From the outside, Bay Colony Corporate Center is a dated 1980s office complex, a brick bomb shelter in the woods of Waltham that lets in little natural light and has few perches to enjoy sweeping views of the Cambridge Reservoir below.
But Bay Colony’s new owner, Boston Properties, is dramatically changing its interior, and in the process resetting the look of corporate office space, cubicle by cubicle.
Instead of walled-in pens for desks, Bay Colony will have open floor plans to encourage employees to interact with each other, glass walls to let in more sunlight, high-end amenities such as a restaurant and evening wine bar, and an outdoor patio and fire pit.
“We saw a unique opportunity to create a space and place customized for the rapidly emerging knowledge worker,’’ said Bryan Koop, regional manager for Boston Properties.
The company is among several large commercial landlords who say office tenants are tired of spending their days in places that make them miserable. They want more sunlight and features such as yoga studios, video game stations, and outdoor recreational opportunities to encourage interaction with co-workers.
In a recent lecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Center for Real Estate, Koop cited forecasts from the consulting firm McKinsey & Co. indicating that 70 percent of future jobs will be focused on creative work - and those workers will want an office environment that inspires collaboration and fresh thinking.
The drastic change at Bay Colony, which includes four buildings and nearly 1 million square feet of space, was born of economic necessity. When Boston Properties bought the struggling complex for $185 million in early 2011, more than a third of its office space was vacant. Bringing the complex into the 21st century is part of Boston Properties’ efforts to attract a new roster of companies.
Another large commercial real estate firm, Equity Office Properties, recently completed similar renovations at ’80s-era office buildings at 125 and 150 CambridgePark Drive. The new amenities give the offices something of a club atmosphere: a yoga and spinning studio, iPad workstations, a Whole Foods-branded cafe and convenience store, and bocce court with outdoor seating.
Andrew Maher, an Equity Office managing director, said the renovations borrow from the new, modern corporate campuses created by Google Inc., Microsoft Corp., and Adobe Systems Inc. But the rehabbed buildings are drawing interest from more than technology companies.
“It’s really across the board,’’ Maher said, citing inquiries from law firms, health care companies and other employers. The amenities help “companies to compete for the young star coming out of graduate school. It gives you an advantage when you have amenities the company down the street doesn’t offer.’’
Developers of new buildings are adopting the same strategy. Normandy Real Estate Partners, another large commercial landlord in the region, said it is planning to build offices in Newton, Needham, and Concord that, based on input from tenants, will include open conference spaces where employees can work together.
“The nature of our highly skilled workforce is translating into a very different strategy for these companies,’’ said Justin Krebs, a principal with New Jersey-based Normandy. “They want office space that says something about their identity and creates a culture from within.’’
Part of the trend is a greater emphasis on amenities such as cafes and high-end fitness centers. It is not enough to throw a couple treadmills in the corner of a building and install a coffee kiosk in the lobby. Landlords say tenants want modern equipment and fitness classes, and a variety of daily food options.
At Bay Colony, when Boston Properties planned additions such as a Starbucks, a high-performance fitness center, and new reception space with panoramic water views, it signed a new tenant: Verivo Software Inc., which sells tools to build, deploy, and manage custom mobile apps for global companies.
Verivo’s offices include a series of conference rooms where workers gather around white boards to work out engineering problems. What cubicles there are have low walls and are roomier than average; many interior walls are made of glass, creating a sense of openness even though executives are ensconced in offices.
There is also a large cafe in the corner of the suite where employees can grab lunch, peruse newspapers, or even play video games on a flat-screen TV.
“It’s a welcoming space,’’ said Vic Pierni, Verivo’s chief financial officer. “People can get pulled into conversations easily, and there aren’t those large barriers between employees. There’s a social aspect to it, and we need to promote that more and more.’’
More information....
Boston Properties has undertaken a dramatic makeover of its outdated Bay Colony Corporate Center in Waltham.
BEFORE
- Small on-site cafeteria
- Basement workout room with treadmills and stationary bikes
- Outdoor area with two picnic tables
AFTER
- Starbucks Café, restaurant, evening wine bar, and atrium with tiered seating
- High-end fitness center featuring weekly boot camps, spin and yoga classes, personal trainers, physical therapists, and massage services
- Outdoor stone plaza with a view of the Cambridge Reservoir, events area, and fire pit
Casey Ross can be reached at cross@globe.com.