutionary chain: offices to smaller workspaces to benching to flexible mobile environments and desk sharing.) But as the trend spreads from tech to more traditional companies, it’s important to note that there are many ways to streamline an office and maximize efficiency. “Offices may have exposed ceilings, concrete floors, and neat lighting, but they still need custom solutions to meet the user’s requirements,” Jim says.

1871 in the Mart (above) is one of Jim’s deals that exemplifies custom design. The space was built to be incredibly open with lots of light and glass, all to promote the transparency and flexibility of co-working, he says. At Bluebeam Software, a large portion of the space is a hospitality and entertaining area, very conducive to casual idea sharing. When introducing a client to new ways of working, it’s important to emphasize the positives, he adds. While workspaces may be getting smaller, you’re gaining technology that allows for increased mobility and the flexibility to spend more time outside of the office. (Who can complain about getting business done while driving around the kids?)