CREJ

DECEMBER 2017 \ BUILDING DIALOGUE \

City of Aurora Public Training Center

Aurora, CO

innovate. collaborate. outperform.

es to spice up a space without going overboard. Comfortable

couches and lounge furniture often found in your living room

are now being employed in the workplace to provide workers

with comfortable areas for private work, informal meetings

and breakout sessions. Custompieces can also create a cohesive

and warm palette that ties into the overall design rather than

feeling stark. The work studios in the Deer Park Road Building

feature custom desks, unique pendant lights and bright orange

filing cabinets.

Artwork.

Art has always been somewhat incorporated into

office spaces, but today, the art is becoming more place-specif-

ic and customized. High-end, unique art pieces give an add-

ed sense of warmth and tie the building to its place. Workers

feel connected when the visuals around them relate to their

everyday lives outside of the office. Stimulating and beautiful

artwork adds the attention to detail that pulls a space together,

just like in a home. The lobby of Deer Park features two cus-

tom pieces that showcase local artists. The stained glass mosaic

features different scenes from Colorado. And the bronze relief

depicts a skier and a cascading mountainside.

Outdoor and open spaces.

Indoor/outdoor living is a term that

is blowing up in the residential world. Creating large, expansive

outdoor spaces that tie into offices and lounge areas is a new

trend no longer reserved for home. Employees crave interaction

with the outdoor environment. Studies have shown that natu-

ral light and fresh air help to stimulate employees and create a

healthier indoor environment to work in. Large, expansive out-

door decks lend to a workspace that is collaborative and uncon-

fined, with the outdoors flowing naturally into the workspaces.

Incorporating elements from the home into the office ele-

vates the design standard for workplaces across both the state

and the country. By combining the strategies listed above an of-

fice can feel unique and true to a company’s culture while at

the same time eliciting the comfortable feeling of home.

ELEMENTS

At Home in the Office

David Patterson

Comfortable couches and lounge furniture often found in

your living room are now being employed in the workplace.