3 Ways Water Feature Design and Construction are Adding Value to Office Real Estate

As businesses are returning to the office post-pandemic, office real estate owners are using creative methods to welcome tenants and employees back to the workplace. The design and construction of water features at these locations is enabling stakeholders to realize the unique ways these amenities are enhancing their properties.

OTL has been a leader in creating one-of-a-kind water features that engage tenants, employees, and visitors alike at commercial properties. Our team of talented artisans and technically skilled engineers have spearheaded the design and construction of extraordinary fountains that distinguish office properties. Below are three ways we have seen water features adding value to office real estate:

1. Fountains help employees feel enthusiastic about coming back to the office.

Rather than that all-too-familiar office space from before the onset of COVID-19, properties that have added water features give employees a fresh, positive feeling about returning to the workplace. In addition to being met by this beautiful amenity as they approach or enter the property, employees can utilize the fountain to take a relaxing break from their busy workday, greet clients, hold casual meetings, and socialize.

In fact, according to a 2019 Forbes article, “if an outdoor space is available, it should be strongly considered as an excellent social space – being outside can enhance wellbeing.” Many of the outdoor fountains OTL designs and builds feature calming sounds, lights, and other effects to produce a relaxing and welcoming environment for employees.

2. Outdoor water features are engaging centerpieces that create a unique gathering space for office tenants and visitors.

Tenants, local residents, and visitors are attracted to eye-catching outdoor centerpieces like water features in commercial spaces. It is a natural phenomenon for people to enjoy gathering around water, and fountains can serve as a focal point for conversation at these gatherings. As they promote a sense of community, these amenities also increase the potential for meeting new clients and initiating friendships at the office.

In addition, outdoor spaces tend to decrease concern regarding the transmission of airborne illnesses, providing additional comfort to those socializing around water features.

3. These amenities can increase property value.

As fountains evoke a high-quality “waterfront” feel at office properties, stakeholders can command premium rents at these assets. Considered in-demand amenities, these water features function as an extension of the landscaping, lobby and interior features of a space that attract the attention of discerning companies, therefore increasing property value.

For example, at The Towers at Williams Square in Irving, Texas, OTL recently completed the refurbishment of an exceptional water feature: an iconic fountain known nationally and abroad for its nine bronze mustang horses mimicking a gallop through a splashing waterfront. The natural amenity epitomizes how fountains, combined with expertly designed landscaping, can drive value at office assets. The City of Irving wanted to create a “more welcoming space for the office tower’s tenants, local residents, and visitors to gather all year round.” In concert with the addition of landscaped areas and places for food vendors to set up carts, the newly updated water feature entices employees to return to Williams Square Plaza and serves as an ideal social gathering space for everyone in the area, raising its value for property owners.

As office buildings repopulate once more, owners and operators are gravitating toward water features as unique amenities that can significantly improve the level of engagement and value of their commercial properties. By adding fountains to their assets, office owners can welcome tenants, employees, and visitors back to the workplace and optimize their buildings for the long term.