Finding an Office that Stands Out: Top 6 Flexible Workspace Features

Looking for office space in Houston can be overwhelming with so many offerings available. You’ve already narrowed it down by deciding you want flexible office space in one of a few convenient locations — but how do you choose your favorite spot?

Here’s a quick list of things you should keep an eye out for when choosing an office space that works for you and your team.

The most popular shared office space features to look for:

According to our experts, some of the most sought-after flexible office space features include: 

• Atmosphere
• Flexible lease terms
• Amenities
• Versatility
• Privacy
• Meeting spaces

The importance of each factor will vary from team to team. Talk to your leadership teams to figure out what’s important to their employees, and then compare offerings accordingly. 

Until then, let’s look at each in-demand feature a little more. 

Atmosphere — There’s a human element to office space curation that often gets overlooked in favor of technical and cost considerations. However, the thoughtful design of a space will affect how comfortable and productive your team is during the day, and it will influence how willing employees are to come into the office on a regular basis. 

Intentional design should feature good lighting and use colors and art that set the mood for the day. Many commercial interior designers will even curate multiple areas with different vibes to match their intended use. Think about carpeted rooms for quieter spaces or brightly colored walls for more creative spaces. 

Flexible lease terms — A flexible space should come with a lease that can adjust to fit your needs and allow you to grow or scale as needed. Say you need a space for a project that will scale up for a few months, or you’re planning on growing your company over the course of a year or two — a versatile offering like The Square can provide you with the additional space needed to be agile with flexible lease terms to make that expansion financially viable. 

Amenities — Perks matter when it comes to flexible office spaces. Popular amenities like green spaces, fitness centers, or good coffee and snacks will inspire better productivity and overall wellness in your workforce. 

Easy access to neighborhood restaurants, cafes, and public transit can also help to enhance your company culture, drive retention, and attract top talent. And, of course, always keep parking in mind, too.

Versatility — Look for offices that provide you with a variety of working spaces to choose from, including traditional desks, standing desks, couches, tables, and so on. Spaces that are quiet enough for solo work or spacious and engaging for group ideation and workshops. 

Whatever your workday requires — which often changes throughout the day — make sure that there will be a space that is well suited to achieve it. 

Also, watch out for the little things: For example, be sure that employees can access the internet in social spaces or outdoor seating areas to facilitate casual collaborative hangouts. 

Privacy — Shared space is great, but having your own private area to concentrate or have important conversations in confidence is essential. Many flexible workspaces have an open concept layout. This makes doing quiet focused work or discussing sensitive topics very difficult.

Equally important is the question of shared amenities. Does your team have access to private resources like a kitchenette or meeting room, or all spaces and perks shared collaboratively across several tenant firms? 

Having private amenities means you can access them whenever you want and they’ll be easily accessible to your team.

Meeting spaces — Look for a flexible workspace that can offer private or shared meeting spaces that will be available to the extent that you need them. Keep in mind that if your lease only includes the shared space, you may not have full access to conference rooms, phone rooms, or other meeting space available when you need it. 

Also, ensure that the private meeting spaces are set up with the technology you need to host meetings properly, including up-to-date screens or projectors, mics, high-speed WiFi access, video sharing, and more.

Conclusion

So much of vetting an office space can’t be done by comparing specs or reading brochures. Some important factors like natural light, sound, and tech connectivity are best experienced first hand. And, in order to get the feel for a place, you need to immerse yourself in it. 

The best way to find out if a space is for you is to do a tour, in person or virtually. If you’re looking for these features and more, the experts at The Square want to show you around.

See the best flexible workspaces Houston has to offer. Contact The Square to book a tour today.