remote work Archives

How Optima Communities Support Hybrid and Remote Working

Posted on July 11, 2022 by Hunter

At Optima, each of our communities are thoughtfully curated to make everyday life extraordinary. Whether it’s the expansive fitness centers or our stunning sky decks, we’re dedicated to providing curated spaces and opportunities to make sure all residents feel right at home. One unique amenity in Optima communities that has become increasingly relevant is the robust set of hybrid and work-from-home options. Here are just a couple of ways our communities support these evergrowing work features:

Allocated Work Spaces in Your Home

It can be challenging to separate your life and career when working remotely, which is why we design each of our residences to allow space for desks and separate work areas. Each extensive floor plan allows residents to customize their living areas to fit their needs, whether you require a separated office or a dedicated work corner.

We also work to provide our residents with the best technology features, further empowering them to define the way they live. In Optima Lakeview, in particular, residents have access to WiredScore Home Gold certified technology that includes best-in-class digital connectivity features and dedicated media panels for telecommunications equipment.

Access to Greenery

Whether you find yourself in our Arizona or Illinois communities, each provides convenient access to greenery and flexible environments. While all feature vast outdoor space and greenery, Optima Kierland, Optima Sonoran Village and our upcoming Optima Verdana are all home to our signature vertical landscaping system, which plays a crucial role in molding a healthy and sustainable environment for residents.

Communal Amenities

Not only can residents establish workspaces in their own homes, but all of our communities also provide an array of amenities designed to enhance the remote work experience. From the dedicated conference and business rooms developed for more intimate interactions to the lively communal spaces like Optima Lakeview’s light-filled atrium or Kaleidoscope Juice in Optima Sonoran Village and Egg Harbor Cafe in Optima Signature.

Our team also works to provide Optimized Service® in each community. Residents have access to in-home package delivery, grocery delivery and 24/7 virtual personal assistance, and in Optima Lakeview, the Kids’ Club includes an indoor children’s playroom.

No matter where you find yourself working, we’re with you every step of the way to ensure you feel comfortable and supported.

Working From Home at Optima

Posted on October 12, 2020 by Nancy

At Optima, we’ve always been dedicated to building communities that provide a balanced lifestyle for our residents. From carefully curated retail partners to an abundance of outdoor space, we thoughtfully incorporate elements that respond to the needs of our residents. With the recent rise in remote working, and in celebration of National Work from Home Week, this week we’re honing in on how residents can best utilize Optima communities to support their remote productivity.

Private huddle rooms and work tables at Optima Kierland Apartments

Dedicated, At-Home Work Spaces

Across all of our properties, from Arizona to Illinois, we incorporate a dedicated work-from-home space within each apartment. As we learned earlier this year, curating a distinct work zone at home improves productivity and limits distractions. The designs of our buildings also lend themselves to staying focused. The abundant floor-to-ceiling glass windows in each Optima building invites in plenty of natural light. Studies show that exposure to sunlight helps regulate sleep cycles, and our well-restedness therefore contributes to more satisfied, productive workdays. And the beautiful views in both Arizona and Chicago don’t hurt either.

Business-Centric Amenities

If ever you need a change of pace from your in-home workspace, our communities offer an abundance of business-centric amenities to meet your every need. Optima Signature, Optima Sonoran Village and Optima Kierland Center all feature on-site conference rooms and business rooms, and the new tower at Optima Kierland Apartments even features private huddle rooms with work spaces. Optima Signature and Optima Sonoran Village also both offer their own on-site business suites.

Celebrating Live-Work-Play Balance

Optima’s on-site retail tenants offer the perfect midday spot, whether it’s to break up your workday or to provide a setting for your next lunch meeting. At Optima Signature, Egg Harbor Cafe provides not only the perfect place for lunch (meetings), but you can meet over breakfast too! Meanwhile, at Optima Sonoran Village, Kaleidoscope Juice is the perfect place for a quick break or a longer breakfast or lunch occasion. Or, for those having a busy day, Optima Signature also boasts onsite concierge and room service, ready to serve all your needs.

At times, work can be stressful, but we’re here to help make each work day easier, more comfortable and more enjoyable.

Staying Connected Amidst COVID-19

Posted on April 29, 2020September 1, 2020 by Nancy

At Optima, we operate with an intense passion for creating together. Ours is a highly collaborative team, often communicating in real time to share ideas and inspiration as part of our vertically-integrated business model. With collaborative systems already in place, our team is staying connected as ever during COVID-19, across states, offices, communities and jobsites, with some currently operating from home.

Beth Maher heads up Learning and Development at Optima, placing emphasis on the wellness of our team along the way. We sat down (digitally) with Beth and asked her to share how she’s guiding our team through continuing to stay connected, and continuing to stay well, during this time.

Sharing Wellness Resources

Wellness has always been pivotal in our culture, but Beth shares, “It’s become a priority now more than ever. We want to provide additional wellness support to all our coaches and team members to help guide them through the changes many are experiencing from this new environment.” Wellness resources are being offered universally across our team — from architects to property managers to the construction team — giving all access to meditation and yoga guidance and other activities that can be done no matter where you are. Through our partnership with GROW LMS, we recently rolled out a set of online wellness courses that are available for our entire team.

Staying Connected

“Connectedness is at the core of Optima,” Beth explains. The Optima Wellness Page in the company intranet is just one source of connectivity where many resources are located. All teams continue to communicate seamlessly by regularly hopping onto Microsoft Teams, where we continue to share ideas in real time. We also use the Yammer app, which is a messaging board where we share inspirational quotes and ideas. We continue to engage at a safe distance over video chat too, whether that’s for a quick brainstorming session or to come together for a company-wide trivia night or virtual book club discussion.

Looking to the Future

The current state of the world may prove to be a challenge in some ways, “but we have the resources to keep everyone connected no matter what,” Beth affirms. “I’ve never worked in an organization that has such strong connectivity between its team members and coaches.” Human connection is important now more than ever, and it is this connection we have at Optima that will enable us to stay agile, strong and able to tackle this challenge — together.

Business Suite Spotlight

Posted on October 30, 2019September 1, 2020 by Nancy

One of our cornerstone beliefs at Optima is that our buildings can help improve the lives of those who reside within them by offering everyday comforts and conveniences — and we’re constantly searching for ways to innovate and improve.

It’s no secret that coworking spaces and the ability to work remotely, or from home, has become increasingly popular in the professional sector. In 2018, a staggering 1,000 new coworking spaces were introduced in the United States alone — and experts don’t see the trend slowing down anytime soon. Some estimates claim that freelancers will even outnumber full-time employees in the workforce by 2027.

An Optima business suite at Optima Signature

We were happy to respond to the growing need by integrating our own rentable, commercial business suites into our multi-family communities, starting in 2010 with Optima Camelview Village. Since Optima Camelview Village, we have designed business suites at Optima Sonoran Village, Optima Chicago Center and Optima Signature with a live-work-play environment in mind. At each site, we have seen measurable success as the remote working trend continues to be on the rise and residents take advantage of the opportunity to utilize a workspace right in their own home.

Optima Signature in the Streeterville neighborhood of Chicago, IL

Having business suites within our communities makes work feel like a more comfortable, more convenient experience. And that’s exactly what we want to bring to our residents and tenants.

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Tag: remote work