Cooler Than Open Office?

We thought we knew what creative work space was, but Seattle is so far ahead of the game that our idea is already cliche. That's why we chose now to host our first-ever Seattle Creative Office Space Summit, at the Hyatt Olive 8 on May 21. (Sign up here.)

Lake Union Partners principal Pat Foley, who will be a panelist, tells us creative office space comes in many forms—it wouldn’t be particularly creative, after all, if the design went according to a creative checklist. It's mostly thought of as historic buildings with exposed brick and heavy timber and so on, but it can be in newly constructed buildings if they're designed properly. Mostly the space needs to be authentic, Pat says.  

Open work space is still a major component, but private space for meetings, phone calls, and lounge areas is equally important, Pat adds. He also believes tenants in creative spaces need to be within walking distance to good retail and food and drink. (No matter how hard you pound on a vending machine, it won't serve a cold brew during happy hour.) “We approach retail in office development the same way we would in a mixed-use multifamily building,” he says. “Good retail in many respects becomes an extension of the office space.”

Another Creative Office panelist: True Fabrication co-founder Dhruv Agarwal (snapped with fellow co-founders Ben Inadomi and Nik Patel), who will tell us about the cool HQ space occupied by his company—which sells wine accessories, wine bags, corkscrews, and aerators. Also on the panel will be execs from Dunn + Hobbes, Impact Hub Seattle, Graham Baba, and WeWork. Register now.