9. Have a clear picture of who the potential tenants might be, and design for their needs

“Attorneys still haven’t come out of their private offices, with good reason,” says Mirrielees. “Call centers get you into HVAC issues, because you have so many people per square foot and existing systems just can’t handle the load. Plus, they’re looking for lots of daylighting, parking, and even restrooms.”

Mirrielees says most corporate space is going to 75% open plan, 25% closed office. But that, too, may depend on the type of client, says McCafferty. “When you have a younger company or one that has a lot of Gen Xers or Millennials, they want more open space and daylighting,” she says. “We’ve converted warehouse/manufacturing spaces to office/R&D uses where everyone in the company has the same kind of space and furniture.”