Providing outdoor space for employees and guests to work, gather and play is a boon for productivity, creates a closer-knit work culture, and gives leasing agents something to offer. Landscape features range from shaded, cozy seating nooks with Wi-Fi to bocce ball courts, making a property attractive to tenants and those who use the amenities daily.
There are plenty of studies that point to the value of enhancing the landscape with outdoor features that can reduce stress, build teams, promote physical activity and improve the overall work environment. We notice that whenever we complete outdoor space for a corporate park, office property, or homeowners association, people immediately gravitate to the area and start using it.
What’s exciting about today’s outdoor features for commercial spaces is that it’s not just about seating—areas are focused on meeting.
Here are a few landscape enhancements to consider today:
#1 Game On! Bocce Ball Courts and Cornhole Boards
Providing a place for employees to take a healthy play break builds stronger teams and relationships—and game areas can boost morale. That’s why leisure spaces on office properties are increasingly popular. (They’re also a real selling point from a tenant attraction and retention perspective.)
Recreation-based landscape enhancements double as work and play because of their potential to improve camaraderie. So, why not put in a bocce ball court? (We have installed several of these at corporate office parks, and they’ve become popular lately.)
Or, consider a cornhole area to add a casual space for de-stressing during lunch or facilitating friendly competition.
#2 Shade Structures
In Atlanta, outdoor seating is most functional and comfortable when it offers a cool place out to work or relax. For commercial properties that lack a natural canopy, installing shade structures will provide a necessary reprieve from the hot sun.
There is a range of styles available, from pergola structures that support climbing plants for a green screen to canvas sail-like covers that add a modern aesthetic. Oversized umbrellas can provide coverage for a table-and-chairs space.
#3 Fire Pits and Water Features
The same landscape elements that lend that retreat feeling at home find their way to corporate office properties. Fire pits with seating are informal, engaging places to stage a brainstorming meeting or employee cookout and entertain clients from out of town.
Water features natural appeal to the senses and creates a relaxing atmosphere. Or, water spaces can promote play when splash pads are incorporated at sites like multi-family home properties.
#4 Vertical Farms
A key focus of 2021 is wellness, and what better way to attract tenants to your property than a physical representation of your efforts?
While a traditional farm or garden may not be feasible for your property, Copiana makes incorporating an aeroponic farm easy and maintenance-free. Their space-saving farms can grow indoors or outdoors year-round.
Ready to grow the value of your office complex with flexible green space and fresh produce? Contact them today for a customized aeroponic farm solution that will engage and nourish your tenant community.
Include Outdoor Enhancements that Work for Play
Think outside of the box (or, should we say, cubicle) and include some outdoor features that encourage employees and visitors to get out, gather and get to know each other. Property owners that invest in these enhancements find that people love using these spaces. That’s beneficial for employee morale and tenant occupancy rates.
Let’s talk more about how you can add an engaging outdoor enhancement to your Atlanta commercial property. Call us any time at 678.298.0550, or fill out this simple contact form, and we’ll get in touch with you.
