Budget-friendly ways to leverage commercial landscape and make tenants happy.
If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that we have to think out-of-the box when creatively solving problems that we have never faced before. Outdoor restaurant space is a prime example of this type of ingenuity at work. For relatively low cost, and generous doses of creativity, restaurants globally have transformed mundane sidewalk and parking spaces into mini oases that are often perfectly on brand and remarkably inviting. Even in the coldest of months, these spaces have attracted diners with heat lamps, plexiglass, and vinyl.
The team at Mantle thought this kind of innovative thinking could be easily applied to commercial real estate, giving tenants and their employees simple options and ideas for collaborating, recharging, and enjoying the outdoors all season long. We know that being outdoors not only boosts health and wellbeing, but can also foster creativity and innovation. And, while people are starting to go back into the office, the spectre of COVID-19 will be with us for the long-term; we will continue to need safe outdoor spaces for people to meet.
With that in mind, here are a few innovative landscape design ideas for corporate campuses that building managers can leverage to create outdoor amenities. Keep in mind, this is a great opportunity to test ideas, mock-up low cost solutions, and to quickly create value for tenants in the short-term.
CREATE OUTDOOR HOT SPOTS
Identify outdoor spaces that can easily be transformed into co-working hot spots. With wifi, simple flooring, large 6’ tables, and moveable planters with larger trees or shrubs, you can create outdoor workspace in a matter of days–add tents or heat lamps and in many locations this can stay open year-round.
PARKING POP-UPS
Similarly, 6’ spaces can be carved out within a standard parking lot. Planters, small screens/fences, and outdoor carpeting can act as creative demarcation for individual work spaces and/or places to safely gather or hold all-hands meetings.
WALKING LOOPS
Identifying and demarcating walking loops on campus can provide tenants an easy way to have walking meetings or simply recharge. Paint, signage and planters can help guide people as they walk and talk.
NEIGHBORHOOD MAPS
Lastly. if outdoor space is extremely limited, giving tenants a neighborhood map with several routes staked out is a thoughtful way to curate outdoor resources in the vicinity. Adding the mileage for various routes, looping in amenities such as public parks, and providing discounts to surrounding coffee shops and eateries, will motivate employees to get outdoors and explore.
These are a few simple interventions that will make tenants happy; providing outdoor spaces for employees not only is safer during Covid-19, but also offers healthy alternatives that will boost wellbeing and innovation.
For inspiration on turning parking lots into creative flex spaces, check out this project…