INTEGRAL TO THE SUCCESS of any designed space is the community that is nurtured in and around it. Occupant quality of life is the end goal of today’s indoor environments. Gone are the days of purely functional spaces, walls, and doors built to the lowest common denominators, with no consideration for aesthetics, materials - other than on a cost basis - acoustics, design harmony, art, lighting, and all the other elements that make a space something desirable, not just survivable. All these factors contribute to positive responses in the built environment.

IN THE LAST CENTURY, designed spaces often sought to achieve exclusivity. A prestigious address, a clublike atmosphere with boardroom sensibilities, and a design meant to impress, intimidate, and thus exclude.

‍NEURODIVERSITY REFERS to the natural range of differences in how we think, process information, learn, and interact. This includes all the subtle variations in human neurocognitive functioning. It is estimated that 1 in 7 people have some form and degree of a neurodiverse condition, such as ADHD, autism, dyspraxia, dyslexia, or Tourette’s syndrome.

IN THE CURRENT HIGH-END, grade-A commercial real estate biosphere, it is a tenant’s market; building owners and managers are competing for tenants, especially in the workspace arena.In turn, these employer tenants are competing to attract and retain talent – and the bar has most certainly been raised.

Microsoft, Google, Apple, Amazon, and other trendsetting companies have transformed employee expectations of workplaces including recreational spaces, sanctuaries, and other amenities, plus mandatory architectural and design uniqueness, and wow factors, from soaring ceilings to biophilic installations.