Paulsen: In 2017, Cushman & Wakefield embarked on an aggressive plan to create better work environments for our employees, utilizing open spaces, natural lighting and ergonomic furniture. In Irvine, we have some of the county's top real estate professionals, and we wanted to provide them an environment that promotes collaboration, efficiency and, frankly, a place they can be proud of. I think we knocked it out of the park in our new location at Lakeshore.
Furthermore, having previously operated out of two separate office locations in Irvine/Orange County prior, our new single Irvine office will combine to provide a full scope of services. In bringing together our local professionals in Irvine under one roof, we will be able to operate much more closely, collaboratively and effectively to serve our clients in a greater capacity and at an even higher level than before.

GlobeSt.com: What are the design features of this particular office that make it special?

Zalusky: The penthouse reception space is exceptional and expansive—perfect for community and industry events and for entertaining clients. The main presentation room's sliding glass doors open to a living room lounge and large open café. High ceilings and gray-washed plank flooring further elevate the space, and an industrial suspended black-steel staircase provides an interesting connection to the 9^th floor. The reception space also affords fantastic views of John Wayne Airport—you can almost see the people on the planes taking off.

Paulsen: There is definitely a “wow” factor when you walk onto our floor. I have seen our clients walk in for the first time, and their expressions say it all. Full glass-fronted offices and functional work stations all have unobstructed lines of sight to the outside providing a lot of natural lighting. I feel good walking into the office every day.

GlobeSt.com: What does the office say about general office trends in the market?

Bretana: Workplaces that prioritize both focused and individual work is a trend in the current market. Cushman's dynamic workplace focuses are three main space types: community, collaborative and individual. The community spaces provide an engaging area to invite clients and host industry events. The collaborative spaces provide a variety of diverse group workspaces for employees to connect and interact. A number of individual, private enclosed spaces are distributed through the office to provide a refuge for heads-down focused work on behalf of their clients. In addition, the new office reflects the shift towards workplaces blending residential, hospitality and commercial environments. Warm woods, open café spaces and abundant lounge settings all illustrate this shift to more-informal and relaxed spaces.