Tracey Mendrek, Executive Vice President

Our client, Zurich North America, broke ground on their new 735,000-square-foot North American headquarters in Schaumburg, Illinois, in June. After many months of collaborating with the developer, architects and landscape architects the difficult decisions of structural design are taking shape. Demolition has started, steel has been ordered and the webcam is in place to watch the daily progress.

The highly detailed execution of the interior of the building is also moving at a rapid pace under the watchful eye of Meg Osman, executive director of CannonDesign’s Corporate/Commercial Practice. The design of collaborative workspace, individual offices and conference space requires hours of surveying, testing and consensus building to properly accommodate the 2,500 employees who will call this world-class facility home.

Workspace design is not just about who sits next to whom, at its core it is an economic driver for business. Content workers, with the best environment to work, are more productive, more collaborative, and create a better product. All of this benefits the bottom line.

Fast Company covers innovation in the design world and asked Ms. Osman to share her expertise with their readers this month. Whether you are a global company or an entrepreneur working in collaborative space, The Future of Work defines the key things any company should consider as they grow, innovate or design a workplace environment.