You can develop an open-space office and call it creative space, but that doesn't make it creative, Parallel Capital Partners CEO Matt Root tells us. Open space isn’t the be-all and end-all of creative office space, it's just an important component.

“Most critical to creative space are elements such as indoor/outdoor connection and aesthetic appeal,” Matt says. “It depends on the tenant, but I’d say for an interactive, creative environment only about 65% to 70% of the space should be open.” (Otherwise it just looks like a grade-school cafeteria.) Parallel Capital Partners is nearing completion on $12M in renovations of its Creative Collection, a portfolio of 26 creative office, R&D, and lab buildings totaling more than 577k SF in the tech-centric hub of Sorrento Valley and nearby Rancho Bernardo.

The thrust of the renovation, Matt says, was to eliminate cube environments. Besides fostering interaction, he explains, that also improves the overall efficiency of the space. (But it takes away your ability to have fun desk toys.) Because of changes in the way workers use tech to be mobile, older offices and cubes tend to be underutilized, creating wasted space. With this in mind, Parallel refurbished all the interiors and exteriors of all buildings in the portfolio, with key architects in the project including Ware Malcomb, McFarlane Architects, Pacific Cornerstone Architects, and Smith Consulting Architects. GCs included Burger Construction, Pacific Building Group, ICS Pacific Builders, and Prevost Construction.