Love them or hate them, office parks have become a reality in about any major city in the developed world (especially here in North America). Office parks typically offer a cheaper alternative for office space than downtown while still retaining some kind of pleasant atmosphere for the employees that work there. Yet, what happens when these office parks are no longer used? What about turning them into condos? A blog post entitled ‘would you live in a suburban park?‘ over at Fast Company describes how developers in Holmdel, New Jesery are hoping to turn the Bell Labs (built around 1960) into a new mixed use development with retail on the ground floor and lofts on the upper floors. Originally planned for destruction, scientists around the world came together to save the structure for both it’s historical importance and it’s architecture.
The idea is certainly an interesting one. But it isn’t one that I believe can pick up much steam, especially if this trend continues to other less highly regarded office parks. I’m just unsure of what type of people would choose to live in it. The photo above (courtesy of FastCompany.com) displays the isolation of the office park which could also be a detriment to the retail finding customers outside of the residents of the building. Either way, i’m all for the preservation of a building with some kind of historical importance, even if it is an office park.
