Creating Space: Office Design Trends for 2023

May 18, 2023

Office design is continuing to adapt to ongoing philosophical shifts in the workforce. As employers have settled into their post-pandemic workplaces, whether it be hybrid, remote, or full-time returns - flexibility and agility in the workplace remain essential.

We sat down with Kaitlin Kingrey, Studio Lead - Interior Design - Workplace at MA Design to glean some insight into both the dynamics at play and the resulting emerging trends.

What trends are guiding office design in 2023?

We continue to see flexible, agile spaces to support different styles of working. One of the takeaways of the pandemic is that employees became keenly aware of their work preferences. Employers are now trying to create spaces that appeal generationally to those varying work styles. We’re seeing a lot of these flexible, agile spaces to support different styles of working which also ties into seeing many different generations in the workplace, from Baby Boomers to Gen Z and soon to come, Generation Alpha. Each generation has different preferences for how they want to work and how they’re used to working. The key to success is having flexibility in your workspace.

We’ve seen the term “Convergence of Space” emerge post-pandemic. What are your thoughts on this trend and its impact?

It’s derived in part from convenience. During the pandemic, many people at home had the ability to put in a load of laundry or brew a pot of coffee, but the other part of it is comfort. People want to go to work in a space where they feel comfortable and also know their needs are being met, which includes everything from amenities to wellness support. Employees desire now, more than ever before, to feel like they as an individual, are being supported. The idea of convergence of space ties into that concept. In the past companies focused on the needs of the team or employees in general, but now it is pivoting toward the employee and their individual needs, providing them with an environment that parallels the comforts of home.

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Matt Gregory and Andy Dutcher Recognized as Top 100 Producers by NAI Global

February 28, 2023

NAI Global announced last week that NAI Ohio Equities’ Matt Gregory and Andy Dutcher have been recognized through its annual Top Performer Recognition Program. Gregory and Dutcher each earned a spot on the 2022 Top 100 Producers list consisting of the top 2% of all agents within the 375 NAI offices worldwide and has an estimated 6000 agents.

Gregory and Dutcher lead the Office Brokerage Group within NAI Ohio Equities. They have completed more than 1,000 real estate transactions with a volume of more than $715 million since becoming business partners in 2008.

In 2022, the Office Brokerage Group completed 111 transactions equating to more than 800,000 square feet leased or sold in the Columbus MSA. They were recognized by the Columbus Realtors with awards for the Largest Office Sale, Largest Retail Sale and Lease, Largest Industrial Lease, Most Co-op transactions, and as Top Producers, as well as being CoStar Power Brokers.

“Our production is directly correlated to achieving results for our outstanding clients and proof that the office market in Columbus, Ohio is resilient and that negative national headlines are not always reflective of what’s actually happening across the country as a whole, said Andy Dutcher.

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Businesses Should Prepare Now for June Electric Rate Hikes

February 23, 2023

Pressures on the energy market have been mounting and soon consumers will be faced with the fallout.

The combination of the pandemic causing workplaces to go dark thus lessoning demand and production, followed by labor and supply shortages, a diminished natural gas supply caused by the invasion of Ukraine, and now inflation, have pushed energy markets to the brink.

Couple that with the rising value of exported liquified natural gas overseas, which is driving producers to move more of their supply to Europe where the commodity commands pricing nearly five times higher than it does in the United States, and you have a recipe for skyrocketing electricity rates.

“Businesses can expect electricity prices to climb by nearly 40% this June,” explained Rob Myers, managing partner at Ohio Industrial Energy.

“Roughly 80% of electricity is now generated from natural gas instead of coal, making those markets more correlated than they’ve ever been,” he said.

Pricing is based on the wholesale electric market and determined by the utilities during auctions conducted in November and March for the following June.

“If the market is volatile during those times, as it was this past November, it can have big consequences. Current rates in Columbus are sitting at roughly 7.2 cents per kilowatt-hour, and the November auction cleared rates at 12 cents per kilowatt-hour,” he explained.

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