"interesting" Office Space

[texas.road.cyclist]

A friend in the office design business suggested I check in here. Perhaps someone out there might have ideas to share with me.

I'm looking for office space between the Greenway Plaza and the Westchase area. Yeah, I know that's a big swath of Houston but I live at one end (Greenway) and my partners live "out west". I know there's plenty of space available but I'd really like to find something slightly unconventional, off-beat and unique that would work for us. Let's say we need 2,500 to 3,000 sq ft +/-.

The goal is for it to be a very desireable place to work and to bring clients. When we come in each morning, I want to be able to say to myself, "THIS is a cool place to work"!

Respond if you have ideas for me, thanks!

[dbat_01]

I'm fairly familiar with the west side of town and I will keep an eye out for some interesting office space. I have a real estate broker that I highly recommend named Woodard Nunis with Oxford realtors. He specializes in helping small to medium sized companies find space. He has a good grip on the market and what is out there as far as office space is concerned. His number is (713) 647-6400 x 232. Tell him David sent you. Otherwise I really like your idea. I am in the Commercial Office Furniture business and my specialty is consulting small to medium sized companies on how to make their offices more efficient, user freindly, and ultimately able to retain the best and the brightest employees and customers. If you are interested in getting together one day and talking about the vision for your company feel free to call me at 832.264.9342 or email me at battsd@jtyler.com. Attached is an article I wrote on the most efficient way to equip your new office. I hope you enjoy.

Explore_Your_Space.doc

[HeightsGuy]

Moderator, should I be scared to download a file from a first-time poster responding to another first time poster?

[ToolMan]

It's OK.

[Casual Observer]

It's safe to download.. If you're using a Mac!

Ha!

[editor]

Moderator, should I be scared to download a file from a first-time poster responding to another first time poster?

That's a reasonable precaution these days, especially if you a running Windows. I opened the document, and it appears to be a normal Microsoft Word document. However, there have been macro viruses that spread through Microsoft documents, so your caution is not unwarranted.

Message For DBat:

You really shouldn't publish anything on the web in .DOC format. That seriously limits the number of people who can see your message. Consider something like PDF which can be read by most computers, PDAs, and even some cell phones. The PDF specification was created for this purpose.

You could also consider .RTF which is nearly as widespread as PDF. If you want something to be truly universal, though, just use text. I saw nothing in your document which coudn't be done as plain old text that anyone could read.

[HeightsGuy]

Actually, I was speaking more toward my mistrust of newbies on a message board, in this instance the idea that a first-time poster presents a specific question, and another first-time poster appears to answer the question with a specific recommondation.

Put another way: Say I'm a cabinet maker. I create a username on an Internet forum and ask if anyone can recommend a good cabinet maker. I then create another username and post a follow-up saying I know a great cabinetmaker, his name is "" and he can be reached at "". After those posts you never hear from me again cause I'm looking for another forum to "post" to. It's a good way to get a little advertising w/o paying for it.

Not saying that happened here......

[Pumapayam]

Holy Moley Batman!

I think we have a conspiracy here.

Where is Columbo or Angela Lansbury when you need them?

* On a side note, they also both join the same day within a short window (2-3 hours)

I have to agree, I think it was a setup for SPAM!

[H-Town Man]

I'm not in the business, but as a courier I went inside just about every office building in the city of Houston (not kidding). I can tell you some cool ones...

The Preserve on the North Loop, an office park that is buried in forest. From the freeway (not far east of 290), you wouldn't know it was there (the first time I had a delivery there I drove past it twice). It is shady, trees are everywhere, and on a cool dry day in autumn it is a wonderful place to be. I used to sit in the parking lot and roll down my windows on lunch breaks. Commuting from Westchase might be a problem though.

There's one on the south side of San Felipe just a little bit west of Voss that kind of hangs over Buffalo Bayou. Features offices stacked over a small garage.

Another one like this that hangs over Buffalo Bayou is on Memorial Drive a little west of Shepherd. This would be a great location for its proximity to the park.

Yet another one that hangs over a bayou, this time over White Oak bayou, is on Studemont just north of I-10. Magnificent view of the downtown skyline.

There are two shopping centers in the River Oaks area, the Lamar River Oaks on Westheimer @ River Oaks Blvd. and the River Oaks shopping center on West Gray @ Shepherd, both built in the 1930's that have offices on their second floor. Going upstairs to the office is like travelling back in time. Beautiful area, classy buildings, fantastic lunch options in walking distance.

There are a couple of neat places in Rice Village. One is a sleek modernist building probably built in the 60's with some indoor/outdoor atria and walkways, very pleasant atmosphere, has a few architecture/design businesses if I recall. You wouldn't know from the outside how cool it is on the inside. I dont remember the exact intersection but it is a few blocks north of Rice Blvd. on Kelvin St. Another is a building on the corner of Rice Blvd. and either Chaucer or Greenbriar, on the south side of Rice, that has food/retail on the first floor and some nice offices on the upper floors, also popular with architecture/design firms.

One other really neat one that seems like a magnet for trendy, offbeat type companies is a park on the north side of Katy Road, not far west of where it splits off from Washington Ave. It's kind of wooded, with two story buildings and external corridors on the second floor. Unusual architecture.

Other than that, the only cool offices I remember were converted historic bungalows in Montrose and the Heights. You might do that, and save a piece of history.

[dbat_01]

That is a suspicious set of occurances. The truth is that I have this website on my favorites and check it every morning to find out what is going on around Houston and find out where some opportunities may be. You don't have to woory about me setting you guys up. I never expected to even find a single lead in here. I was just using it for information. However if you guys do know of any companies that may be moving, needing to get more out of their existing location or are in need of a serious image make over, I would be happy to sit down with them and talk about how I can make better use of their space, make their work environment more user freindly, and show them how, in most cases, I can make their work stations pay for themselves within 5 years.

[Pumapayam]

Likely story. . .LOL!

Just messing, welcome to the site.

[RedScare]

I would be happy to sit down with them and talk about how I can make better use of their space, make their work environment more user freindly, and show them how, in most cases, I can make their work stations pay for themselves within 5 years.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why is it that whenever I read something like this, my right eyebrow suddenly rises higher than my left eyebrow? Must be a nervous tick, or something. I need to get that checked out.

[dbat_01]

Sales people get such a bad reputation! You guys probably see every sales guy as someone in a cheesy suite with a gold pinky ring, one step above a car mechanic or lawyer and one step below a politition. I guess it is something we have to deal with. I will be this sites official sales person to tell jokes about. If you want you could even take lawyer jokes and convert them into sales person jokes. I hope you guys have a great week and hope to see more of you on here. All of you really make this site great.

[RedScare]

I guess part of the "bad reputation" comes from not taking the time to figure out who your audience is, for instance, finding out whether there are any car mechanics or lawyers posting on this site before you insult them.

[dbigtex56]

I guess part of the "bad reputation" comes from not taking the time to figure out who your audience is, for instance, finding out whether there are any car mechanics or lawyers posting on this site before you insult them.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Too funny!

Ever think of going into politics?

[RedScare]

Too funny!

Ever think of going into politics? 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I thought about running for governor, but since Kinky Friedman is running, I wouldn't have a chance.

[texas.road.cyclist]

You architecture guys are cracking me up! I'm REALLY and truly looking for "interesting" office space for the senior management team of a $50M industrial services and pipeline maintenance company...really I am!

I've spent many years officing downtown but, now that I'm the H.M.F.W.I.C. (oilfield term...think about it) I'd like for our day to day habitat to be interesting, productive, accessable and convenient for its users.

Thanks for some excellent ideas. If you have others, please post them here.

Thanks!

[RedScare]

Well...he is a cyclist. He couldn't be all bad, could he?

[dbat_01]

Texas.road.cyclist....

Are you looking for something that is very contemporary or are you looking for something that is different, but more elegant...traditional? I notice that there is a growing trend for companies that in the past have gone with traditional looks, and are now moving to a more contemporary look, such as law firms and some banks, but as far as the oil and gas industry there has been little to no change. The industries I am focusing on and trying to understand are both car dealerships and companies, such as oil and gas, that hire a large amount of Engineers. The reason I am trying to focus on engineering firms is because they generally do not think about all of the internal factors associated with keeping your employees healthy and happy. OSHA is pushing a lot of regulations associated with ergonomics, and with every study, they will crack down more and more on companies not complying with providing basic ergonomic work place solutions. There is a study that DOW Chemical did with OSHA over the past 5 years that you should read. It is at www.spineuniverse.com. just type in DOW in the search sites search engine. After reading the article I met with the guy at Dow that is in charge of purchasing, Tary Schumacher, just to talk about the market and what he saw from the inside, having to deal with OSHA, and he believes that there is going to have to be a major change in the way that these companies do business. If you would like any other information or ideas, my number is posted above, or you can leave a message here, I check it every morning.

[dbigtex56]

Hi,

I checked out the www.spineuniverse.com site, and typed 'dow' in the site's search engine. "Too many matching articles found for 'dow'!" was the response. Could you furnish a more specific link to the article?

I'm curious as to how the design of a building could affect the workers' spines. It seems to me that ergonomic furnishings would have a more direct impact.

But then, OSHA works in mysterious ways...

[RedScare]

Interesting that you think engineering firms do not focus on ergonomic factors, when the definition of 'ergonomic' is human factors engineering.

"Ergonomics (also known as human factors engineering), is the science of refining the design of products to optimize them for human use."

Also, given the current climate in Washington, D.C., and in the courts, toward relaxing any standard that might in any way impede the maximization of profits by business, I am curious as to how you see OSHA, or any other federal agency, other than law enforcement, becoming MORE restrictive as opposed to less restrictive.

You cite a study done 5 years ago. It may seem like splitting hairs, but that would have been completed during the previous administration, which had a decidedly different approach to corporate regulation.

[dbat_01]

I am glad I have so many people interested in ergonomics. However what I said in the posting was that it was a study they had done over the course of the past 5 years, from 2000 to 2005. And who's administration was involved then? Besides it doesn't even matter. I appologize for not being more specific. If you want to turn this into a political conversation that is fine, but it is not my intent. My job, and the reason that I am even on this site is to help educate companies on how to reduce overhead costs that are often associated with workmans comp insurance and the overwhelming cost that companies have to absorb do to musculoskeletal diseases, carpel tunnels, and eye fatigue. Muscoloskelatal diseases cost American companies over 800 Million Dollars a year, only second to the common cold. What DOW is trying to do is work ergonomics into the process called "Sigma Six" which is the standard deviation where only a very small fraction of products will become defective out of every 1 million attempts. If you have ever taken a business statistics or operations management class, it is the basis of these classes. The actual link that will get you to the article is http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticl...article985.html.

Also if you type in DOW and OSHA you will find the 4 peices of the article.

Thats funny that you know what the term ergonomics means, however very few engineering companies actually give their employees the resources to combat these ailments. Yes engineers developed the technology behind ergonomics, but do you think a civil engineer, a electrical engineer, a chemical engineer, or a large portion of mechanical engineering companies care one bit about ergonomics and the fact that another engineer came up with the idea. They wait until there is actually a problem before they do anything to improve it. Usually by that time, long term damage has already been caused. I know you guys enjoy archetecture, but what good is the outside of a building when you are trying to attract the best and the brightest employees, attract the most profitable customers, and grow your business to levels only imaginable. The only way to do this is to think through every process and make your business a place that your employees want to work, your customers want to visit, and supply a product or service that can not be surpassed by any of your competition. Your building is the first thing your employees and customers see, but your offices are the last. And those are the two things they will remember most.

[HeightsGuy]

While I fully agree that well-designed workplaces are important in the long-term, can you cite anything that shows short-term benefits? In our current environment, you'll be hard-pressed to find an owner willing to spend the up-front money even when they know what the long-term health care costs could be. The only thing that worries an owner these days is that quarter's profit. In his mind, he can worry about health-care costs next year.

[RedScare]

Great quote from the article.

"In this phase of the Six Sigma method, the "defect"

[tomv]

The Preserve on the North Loop, an office park that is buried in forest.  From the freeway (not far east of 290), you wouldn't know it was there (the first time I had a delivery there I drove past it twice).  It is shady, trees are everywhere, and on a cool dry day in autumn it is a wonderful place to be.  I used to sit in the parking lot and roll down my windows on lunch breaks.  Commuting from Westchase might be a problem though.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Is that the one on the north side of 610 close to TC Jester? If so, I agree with you. I was in there one time for something years ago. As I recall, not only is it heavily wooded but it's HILLY as well. There must be a creek or a creekbed that runs through the property giving it some elevation. Unique for Houston to be sure.

[dbigtex56]

Yes engineers developed the technology behind ergonomics, but do you think a civil engineer, a electrical engineer, a chemical engineer, or a large portion of mechanical engineering companies care one bit about ergonomics and the fact that another engineer came up with the idea.  They wait until there is actually a problem before they do anything to improve it.  Usually by that time, long term damage has already been caused. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Valid point.

On a related topic, I used to work in the R&D building of an instrument/system control manufacturer in Rochester, NY. This was circa 1980, just after the second energy crisis, and the building had been retrofitted for maximum energy conservation. It was their boast that the lighting, electronic gear, and body heat of the employees were sufficient to keep the building warm without additional heating costs, even on the coldest winter days.

Unfortunately, this was before the term 'sick building' had been coined, nor the concept understood. The exterior had been covered with about four feet of urethane foam; perhaps some of the solvents found their way into the interior. Perhaps they hadn't allowed for sufficient air exchange. At any rate, within a week the engineers were complaining of watering eyes, running noses, blinding headaches and general malaise. It took months for the management to address the problem, and months more to correct it.

I assume that the types of problems which plagued that building are now addressed in the planning stages of new construction or rennovation. As with ergonomics, it's better to avoid a problem than deal with the consequences.

[H-Town Man]

Is that the one on the north side of 610 close to TC Jester?  If so, I agree with you.  I was in there one time for something years ago.  As I recall, not only is it heavily wooded but it's HILLY as well.  There must be a creek or a creekbed that runs through the property giving it some elevation.  Unique for Houston to be sure.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yep, that's the one. It's close to White Oak Bayou, which may account for the terrain.

[dbat_01]

I met with the HR Director at Metro National a couple of weeks ago, and while in his office I saw some OSHA records hanging on the wall that told of injuries. Out of their 300+ employees only 26 had non life threatening injuries caused by on the job accidents. This is a small fraction. However it cost the company over 400 days of absenteeism that they had to pay for. I'm not sure how much that cost the company, but if you take the average cost of an employee to be paid for 365 days, it probably cost over $36,000, not to include the loss of productivity. All of you guys bring up great points about management looking at profits from quarter to quarter, but the best time for me to get a company in the shape they should be in is when they are moving facilities and they have to spend the money any way. I rarely even mess with companies that are not moving or remodeling because it is a near impossible sell. Did you guys know that Metro National is tearing down the doctors offices at 902 Frostwood and building condo's there in the next 3 years?

[RedScare]

I met with the HR Director at Metro National a couple of weeks ago, and while in his office I saw some OSHA records hanging on the wall that told of injuries.  Out of their 300+ employees only 26 had non life threatening injuries caused by on the job accidents.  This is a small fraction.  However it cost the company over 400 days of absenteeism that they had to pay for.  I'm not sure how much that cost the company, but if you take the average cost of an employee to be paid for 365 days, it probably cost over $36,000, not to include the loss of productivity.  All of you guys bring up great points about management looking at profits from quarter to quarter, but the best time for me to get a company in the shape they should be in is when they are moving facilities and they have to spend the money any way.  I rarely even mess with companies that are not moving or remodeling because it is a near impossible sell.  Did you guys know that Metro National is tearing down the doctors offices at 902 Frostwood and building condo's there in the next 3 years?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I wonder how many of those 26 injuries were caused by the wrong chair in their office?

[dbigtex56]

Did you guys know that Metro National is tearing down the doctors offices at 902 Frostwood and building condo's there in the next 3 years?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Isn't that where that charlatan Dr. Steven Hotze had his offices?