THEWALL STREET JOURNAL.

MANSIONCreating theModernWork-From-HomeHome

The pandemic may not last forever, but housing developers are betting some portion of the work-at-home revolution will remain:replacing movie theaters and social lounges with Zoom-call rooms, socially distant co-working spaces and even a TikTok studio

WHEN RIC BUCHER, a televisionand radio basketball commentatorand writer who is a familiar faceon Fox Sports, finished a roughly$40,000 office remodel in his HalfMoon Bay, Calif., home, he won-dered if it was worth it. His work-space, completed about three yearsago, was soundproofed, profession-ally wired, attractively lit, andrigged with professional-gradecameras and microphones. Theidea was that if he ever needed torecord a podcast or tape a televi-sion segment from home, he could.

“It was a very expensive propo-sition, and we asked, ‘are we do-ing the right thing?’ ” Mr. Bucher,59, said of conversations with hiswife, Corrine Bucher. Then thepandemic hit. Now Mr. Bucher isable to tape and record studio-quality segments for national FoxSports shows and for his podcast.“There is no question that it hasbeen a huge benefit to my career,”he said.

BY KATY MCLAUGHLIN Mr. Bucher’s renovation, with itsfocus on making him look andsound good on camera, may haveonce seemed specific to his uniqueprofession. But today, developersand home builders believe that thefuture, even after the virus is undercontrol, will involve a lot morework from home, videoconferenc-ing, and remote collaborating.

To accommodate this new land-scape, they are crossing out blue-prints that allocated space tomovie theaters, game rooms, orlounges, and are using the squarefootage for co-working spaces,Zoom-call rooms, podcast record-ing areas and TikTok studios.They are wiring garden areas andpool decks with commercial-gradeWi-Fi and USB ports, and design-ing in-home offices with separateentrances, soundproofing andsouped-up air filtration.

And while some city denizensare abandoning multiunit living forthe moment, developers are bet-ting that those who remain, and

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Friday, October 23, 2020 |M1

Behzad Souferian

M12 | Friday, October 23, 2020 THEWALL STREET JOURNAL.

THE LOOK-, SOUND- AND FEEL-GOOD HOME OFFICE

MANSION

Work FromHomethose who return, will be attractedto a package of work-from-homeamenities.

In downtown Los Angeles, Be-hzad Souferian’s company boughta 606-unit rental building a yearago and rebranded it as the flag-ship of his new BeDTLA brand.

The building is 95% occupied,with rents ranging from about$1,800 to $3,500 a month, he said.But he is rebranding it to reflectwhat he believes are the needs ofthis generation of renters. By theend of the year, he will launch aTikTok Studio, a roughly 100-square-foot room with camera-ready lighting, tripod stand andmirrors. The small space will beideal for one or two people to en-tertain themselves making Tik-Toks—all the more important“now that bars and nightlife areclosed,” Mr. Souferian said.

The building will also have twopodcast studios. A space that wasa social lounge will be convertedinto five to 10 work stationswhere people can be socially dis-tanced from others, he said. Therewill be no additional charge touse the work-from-home ameni-ties, he said.

“It’s not that we have so manypodcasters and influencers in ourcommunity now, but we want tocreate the facilities for these peo-ple” to attract them, Mr. Soufer-ian said.

As the pandemic has devel-oped, many building amenitieshave been closed—sometimes bystate or municipal order, andsometimes by building managersthemselves. Real-estate companiessaid that they will comply withregulations and follow the scienceto determine when commonspaces can open or what kind ofmitigation—such as limiting ca-pacity—is wise.

Co-working space, a conceptdevised in a pre-Covid world, maysound ill-suited to today’s envi-ronment. Developers said thatwhile the virus is in full force, dis-tancing, plastic dividers and othermitigation can be deployed tomake it safe.

In August, Kassie Meiler, 25,moved into the Society Las Olasbuilding in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.,which opened in May. The founderof a social-media agency, she cal-culated that $1,895 a month for ajunior one-bedroom was a gooddeal because she would not haveto spend up to $350 renting an of-fice in a co-working building.

In Las Olas, Ms. Meiler leavesher unit each day to use a confer-ence room for hours of Zoomcalls, she said. So far, nothing hasbeen too crowded and she can al-ways find space. She then ascendsto the building’s Sky Lawn, whichis a 3,000-square-foot outdoor of-fice with desks and electricalhookups on the 26th floor.

“If I’m in my unit, I will cook, dolaundry and clean. I like the feelingof working with other people I cansee as well,” Ms. Meiler said.

Developer Ryan Shear, manag-ing partner at Property MarketsGroup, said work space is a centraloffering of the Society Livingbrand, which currently has twomore buildings under developmentin Miami and one in Orlando. Oneof the buildings in downtown Mi-ami will have 30 offices and “so-cial stairs”: large steps with elec-trical outlets and ports whereworkers can hang out with theirlaptops, Mr. Shear said.

“We’re trying to accommodateall types of workers, from moresociable workers to the closed-door office worker,” he said.

Before Covid, PMG based thebrand on the idea of offering peo-ple like Ms. Meiler a way to savemoney on renting a separate of-fice space, Mr. Shear said. Whenthe crisis hit, building staff beganwearing masks and regulating ca-pacity in common areas. Since itslaunch in May, rents at SocietyLas Olas have been strong, Mr.Shear said.

In a neighborhood near down-town Los Angeles, Alex Valente,High Street Residential senior vicepresident, is currently working onconstruction of Llewellyn, a 318-unit rental building. It will have aco-working space tailored to thecreative and professional commu-nity that Mr. Valente expects willrent in the building. There will be a600-square foot, soundproof “jamroom,” where residents can recordpodcasts or practice music. It willbe located next to a 1,700-square-foot area dubbed the Co-Lab,

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The Co-Lab can open only whenpermitted by city ordinances. “Wewould likely open Co-Lab, assum-ing restrictions eased, at reduced

capacity, on a first-come, first-served basis, and by reservationonly on conference rooms ini-tially,” Mr. Valente said.

Michael Pestronk, chief execu-tive of Post Brothers, a developerof rental buildings in Philadelphia,said that once the pandemic hit,

which will include acoustically iso-lated booths for group work and aconference room with a technologi-cally enhanced white board.

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Ric Bucher, below, with wife, Corrine Bucher, son Matand daughter Chance, and, above, with dog Beans. Theremodel lets him do broadcast-quality video at home.

$40,000Cost to remodelRic Bucher’shome office

Space10 Interiors in Half Moon Bay,Calif., designed the Buchers’ homeoffice. Here are co-owner JenniferGlynn’s best tips for creating an of-fice for today’s work-from-homelife. Prices are approximate.

1. Install low-tech soundproofing.“Buy a wool rug with extra-thickpadding to put under it. Install asolid-core door. Hang heavydrapes—even if you never pullthem closed,” says Ms. Glynn.Wall-to-wall carpet by Stark Car-pet, plus installation: $2,500Solid core double doors: $750Window shades: $2,500

2. Use flattering lighting for video.“Ric has two lights on stands thatsit in the corner ready when heneeds them,” which he uses toeliminate shadows on his face dur-ing broadcasts, Ms. Glynn says.These, and dimmable ring lightsthat light the face from all angles,are available from companies spe-cializing in this issue.Lumecube’s broadcast lighting kit:$129

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3. Create a backdrop.The door to Mr. Bucher’s office ispainted the same dark blue coloras the rest of the walls. This darktone absorbs bright afternoon light,says Ms. Glynn, and offers a flat-tering backdrop on video.Hague Blue by Farrow & Ball Paintin Estate Emulsion: $110 per gallon

4. Alert the family.Outside Mr. Bucher’s office door isan “On Air” sign he can activate byremote control, signaling to thefamily the need for quiet. Thiscould be handy for any family jug-gling Zooms and important callsneeding quiet.On Air Light: $350

5. Design for the long haul.Mr. Bucher moves around through-out the day between a stool at hisbuilt-in desk, a leather loveseat,and built-in bench under the win-dows. With people spending longhours in home offices, a variety ofwork spaces helps combat cabinfever, Ms. Glynn said.Custom loveseat by Space10 Interi-ors: $4,500Custom window box cushions:$1,500Custom stool: $1,500

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Behzad Souferian