Like many, I sense the looming anxiousness about returning to work in a few weeks as shelter-in-place policies are lifted. Although many are looking forward to reuniting with colleagues and returning to the office desk away from distractions at home, I have concerns.

These concerns mirror those of our employers, building owners, and landlords, as we all see clearly how a safe reunion is a shared responsibility. Will the office building I am returning to have procedures in place to keep me safe? Am I putting my family at risk by returning to work? How can I trust that everyone is doing their part today to make our workplace a healthy environment?

To combat these worries, I am putting trust in my employer, co-workers, and those that operate my building. So are most people around the world, according to this year’s Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report. The survey found that 63 percent of people around the world believe information regarding COVID-19 from employers, compared with 58 percent for a government website and 51 percent for traditional media. Let this sink in. The majority polled are putting their trust in their employers. So, how can companies make it easier for their workforce to trust them?

Here are just a few ways:

TRUST IN THE EMPLOYER

Employers will be the trusted guide employees look to before and after returning to work. Going beyond staggering the return of employees or off-setting work hours, companies will need to actively work toward a resilient environment for years to come.

Workers will also trust their employers are following vetted and globally adopted standards. Hosting reoccurring meetings, sending weekly communications, and posting signage throughout the office can help publicly display that these standards are being followed.

Perceived safety will promote trust in the built environment as much as tangible improvements. For example, biophilic design that incorporates indoor greenery can help support wellness beyond mental health. Not only is this a tangible way to improve air quality and alleviate asthma, but it is a visual cue to employees that changes are taking place to improve their health and wellbeing.

TRUST IN THE CO-WORKER

It will be challenging to rely on others when returning to the office. There are small practices that can be put in place to help colleagues garner trust in each other and limit fears of the unknown. A few minor physical adjustments to the fixtures and furnishings can add some much-desired security.

Many corporate workplaces decorate their offices and amenity spaces with potted plants. These may be an aesthetically pleasing tool that can also serve as added barriers throughout the office, both in pathways and in alternating workstations. Moss can contribute to improved indoor air quality, removing particulates from the air throughout the day, offering acoustic buffers, and feeding the visual desire to maintain social distancing while inside the building.

Mobile partitions made available to occupants, within reasonable safety, can also provide some quick remedy to promoting space without isolating. Signage within the employer’s workplace can offer continuous reminders for best practices related to hygiene. Personal protective equipment, specifically face masks, may become a standard office supply, much like toilet paper and hand towels. These simple but effective measures can help initiate trust among co-workers while organizations work to budget toward larger-scale strategies.

TRUST IN THE BUILDING OWNER

Landlords and owners charged with operating office buildings have a huge responsibility to keep their tenants safe. For office buildings in bigger cities with higher foot traffic, they may need to close off certain entrances or regulate entry points by implementing and communicating a new wayfinding strategy that adjusts the traditional guest journey in the space. Landlords will need to pay attention to lobbies and communal areas by reducing capacity and implementing robust cleaning strategies.

Propping doors open that aren’t automatic and adding more hand sanitizing stations in common areas are other ways landlords and building operators can help employees feel more comfortable. Seeing precautions in place will allow employees to put more trust in the buildings they are entering each day.

Employers and landlords have the power to be a comforting and reliable source during this time of uncertainty. Implementing mitigation strategies fosters trust and dignity when returning to the workplace.

For years, brands and retailers have leaned into pop-ups as a way to uniquely connect with niche consumers and ultimately, create buzz. Now, mixed-use developers are taking it to the next level with the “pop-up village” concept. These environments feature several spaces, instead of a singular experience, and create a mini mixed-use destination, if you will.

This month NELSON teammates explored two of these villages—The Current located at the Boston Seaport and The Box Shops in the West Loop of Chicago—clearly designed to connect with up-and-coming urban markets.

The Current 

Located in the Seaport District of downtown Boston, The Current, by WS Development is a retail village that is home to “an ever-evolving lineup of brands and businesses that spin the concept of a traditional storefront into something truly special.” As guest tenant(s) rotate, each village expression is strategically woven together with a theme. This POV-driven location gives consumers the chance to discover something new throughout the course of the year, while also acting as an innovative retail incubator for brands. Previously, The Current curated a collection of female business founders and distinctly branded the experience as She-Village.

At the moment, The Current is hosting the infamous best-in-beauty brand, Glossier. While we’ve watched Glossier make waves in the retail world, this location is differentiated from its NYC flagship and other pop-ups. Making its debut in Boston, the brand did a full takeover of the Current’s nine freestanding spaces. Each individual space creates a focused display for each of Glossier’s product categories (makeup, skincare, body care and fragrance) or brings to life immersive, “selfie-worthy” installations that celebrate key brand elements. Shoppers order product as they shop each category’s space, and then head to a dedicated pick-up location that serves the entire destination. The execution is undeniably Glossier as each exterior and employee is decked out in the brand’s iconic Millennial pink.

The Box Shops by Related 

At The Box Shops in West Loop Chicago, shoppers can enjoy a “rotating roster of local retailers” in a temporary retail market made of repurposed shipping containers. Powered by Related, the developer behind Hudson Yards, and in partnership with Equinox and Boombox, The Box Shops consist of seven spaces, none over 320 square feet in size with vendor leases starting at $1,000/month. This strategic retail solution provides local start-ups with access to an area they otherwise may not have been able to afford, while also bringing retail into parts of the city where it’s currently lacking. Related reports that the activation has brought more awareness to the site, where they’re building a hotel and apartments nearby, as well as its bigger developments.

The night we stumbled upon the space, you could shop for gifts or jewelry, grab a beer or Israeli street food, and hear a DJ’s music trickle into the streets. It featured an outdoor lounge that invited you to stay awhile and “sip, shop or play”—a non-committal way to enjoy a bustling Chicago neighborhood that often requires a reservation.
We’ll readily admit that we’re a sucker for any kind of new experience, knowing we can always learn something from it—but we predict this pop-up village concept might be here to stay. It steals the novelty of a traditional pop-up, while also providing a reliable, go-to retail destination. And, we’re excited to see mixed-use developers taking the lead to create valuable experiences for tenants and consumers, alike.

The real estate industry experienced a high-performing first half of 2022, but declining transaction volume and fluctuating rates have left the market unstable. Real estate prices are tanking, deals are falling through, and lenders are wary. For transactions that make it to the closing table, the assets are limited. To pivot alongside an evergreen market, investors are turning to adaptive reuse.

Adaptive reuse is exactly what it sounds like. It is a shift from demolition and destruction to repurposing existing structures. The practice has become prevalent as the inventory of choice properties and vacant sites reduces, according to GlobeSt. Not to mention, adaptive reuse satisfies the emerging demand for sustainable development and the need for efficient use of resources across the built environment. The reuse of building materials involves saving a high percentage of embodied energy. Finding new uses for older structures significantly reduces the energy consumption associated with demolishing a structure and building a new one to replace it. This is especially important as a large part of a building’s carbon emissions comes from its materials, from fabrication and delivery to assembly, as reported by ArchDaily.

The term “adaptive reuse” emerged and gained popularity during the mid-1970s and was introduced to address the increased anxieties about finite natural resources and development space. However, the practice dates back further than that, and some of the earliest examples are traced back to the Renaissance. Fast forward to the 21st century, adaptive reuse presents vast opportunities for communities, developers, and architects to find renewed purpose in vacant, underutilized, or even historically-significant structures. In recent decades, the types of projects carried out have significantly evolved. From urban industrial spaces into artist’s lofts to vacant retail anchors into massive mixed-use developments, the ability to tap into other spaces such as office, food and beverage, residential, and healthcare solidify a promising future for many communities.

Today, millions of square feet of interior spaces sit vacant each year. According to the Harvard Business Review, the government alone owns an estimated 45,000 underused or underutilized buildings, plus abundant surplus land. Not to mention, e-commerce is at an all-time high, and hybrid/fully-remote working is evidently here to stay—resulting in vacant retail and office properties. Fortunately, developers have taken over empty structures, repositioning and rebranding them completely, while others have repurposed the spaces they have to be used in ways that are more conducive to the current environment. Depending on the configuration of the existing space, retailers can repurpose vacancies in a manner that requires minimal disruption to the original infrastructure of the building. Some ways retailers are repurposing spaces and adapting to the evolving times include focusing on malls for medicine, commercial office spaces for multifamily residential, dark anchors for fulfillment centers, and malls for mixed-use developments.

Although adaptive reuse has proven to be an efficient way to revitalize communities and cater to a new generation of consumers, there are key factors to consider when evaluating whether a project is financially feasible. An existing building will likely have a strong foundation and a structurally-sound core, but if it doesn’t, adding steel reinforcement, beams, ties, or connections to supporting beams and foundation can be a significant cost. Thus, finding a building that is structurally adaptable fit for the end product is imperative. Aside from the internal framework of a building, wiring, plumbing, ventilation, and other infrastructure systems must be considered. There is a chance that everything will have to be torn out completely and re-installed to bring the systems up to code. According to GlobeSt, this single factor can determine the financial feasibility of a project. A thorough inspection and testing are required to ensure that adaptive reuse is the best option.

In addition to the possibilities we’ve witnessed thus far, adaptive reuse presents an opportunity for creative thinking and a chance to give back to communities, especially in underserved neighborhoods where services or resources are lacking. In addition to retail, mixed-use, healthcare, and industrial, architects are exploring the viability of converting obsolete office buildings to other potential uses, such as affordable housing, schools, and labs.

Given the significant change in consumer behavior and a yo-yoing real estate market, it is up to developers, urban planners, and architects to master plan communities that are resilient and flexible and look towards the future. With sustainability being a massive driving force behind strict building codes and practices, adaptive reuse is not expected to slow down soon. Last year, New York City passed the most ambitious climate target in the country—aiming to achieve carbon neutrality and 100 percent clean electricity by 2050, according to NYC.gov. As other cities follow suit, sustainable building practices such as adaptive reuse will be the go-to choice when building new is not an option. Putting sustainability aside, the fluctuating real estate market is driving developers to target underperforming or misaligned assets in dense urban markets—providing a much-needed product to the surrounding community.

As with all practices, adaptive reuse also comes with its own set of challenges. Due to their nature, these projects present complexities not found in other real estate development projects. Developers must ensure that existing structures can feasibly be transformed to accommodate new uses. Before construction can begin, developers must address and resolve a variety of roadblocks, including those relating to structural, environmental, land use, parking, and traffic circulation, reports REBusiness Online. However, the challenges are often outweighed by the benefits.

A growing population, a warming planet, and a pandemic have, without a doubt, propelled new building practices and methodologies to satisfy changing consumer lifestyles. And although adaptive reuse is not suitable for every renovation, the opportunities it presents for community revitalization are endless. Environmental and economic sustainability, decreased public and social costs, urban renewal, and preservation of local identity and sense of place have made it easy for developers to elect the practice over demolition whenever possible.

By Mark Levine, Managing Vice President, and Cheryl Smith, Vice President at NELSON Worldwide

While attending a wedding this past weekend in Santa Rosa, California, I did a double take when I drove by a drive-thru restaurant with grass growing from the roof and a water tower in the lawn. I quickly recognized the Amy’s logo – not because of my familiarity with the restaurant, but from the numerous Amy’s products (from soups to frozen pizza) I’ve consumed over the years. Known for their organic and gluten-free options, Amy’s Kitchen products are sold at most major grocery stores from Walmart to Fresh Thyme.

What I didn’t know was that in July of 2015, the brand opened their first drive-thru restaurant less than 15 miles from their headquarters in Petaluma, CA. Other than soda, everything on their menu is organic (with plenty of vegan and gluten-free options). But beyond their menu, the brand celebrates their roots in every touchpoint of the experience – from solar panels, to the living roof, to the tower collecting rainwater to help sustain the landscaping, the fast food prototype seems to be a perfect extension of the wholesome brand.

With today’s consumer more focused on overall wellness and transparency versus low calorie and low carb, a true drive-thru prototype built on a strong brand story and healthier options has the potential to gain popularity. So if you are ever in Sonoma, make time to check it out (…eating organic will make you feel better about the wine tasting that will be sure to follow)!

Photo Credit: Amy’s Drive Thru, KQED Food, Business Insider