Hartford Business Journal

HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | JULY 24, 2023 23 FOCUS: WORKPLACE of a slowdown, but we're still trying to hire." In addition to its Hartford office, Amenta Emma, which generates about $10 million in annual reve- nues, has a presence in Boston and New York. Amenta recently sat down for a virtual interview with the Hartford Business Journal to discuss office space and other workplace trends. Here's what he had to say. The Q&A was edited for clarity and length. Q. What are you seeing with the latest office space trends? A. It depends on the industry sector. For example, at traditional law firms, we're not seeing much of a change at all in terms of physical layouts. They may have a different work schedule, and they may be shrinking space, but each partner gets an office and each associate gets an office. With other types of clients, we're seeing some of the trends that started pre-pandemic accelerating. Compa- nies are increasingly receptive to the open, flexible office concept, with huddle rooms, Zoom-type rooms. Since the pandemic, we've seen a greater desire to have outdoor space. Employers are trying to create an atmosphere that is better than what you would get at home. So, better technology, electric charging stations are more important. On-site gyms are a big deal, and even relaxation spaces. Employers are also trying to create a residential feel in terms of the furni- ture colors and finishes that are used to create more of a feeling that you're in a hotel lobby rather than an office. Q. As companies downsize space, are they spending more money on office design and fit outs? A. I think it's easier to argue for some of these office space amenities and upgrades than it has been in the past, but these decisions are still budget- driven. The numbers still have to work, so there's a lot of trade-off type of discussions going on. 'Is x more expensive than y, can we do a and b and maybe not do C?' Employers have a better under- standing of what should go into a modern office space, but they also want to know which options are more cost-effective. Q. How has inflation impacted office design budgets? A. There's still a sticker shock with even the most basic renovation costs. And there's not a great desire to over- come that by pushing more money into the deal. I think costs are starting to moderate a little bit, and I think that's going to continue. Q. You mentioned outdoor spaces as a more popular amenity. Can you elaborate on that? A. We are in the process of moving (law firm) Day Pitney, and a space they ended up in at Goodwin Square (in downtown Hartford at 225 Asylum St.) has two outdoor terraces, and I think that was one of the factors that pushed them toward taking that space as opposed to some of the other downtown locations they were looking at. It just adds another dimension for a tenant. The outdoor spaces typically have Wi-Fi, so you can go out there to work or hold a meeting when the weather is nice. Q. In terms of technology, what are the biggest differences you're seeing with those requirements? What's a Zoom room? A. Zoom rooms have become fairly sophisticated, if you want to do it right. They have voice-activated cameras so that the camera points to whoever is speaking, so you don't have to look at a screen the whole time. Sometimes there will be multiple screens in the room so that when you're looking at meeting partici- pants, you have a better or realistic feel. It usually has better audio, better microphone placement. You get the opportunity to hear people more clearly. In terms of individual workstations, it's pretty hard to match the tech- nology you can have in the office, things like large screens or dual screens, really comfortable ergo- nomic seating, sit and stand desks. Those things are pretty easy to accommodate in an office setting, and more expensive and difficult to do at home for a lot of people. We're also equipping all of our employees with laptops to better accommodate the work-from-any- where scenario. I think more firms are starting to think about adopting tech- nology that is independent of location. Q. Your firm is involved in multi- family apartment developments. What are your thoughts on office- to-apartment space conversions? What are the opportunities and challenges? A. Word on the street is nobody can make the numbers work on office-to- apartment space conversions. I look around Hartford, and the buildings that may be suffering, some of the Class A buildings that have some of the older floor plates, they're not ripe at all for this conversion. Even at these low cost of sales, conversion is a very expensive way to go. We'd like to see it in some of these buildings, but anything built after 1960, or maybe even before that, has these big floor plates that are very inefficient to convert, so I don't see too much of it being feasible. TOP AMENITIES FOR OFFICE BUILDINGS 1. Controlled access to building 2. Retail/food/services on-site 3. Fiber optic internet availability 4. Public transit (within 2 blocks) 5. On-site parking 6. Newer construction (after 2007) 7. On-site fitness center 8. Outdoor courtyard/plaza/atrium 9. Common area conference room/facility 10. Freeway/interstate access 11. Shower/locker facility Source: Cushman & Wakefield survey Amenta Emma recently designed Hartford Steam Boiler's eighth-floor renovation, which included an open concept with collaboration spaces and a kitchen. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED

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