Campus-Style Office Space in Full Bloom

Now that Orange County’s office market is bouncing back, the number of projects going up without a particular occupant in mind is rising.

There are at least six such campus-style developments on the drawing boards, perhaps more than at any time this decade, sprouting in places like Foothill Ranch and Aliso Viejo, said Paul Thometz, vice president of HOK Architects in Newport Beach.

The market has been slow to absorb office space created during the last boom in the late 1980s. But now, campus-style offices--low-rise buildings surrounded by green open areas--are growing more prevalent than ever before.

They’re especially popular among high-tech companies. The complexes offer companies more flexibility, and are cheaper to operate than taller buildings.

“Businesses are realizing they need a pleasant environment in order to keep employees,” said Phil Bias, of Langdon Wilson Architecture in Newport Beach.