Author Archives: Ben Azulay

On Ten With Ben, we regularly speak with experts in their respective fields, but rarely has a guest come with such an immense amount of market knowledge. Ross Ford is a fourth-generation commercial real estate professional. And with nearly a quarter-century at the helm of TCN Worldwide, a consortium of independent commercial real estate firms, Ross has seen the ups and downs of several market cycles across every real estate segment. One lesson that holds true across time is that real estate is a “business of the moment.”

And in this particular moment–full of uncertainty and disruption and opportunity—the value of a professional broker/agent has never higher. We were excited to sit down with Ross and get his perspectives on the state of current market. We always learn something new and valuable speaking with Ross, and we know you will too.

Today we are joined by Michelle Jones, Director of Interiors at Shive-Hattery. With over 20 years’ design experience, Michelle has always been driven by creating something new and bringing it to life — the office is an art form. With so many facets, there is always something to be learned throughout each project while staying on top of trends.

But in today’s ever-changing world, the biggest question seems to be, “how do we do the next project better?” Bringing an architect in from the beginning of your project is the best place to start. In order to create a true collaboration among office tenant and architect, timing is key. Even while touring space, Michelle suggests bringing your architect along to provide critical feedback and visionary tools to provide crucial elements in a thoughtful vision for your workplace.

It’s clear that the office is here to stay, so how do you build a space when you don’t know what the next five years will look like? Are there best practices for tenants to follow?

Michelle’s advice: start with asking how you’re going to use your space.