NATALIE DOLCE: When companies seek space that offers an authentic experience within their working environment that enhances maybe the mood or creative work process, what are some examples of the tangibles (and intangibles) that you have seen creative tenants look for?

JIM JACOBSEN: They're looking for light and airflow in all the right places. Flexible multi-function workspaces that do everything from enhancing collaboration or providing impromptu meeting nooks to accommodating shifts in team structures or personnel count and encouraging a mixing of the minds. Customized spaces with a focus on quality design and authentic materials and interesting color and design elements that feel appropriate to the area, building and tenant. They want raw materials, unique finishes and sustainability that people can touch and feel—going beyond the LEED checklist. They want space for the entire company to meet; access to transit; space that's true to the tenant's brand DNA; and spaces that leverage their location—outdoor spaces with barbecues, decks and vegetable gardens, for example.

DOLCE: When these creative companies are touring properties, aside from the data point features, what experiential aspects of a space are weighed?

JACOBSEN: We get questions like: Is this a convenient commute for most of my team? Is this an area with interesting amenities, a restaurant scene, cultural significance, etc.? Where do I go to lunch? Can I be part of this community and make it better by being here? Can I bring my dog to work? Are there showers for those who ride their bikes to work? Can this space accommodate our screening room, in-house catering, basketball court, etc.? Is there good bike access? Does this space reflect or enhance my company's culture, brand, vibe, vision, etc.? Does this space inspire me? Will it foster collaboration among the members of my team? Can I dream up the next “big idea” in that office? Will my clients dig the space? Will this space allow my team to be productive, accommodate growth, or evolve with my business model? Will my employees like working here? Will this space allow me to attract top talent? Can I see myself coming here every day? Is this a place where my team can pull can pull an all-nighter? Are there other media, advertising, entertainment, etc. companies in this building, on this block or in this area? What about my clients, business partners and competitors?

DOLCE: When adapting an existing property to become creative space, what are some key things to keep in mind?

JACOBSEN: When we adapt an existing property, we invest the time to understand the property's location, its unique evolution and the building's DNA. That means we work to retain some of the unexpected in a reuse—that cool, memorable feature that surprises a tenant and creates that additional point of connection. Instead of simply replacing original materials, we will actually try to figure out how to preserve the original, dented corrugated metal on building (because you can't replicate the amazing patina), or strip back interior walls to expose vintage brick, or leaving up an old industrial dust collector on the outside of a building. It's the small details that telegraph to tenants that they are in a specific place, and not just in a generic office park in Anytown, USA.