LOS ANGELES—Avison Young is adopting an open office format in its Downtown Los Angeles office at the City National Plaza. Prompting the renovation, the brokerage firm has renewed and expanded its current office lease, bringing its total occupied space to 13,105 square feet, an increase of 5,000 square feet. Gensler is designing the new space, which will be completed in April 2015.

“We don't believe we are one-size fits-all for our clients, and we don't believe we are one-size-fits-all for our professionals,” Chris Cooper, principal and managing director at Avison Young, tells GlobeSt.com. “We went to the market and looked at a lot of different options, and we decided that where we are is the best. We will retain our perimeter offices so that we can accommodate those who want private offices as well as those who want more of a collaborative company.” The new space will include a new reception area, where the standard reception desk will be replaced with a welcoming lounge, complete with plush chairs, flat screen TVs and a coffee bar. The new space will also include a state-of-the-art glass team room where employees can strategize and take conference calls.

The expanded space is part of Avison Young's aggressive expansion plans. “We are expecting to add many more brokers and project managers, and our asset services business is growing, so we are going to have to hire more accountants,” says Cooper. “We have essentially moved all of operations, asset services, accounting and project management into the Downtown Los Angeles office. Downtown has become our hub for the region.”

Avison Young is not the first CRE firm to adopt a creative-type office plan. In 2013, CBRE adopted an open office, hoteling environment in its downtown office as well. “You have to practice what you preach,” says Cooper. “Our culture is one where we are very collaborative because we are all principals and partners with one another. We want to create something that is really new and attractive, because we don't just want to attract the best talent; we want to retain it. I told everybody that I was in full support of this decision, but I wasn't going to approve it unless everybody was on board.” Well, that's exactly what happened.