Gaming rooms, meditation centers, living walls, and convertible rooms are just a few of the fun and innovative aspects of amenity spaces that we’ve come across in recent years building interior projects in the D.C. metro area. Some office amenity spaces are designed to wow, and some focus on the practicality of serving several tenants at once. Whether it’s constructing a floating meditation pod in the basement of an office building or perfecting the polish on a concrete floor, we love the challenge of building these creative spaces and guiding our clients through the process.
While each building has their own needs and priorities when it comes to amenities, we have noticed a few trends over the past several years in our many projects. Take a look at some of the common features we’ve come across.
Fitness Centers
What’s one of the biggest challenges to starting a workout routine? Getting to the gym. Building fitness centers in office buildings makes it convenient and easy for employees to exercise. This leads to happier, healthier people that are more productive during the day and take fewer sick days. Win, win, win.
Rooftop Terraces
Getting outside for a bit of sunshine and fresh air does wonders for morale and health. Rooftop terraces are popping up all over D.C. as a creative and smart use of space.
Common Conference Rooms
By constructing a common area conference room that tenants can reserve in advance, many tenants are able to eliminate conference rooms from their private office suites. This saves space, money and energy as tenants don’t have to pay for cooling and heating in a large space that often doesn’t get used every day.
Flexible Spaces and Furniture
Huddle rooms, folding glass partitions, and convertible furniture are all elements of amenity spaces that allow for fluid use of space that can change with tenants’ needs. Pantries and lounge areas can be used to host events and many small conference rooms provide plenty of space for private meetings.
Meditation Pods
Meditation pods may not actually be a trend, but they should be! Martone Construction built this meditation pod in the concourse level of a downtown D.C. office building. Inside the pod, the wall covering makes a sound-inhibited space where tenants can shed stress and decompress. The surrounding rock garden with diffuse lighting makes for a calm and tranquil feel in a place you’d never expect.
