Form and Function for the Future
Three California companies team up to put workspace adaptability and flexibility on display
Corporate has become a dirty word.
It became that way when Silicon Valley embraced open floor plans and set off a revolution in office design.
The open, airy workplace layouts have spread far beyond the area where they originated. Today, designs that ditch private spaces for communal areas that promote collaboration and encourage innovation and creativity have become the go-to aesthetic for workspaces around the world. The corporate world’s cubicles and corner officers are now seen as out-of-fashion and passé. Today’s employees want to feel as if they’re spending time in their living rooms, not the boardroom.
A Team Approach
In an effort to capture this shift in office design and better facilitate the integration of technology in the workspace, three California companies combined their respective teams under a single roof to create a diverse “showroom” experience for existing clients and also potential customers. Here, they showcase various designs, products and services that prove that the way an office looks and functions can lead to happier and more productive workers.
In their space on Via Alondra in Southern California’s city of Camarillo, Sage Network & Communications (Sage), WIP Communications, Inc. (WIP) and bkm Office Environments (bkm) highlight all the parts necessary for other companies to create flexible and open-space workspaces of their own. Rearrangeable furniture that’s wired for today’s technology is one of the many concepts displayed for visitors.
Although the three businesses share this 20,000-square-foot space and have some ownership overlap, they are indeed separate entities, says Bill Locker, who owns parts of WIP and Sage.
“The businesses are like sisters,” he says.
And while they’re not technically joined, these brands work together to achieve something greater than what they would be able to accomplish on their own, says Pete Sloan, who owns bkm and also part of Sage.
Both Sage and WIP offer services geared toward businesses, specializing in computer technology, communications, audiovisual solutions, cabling and office design. The bkm team focuses on creating innovative and transformative workspaces by offering project management services, architectural products, asset management and storage, and more.
Whether planning a new space or reconfiguring an existing space, function and flexibility are top priorities for bkm.
When collaborating together on projects, each company has a clearly defined role. After WIP puts down cables for high-speed internet connectivity, bkm designs an adaptable office space with high-tech features built into desks, walls, tables and most anywhere else it can fit. Sage then keeps the wireless connections running.
Locker and Sloan, who share ownership of Sage with Randy Hill and Rick Minyard, say they realized there was a future in high-tech furniture after seeing Steelcase, a $3 billion company that designs and builds office furniture, begin making and marketing “smart” furniture.
“Steelcase is an innovative leader in understanding that furniture and technology, if they’re not married already, they’re engaged. And they’re going to be integrated even further as the technology industry advances,” Locker says.
Workspaces That Work
So, the three companies, which had already been providing services to one another for a few years, decided to combine their teams under a single roof. Early this year, they moved their staffs into a building located at 816 Via Alondra. That space essentially became a showroom for innovative office design ideas, Sloan says.
Thanks to the showroom’s plant-filled patio area, desks that convert from standard to standing with the touch of a button and a teleconference room with professional lighting, potential customers and business owners can better visualize how to create their own spaces where their employees will feel comfortable, Sloan says.
“We like to bring as much sunlight and fresh air into the space as we can,” he adds. “It creates a different and more energizing work environment for employees.”
This is crucial, he says, because work has become such a big part of people’s lives and it is where they spend a bulk of their time.
“You finish a space the right way because it really creates an environment that people want to be in, and one that is healthy,” he says.
But even if customers prefer a more traditional office environment, the showroom’s technical side and offerings manage to impress.
In Sage’s area of the building, each employee has a desk and four computer screens to monitor clients’ internet connections and troubleshoot problems. A large television hangs on the wall and displays everyone’s status while providing real-time updates on the number of calls that remain outstanding. Locker says his employees solved 7,000 problems in April alone.
“The whole facility is a showroom, visually illustrating the capabilities of each company,” Locker says. “We want people to come in and see the place.”
A Growing Customer Base
Customers who walk through this unique showroom environment often leave convinced that Sage, WIP and bkm can offer workplace layout solutions to help their businesses become more successful and efficient. Combined, the three companies employ about 60 people; annually, they serve an estimated 2,000 clients and bring in about $25 million in revenue, Sloan and Locker say.
Their success has fueled their efforts to make sure that employees are compensated generously and that the firms also give to causes such as the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Rotary International.
But more than that, they say, bkm, Sage and WIP are helping other businesses reach their full potential