Ratkovich: The concept of non-traditional office space can probably trace its roots to the movement among artists to establish their residences and studios in multi-level industrial buildings that were obsolete for their original use. In more recent times, the pace setter has been Google—much of what we see today can be attributed to the “Google effect.” Many companies in the fields of media, technology, design and entertainment have a corporate culture that whole-heartedly supports innovation as a means of achieving success—and they believe that a work space that encourages collaboration, freedom and creativity is central to that. We now see more traditional office users adopting some of the design trends of creative office space. More often we see these traditional industries occupying space that has concrete floors, an open ceiling, exposed infrastructure and a “commissary” integrated into the office.

GlobeSt.com: As a developer, how does this trend impact the environment or amenities you are expected to provide for both current and future tenants?

Ratkovich: We strive to create an environment at all of our properties that accommodates our tenants’ desires for their work space. We recognize that there are a variety of tastes and cultures among our tenants. Our task is to provide an environment that is pleasing to our tenants so we must maintain flexibility and sensitivity in the spaces we create.

We see the trend toward creative office space particularly in the fields of media, technology, design and entertainment. We wanted to create a place that appeals to the entrepreneurial, creatively-inclined side of the market so we recently purchased the Hercules Campus at Playa Vista. The campus consists of 28.2 acres of land and 537,130 square feet of building area in 11 existing structures that are being transformed into a single, cohesive campus of creative office and production space.

As the former home of Hughes Aircraft Co., we saw the opportunity to produce a distinctively creative work environment designed to foster innovation and invention. The communal areas of the complex will feature amenities like outdoor wireless internet, a dog run, barbeque pit, and bocce ball courts. Office space at the Hercules Campus will be customized for individual tenants. And, the campus will be designed to match the inventiveness of our tenants by combining contemporary design and state of the art engineering.

GlobeSt.com: What is the ideal tenant for a creative office building? What types of people or companies does this environment attract or work best for?

Ratkovich:

Creative office space works for companies looking to encourage imagination, teamwork and entrepreneurial spirit. It also works for emerging companies looking to set themselves apart--it’s appealing to innovators and people who think outside the box. The Hercules Campus at Playa Vista will be occupied by companies known for their leadership and inventiveness in the fields of media, entertainment, design and technology.

GlobeSt.com: How do you see this trend continuing to evolve? Is the demand for creative office space here to stay? In addition, why is now the opportune time for creative office space to thrive?

Ratkovich: The demand for creative office space is here to stay. It is already evident that the interest in a creative office environment is spreading to users that have historically occupied more traditional office space. Creative office space is thriving because the expectations of the American employer and the American worker have changed. The desire to be entrepreneurial and innovative is a distinctly American characteristic and people don’t want to lose sight of that spirit.

For developers looking to expand in this field, what is essential to making non-traditional office space a success?

Ratkovich: Allowing tenants the opportunity to customize their office space is absolutely essential to successfully developing creative office space. Working in a space that has been created specifically to meet your needs goes a long way in fostering employee collaboration and morale. Because this kind of office space appeals to people who want to feel uninhibited and because every company’s employees will have a different perspective on how best to foster creativity, tenants must be able to actively play a role in the development of their office—and the Hercules Campus at Playa Vista is doing just that.