Our latest designers discussion focused on the infusion of nature into office environments. We wanted to know why biophilic design, which centers around bringing the outside indoors, is a rising trend in the workplace and how keeping healthy at work impacts performance and drives productivity.

Relocating a business is no small task — and the movers you hire can make all the difference in how smoothly it’s executed. How do you choose the best movers to hire? What should you look for in a moving company? Step one is that you have to know what to avoid.

The mission at YWCA Columbus is to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. It's an organization that focuses on breaking down barriers and creating opportunities for women and families – not just in critical moments, but every single day. The historic Griswold building in downtown Columbus, Ohio houses the YWCA Columbus Center for Women, which provides permanent supportive housing for women struggling with disabilities and chronic homeless-ness. It’s also where an administrative staff of 60 provides services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year for residents. As a 90-year-old building in constant use, the time had come to make some much-needed updates to the space. Through a year-long renovation project we helped to bring this LEED-certified building into the 21^st century, while maintaining the integrity of this special structure from the early 1900s.

Attracting new talent is one of the great challenges of our time. It’s becoming harder than ever to recruit and retain associates that do great work. The office of the past could look and feel the same for years and you didn’t have to worry about losing your staff. Today, I’m finding that in order for companies to be successful at drawing in and keeping top talent, they must distance themselves from traditional corporate America and focus on providing the best design and resources possible.

It may seem counterintuitive to ask designers to work with an IT department from the very first sketch of your space. However, spaces only work well if they work for the people within them. We truly need to understand the world around us and how people use it to create something great. IT may not always be perceived as a creative partner, it’s true. But the fact is they are especially creative and impactful when it comes to designing a successful space and understanding how people work in their environment. You might even be surprised at all you can accomplish together.

More and more, the line is blurring between residential and commercial design. One noticeable change I’m seeing on both sides today is the reuse of materials in unique and interesting ways. Things we’re used to seeing in residential design, like industrial elements or repurposed materials in the home, are now making their way into commercial office environments.

Last month I attended a Creative Mornings Columbus event featuring street artist, Stephanie Rond. At first I was unsure what I could learn about street art that I could apply to my own profession. And I think that was largely the point of this event, and of this forward-thinking organization in general. We all have talents and knowledge to share with one another, to get our creative juices flowing, and we should be doing this much more frequently.

Providing a variety of spaces allows associates to choose where they’ll work best, which makes for a happy and productive team. But, it can be difficult to know where to start and where your associates will do great work.

It’s so much more than just a space. You probably hear us say this a lot and it’s true! As a business, you need to consider more than just your furniture, floors, or branding to remain competitive and attractive to associates and clients alike. It’s 2017 and the workplace is no longer someplace you go to do strictly work; it’s a place you go to have an experience.

Did you know that you should really consider your holistic workspace lifecycle, from cradle to grave, to maximize your workplace investment? Many people don’t realize that buying furniture or installing floors is just the first step. Whether you've recently purchased new products or you're looking to refresh and/or reconfigure existing assets, you have a variety of options that can work with even the smallest budget.