Hospitality Design - December 2023 - 88

trendspotting hospitality-inspired offi ces
SHARED EXPERIENCE
Hospitality fi rms pioneer the next era of workplace design
Offi ces are still struggling in a post-Covid world.
Att endance, though recovered substantially since the
early days of 2020, is still down by 30 percent, according
to McKinsey Global Institute. In the scenarios studied by
the management consultancy, the amount of offi ce space
demanded in most cities won't return to pre-pandemic
levels for decades. As a response to today's new normal,
designers and brands are taking cues from their own
hospitality projects to create spaces that are more akin
to a hotel than traditional workplaces as a way to entice
employees back to the offi ce.
Consider the new headquarters for Rosewood Hotel
Group in Hong Kong. Drawing inspiration from the hotel
company's Sense of Place philosophy, local fi rm Lim + Lu
adorned the offi ce with luxe, natural materials that " refl ect
the brand's status as well as its focus on wellbeing, " says
cofounder and managing director Elaine Lu. She considers
many facets when rethinking offi ce design for today's
employees, including integrating fl exible and hybrid spaces,
adding wellness features like biophilic design elements,
and fostering a sense of community through open common
areas. Here, to encourage collaboration, gathering spaces
are strategically positioned throughout, with sofas and
tables located at the borders of diff erent departments and
near corridors or circulation spaces.
House of Form, a design fi rm based in Phoenix,
recently overhauled its offi ce with the goal to empower
team members to perform at their best. Referencing its
own hospitality projects, " our vision was to transform the
offi ce into an inspiring blend of a traditional workspace
and a luxe hotel lobby, " says principal owner and designer
Dala Al-Fuwaires. The lounge, for instance, recalls a sexy
cocktail bar, while the conference room is an artful private
dining room. " We designed the space around how we
wanted our clients to feel: cozy, confi dent, and inspired, "
she adds.
At Rockbridge's headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, CEO
and founder Jim Merkel wanted the hospitality-centered
investment fi rm's new offi ce to refl ect the evolution of the
company. Covid shiſt ed some of the design plans, forcing
Merkel to pause and reimagine what the space was going to
look like for its 110 employees going forward. " I concluded
that we believed in being together and in collaboration, "
he says. Designed in-house, purposeful spaces like an
open atrium and mezzanine level encourage " spontaneous
collisions of team members in a positive way, " he says.
" The offi ce market isn't dead, " Merkel continues, " but
it has lacked innovation and evolution on a broad scale. We
created a space where people want to be-where they can
gather and build relationships because that's what we do in
hotels. " hd
088
The mezzanine at Rockbridge's office in Columbus,
Ohio encourages spontaneous collaboration
Sage green hues and natural materials
at Rosewood Hotel Group's Hong Kong
headquarters channel the brand's luxe look
The lounge space at House of Form's office in
Phoenix is akin to a cozy cocktail lounge
December 2023 hospitalitydesign.com
Photos by KEVIN BROST, COMMON STUDIO, and BRAD FEINKNOPF
http://www.hospitalitydesign.com
Hospitality Design - December 2023

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