Scope
Interior Build-outs + Renovations
Completion
Ongoing
Size
Varies
Recognizing that business can happen anywhere, anytime, Cutler Real Estate determined they needed a more visible, modern, and mobile-friendly solution to their corporate offices. An initial study was conducted to create prototype offices of multiple sizes, showing features that would be integrated into potential new locations and applied to existing locations. Rebranding their office interiors to offer consistency between locations was important to their vision. A massive push was underway to be at the forefront of technology for their business sector; they wanted a workplace that reflected the increasingly paperless, mobile-friendly workforce that was emerging.
Buyers and sellers are mobile these days and the new Cutler office is a natural extension of that push to realtors to have less of a need for traditional office space, including cubicles.
Jim Camp, Partner and Principal Broker, Cutler Real Estate
Their future direction included pivoting their workplace environments away from the traditional office to a workspace that would offer employees and clients multiple choices of work and meeting styles. Seeing that the workplace was becoming more mobile and realtors were having the ability to work outside the office, they wanted to create a hub that both employees and clients would want to be a part of.
Shifting the thinking of the workplace from that of just an office to one of a place that could be opened up to the public was also considered. During the prototyping phase the goal was to vastly reduce private offices, and instead, offer touchdown workspaces. Agents could easily select a seat or open space, check email, grab coffee, and collaborate with other agents all without having a designated “me” workspace.
Perhaps the most ambitious part of refining their approach was pinpointing new office locations that were far more visible to the public. New office hubs would be located in high traffic retail areas; near shopping, eating, and drinking establishments. This would give clients a convenient location to stop and meet with their agent. This also provides a highly visible business presence for new clients. It would give potential buyers and sellers a close-up view of their worksplace environment and technology.
Connection to other businesses and the community was also considered. The Powell office location was located in a space that is connected to a popular ice cream parlor. The New Albany office location was connected to an art studio/gallery. This workspace was designed to be an extension of that gallery, giving the office the ability to be open during showings and special events.
Enclosed office spaces are still provided to offer privacy when necessary, but those as well are available on a first come first serve basis. Small offices are provided to take a phone call or concentrate on individual work. Each prototype featured a glass enclosed conference space for document signings, meetings with clients and other private collaborative functions. A byproduct of this shift in workspace was the ability to reduce the overall square footage necessary for business operations. This meant a different type of location could be explored for their new offices.
All interior materials were selected as part of the prototype design process. This included carpet, laminates, solid surface countertops, wall base, and paint colors. The Cutler signature colors of orange and blue were integrated into the conceptual workspace designs to reinforce the brand. A palette of complimentary modern colors and textures were selected to reinforce the new direction of the offices. Furniture styles and materials were also considered during this process to create a fully integrated office design. All of these were selected before new locations were even chosen to ensure each workspace would reflect a cohesive look as new offices were developed.
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