Four Things You Need to Know About the Future of SD Office

From yoga studios and masseuses to freedom from boredom and whether San Diego's suburbs could ever urbanize their office environments, here are four things we learned at our San Diego Future of Office Event this week.

1. SPACE WITH A STORY IS "PARADIGM SHIFT"

Makers Quarter's Stacey Pennington told our audience every location has a story, and it's up to the owner to somehow find a tenant who will tap into it. “Connecting to that story is what is so powerful and meaningful to the people who are going to build their day-to-day lives in and out of those buildings,” she says. “To feel like you're part of something that aligns to your value system is, I think, what the future is of creative office. It's an entire paradigm shift."

2. SPACE SHOULD EMOTIONALLY "ENGAGE"

T2 Venture Capital's Greg Horowitt (on right with AVRP Studio's Chris Veum) says even in the suburbs, there's a realization among companies that their workplaces must get employees “emotionally engaged.” “So often these spaces are an extension of personal and private lives,” says Greg, who's also the author of The Rain Forest: The Secret to Building the Next Silicon Valley.

3. MILLENNIALS ARE DRIVING THE OFFICE WORLD

Chris says Millennials are now the biggest users of office space and want “freedom from boredom." They want to go someplace they'd go to even if they weren't going to work. That's the challenge for the suburban office market: How can landlords and businesses convert office spaces into places they'd want to hang out. One way: “Blur the edge” of the physical property to the outside with open spaces, taking advantage of San Diego's acclaimed climate. 

4. COMPANIES BEING CREATIVE WITH HEALTHCARE COSTS

For companies, catering to the Millennial workforce goes beyond the real estate. Greg says it goes to providing amenities like gyms or masseuses or yoga studios. “We're seeing some employers around the world actually working to figure out how to manage their healthcare costs by sourcing expensive healthcare solutions outside of the US or to other parts of the US,” he says. “They'll actually pay employees to have expensive medical procedures somewhere else, and they'll share the cost saving with the employees as well.”