My Office Is Cooler Than Yours

In tough times, any job is a good job, but when work-live-play become one-and-the-same, a day at the office can take on a whole new meaning.  By definition, that type of job qualifies as cool, and smart companies everywhere are cultivating and capitalizing on that very X-factor in their race for a piece of today's top talent.

Google and Pixar may have led the charge in the creation of innovative workspaces, but you don't have to pull up stakes to find ingenuity in the workplace.  Greater Cincinnati is keeping her cool with her own colorful cast of inspired corporate cultures. 

Audio Grotto in Newport

Willing to sing for your supper?  If you happen to be strolling through the East Row historic district of Newport, Kentucky, you have come to the right spot.  There, discretely nestled among the stately Victorians, sits a large brick structure looking every bit the turn-of-the-century church it once was.  Today it is better known as home to The Sanctuary, The Audio Grotto, and the best self-proclaimed pizza slinger this side of the river.  Owner Ashley Shepherd stumbled into this architectural find when it came on the market four years ago and, with the help of designer Andrea Simler-DeGolier of Heliotrope Design LLC, transformed the once-neglected structure into a multi-faceted business. 

The Sanctuary (the former church) now serves as a wedding and reception hall, but the true heart of the building is The Audio Grotto- a 2,000 square foot recording studio located in the former church hall basement.  A firm believer in the inspiration that comes from one's work environment, Ashley was hands-on in the edgy-yet-comfortable design of the studio.  Elements evoking its church origin- including a control desk constructed from solid oak pews and a large scrim mural depicting the silhouette of three of the church's windows- are comfortably interwoven with the new-age and eclectic tapestry of furnishings, wall art, and boldly painted walls and floors.  This is his client's workspace and Ashley takes that responsibility very seriously.  Commercial clients and musicians of every genre come to his studios to record, and he understands the importance of providing them with an inspired setting and a productive, yet relaxed, experience.   Ever the gracious host, he is also notorious for breaking away from the complex array of equipment at his studio control desk to head into his vintage-inspired kitchen.  There, aside the church's original Garland gas range, he tosses the crust and bakes up one of his legendary pizzas to fill the bellies of the starvin' artists who flock to "The Grotto" to create their own masterpieces. 

Cincinnati Opera in Over-the-Rhine

Situated in the north wing of Over-the-Rhine's majestic Music Hall, the four-story headquarters of the Corbett Opera Center shamelessly dismisses the stuffy stereotype that has followed opera since its 16th century Italian birth.   If workplace surroundings are truly the inspiration for creativity and productivity, this place promises genius.  

Serving multiple purposes since its 1879 addition to Music Hall (including three seasons as host to UC Bearcats basketball) the north wing underwent a $3.3 million renovation in 2005 that transformed her space into the architectural treasure it is today.  Local design team- FRCH Design Worldwide- skillfully preserved the history of the building while introducing features that match the creativity and passion of the Cincinnati Opera organization.  The massive glass doors and high ceilings, the rawness of exposed brick walls and subtle track lighting, breathtaking displays of production poster art, galleries of half-moon windows, and the playful infusion of bold color, combine to provide a backdrop as urban-chic as the dynamic team working together to bring each season to life.  Lofted at the apex of the Opera Center is perhaps the most breathtaking and magical of her interior spaces- the Presidential Garrett.  Gleaming hardwood floors and the midday light streaming through her stained glass windows cast a subtle spotlight on the world-class artists who gather there to rehearse, their exquisite voices gently flooding the floors below.

The large open floor plan on each level allows easy interaction among all members of the energized group.  Cubicles- adorned with production memorabilia and individually labeled with a photo of each staff member's favorite opera- house the core 26-member team, allowing their collective voices to blend seamlessly with the excited chatter of the many busy volunteers.  Half-eaten sandwiches, and cold cups of coffee, hint at the frenetic-and-fun pace of the summer season, when the staff swells to nearly 200 to support the vast undertaking of the Opera's Summer Festival. 

The palpable enthusiasm of the denizens of this National Historic Landmark mirrors the energy of their trendy surroundings.  Employees are unhesitating in their admission that once people come, "They don't leave.  We just recycle them."  A cool place to work?  The question seems hardly worth asking.

Legacy in Covington

From the large windows fronting its stately red brick façade, the newly rehabbed Legacy Building in Covington is afforded a unique vantage point . . . an unobstructed view of the tiara crowning the new Great American Tower just across the river.   While that towering behemoth reshapes the Cincinnati skyline, the close-knit team at Legacy Financial Advisors is breathing life back into an historic structure that has been a vital part of the Covington landscape since 1850.  From the time they unearthed this architectural gem, the "urban archaeologists" of the Legacy team knew they had found their new home.

With a history that matches Legacy's core philosophy of faith, friendship and community involvement, the structure was originally built as a church and later welcomed revelers to its dance hall and patrons to its art gallery showings.  Over time, the once vital structure suffered serious neglect and was little more than a shell when the Legacy group came to her rescue.   Pulling together an impressive reinforcement squad- including AGI architect Tim Seamon, builders Schrudde and Zimmerman, and designer Doreen Taylor - the Legacy group lovingly transformed the historic landmark into a major  asset . . . and not just of the fixed variety.  

Though her multiple windows offer spectacular views of the Roebling Suspension Bridge and the Ohio River, they are easily rivaled by the view on the inside.   State-of-the-art office spaces, suspended over the two-story open atrium, comfortably house the 17 "family" members (18, if you count the ghost captured on film by a photographer during the construction phase!)  Flat-panel TVs adorn the walls of each office and, though predictably tuned in to CNBC for the latest market update, will occasionally provide requisite and up-to-the-minute viewing of The Masters.  The Legacy Café - a fully equipped and spacious kitchen and lounge- promotes culinary wizardry when work hours run into the dinner hour, and   the fully equipped workout room and locker room showers leave "no room for excuses".  Perhaps most enviable is the tranquility found in the Nap Room, thoughtfully designed to allow employees to catch a few winks in the event market fluctuations have kept them up all night. 

Members of the award-winning Legacy "family" believe that where they do business is simply an extension of how they do business.  Attesting to that philosophy are the two fully furnished and WiFi-enabled offices left open "just in case one of our clients is in the neighborhood and needs a place to get some work done."  Paul Sartori, one of Legacy's four owners, also explains the importance of building the "fun factor" into their work surroundings.  "For us, coming to work is like hanging out with your best friends and that includes co-workers and clients.  Our team and our clients work hard and we want this to be a good place to come."   In the case of the Legacy Building, "good" may just be an understatement.  Somehow, "cool" seems a better fit.