You’ve all heard it a million times—office design these days is all about employee retention. (They could just make them prisons... then they'd have 100% retention.) We found three commercial real estate firms that really want to keep their people around.

Situs

Situs just moved into its new 18k SF HQ in the Galleria Financial Center two months ago. AMB Architects lead interior designer Breann Nash and Arch-Con VP Brad Jameson showed us around the space, which houses 110 employees. Take note of that red dot; Breann tells us the office is full of curves and waves as a nod to that logo. (For example, the wall and custom desk in the lobby are curved.) Brad says Situs wanted to be budget conscious, so it loaded its TI into the front of the office to make a splash and focused on being functional and open in the back.

Daylighting was another crucial design feature. Situs previously officed in a former psychiatric hospital with two-foot tinted windows, and employees were sick of being in the dark (Hollywood hasn't been too kind to psych hospitals' reputation). The new space has floor-to-ceiling windows all the way around. This pic of the break room shows off another major perk; the office boasts eight balconies overlooking the Galleria. Breann says they’re only 60 SF each, but hopping out to eat lunch in one feels like leaving the office or provides a little privacy for a phone call or break-out meeting.

The office also features a lounge employees are calling Discovery Green. (In the background, you can see the sunny open layout workspaces.) Brad says Situs’ office is the quintessential example of how office design is going: functional, bright, open, with a mix of collaborative and private spaces and a lot of glass. It’s also got the mixed-use appeal of being inside the Galleria; Breann says employees are constantly running up and down to Starbucks. (Shoes killing you? Buy a new pair and be back in 10 minutes.)