Boyle Talks: Noah McKinney Talks Planning Commercial Interior Spaces

Summary

In this series of Boyle Talks, Noah discusses his role as an in-house space planner, and how he works directly with Boyle’s customers to ensure their space matches their vision and all necessary requirements.

Transcript

Gary: I’m Gary Thompson, and welcome to another edition of Boyle Talks. Today we’ll be talking with Noah McKinney, who works in our commercial sales and leasing office as a space planner. Noah, tell us what you do as a space planner for our Commercial Sales and Leasing Department.

Noah: My job is to design that space so that the client is happy and meets their requirements. I have to envision and have an understanding of how the tenant wants their space laid out.

Gary: So, you’re setting the tone for how this business presents itself to the world, but also how their employees function day-to-day. That’s like a really important job.

Noah: Here at Boyle, I also worked on office plans. I’ve done some retail space. I’ve worked on restaurants. Here it’s very diverse.

Gary: When people come in and they’re starting a new business or expanding in a business or the the fact that they’re coming to us for new office space, do they know what it is they want?

Noah: Every tenant has a different, unique style of how they want their spaces laid out for sure … and a vibe. Some tenants like more open plans. Some tenants like more office intense plans.

Gary: Does everybody that leases office space have a Noah?

Noah: In my 26 years of experience, I worked for two companies. I worked for my previous company, which is Long and Foster, and Boyle. I noticed that with both of these companies, we have an in-house planner, and the advantage of having in-house planner is:

1. Designs are done in a timely manner.
2. It allows for flexibility to revise plans quickly.
3. There’s no loss in communication when you have in-house planner.
4. You only had one phone number that you have to keep on speed dial.

Gary: Are you starting to get familiar with the buildings and the spaces, or is there so much, that it’s all new every day?

Noah: When you first come to a job, you’re learning from the previous employee, but then you set up your own structure of how you want things done. I kind of organized the files where I can put my hands on it right away, if need be. If you come in and say, I need a copy of  a building, 949 for example, I know where it is, I can pull it to you, and I can get it to you in a timely manner.

Gary: What’s something that tenants don’t really ever think about that you know they need to think about?

Noah: When you’re designing, say it’s a five thousand square feet space, you have to accommodate those in addition to their program. So, don’t think of that.

Gary: What about an office tenant? Are there similar things for an office tenant?

Noah: For office tenants, as long as you meet the requirements and make sure everything meets ADA accessibility. The one thing that we’re doing now in these office spaces that I noticed when I started working here was the break room. Break rooms have to meet at ADA accessibility. The countertop, the sink has to be ADA accessible, so that person in a wheelchair can actually pull up to that sink or if there’s a drink fountain, that person in the wheelchair or not even a wheelchair has to be able to access that.

Gary: Is it rewarding, Noah, when a tenant comes to you, lays out this program, you go through all of the design process, all of the documentation, all of the permitting, the construction, and then you see their face when they walk into that space for the first time and realize, WOW? That’s going to be a cool feeling?

Noah: It’s very rewarding. A feeling that you have accomplished something. In my 26 years of working in this industry, there have been some spaces that I have not seen, but when I see that space, it is like, WOW!

Gary: Noah you really did a great job. Thank you for joining us today on Boyle Talk. It’s really exciting to hear what you do and how you help Boyle’s customers.

Noah: Gary, thanks for having me I really enjoyed the conversation.

Gary: Thank you for joining us for another episode of Boyle Talks. For more information about Boyle or any of our communities visit us at boyle.com.

Noah: You’re welcome.