🏋️‍♂️ From Cubicles to Pickleball: Office Real Estate Goes Experiential 🎭

🏙️ Office Buildings with Recreation Amenities: The Future of CRE in Houston 🎱

Commercial Real Estate
May 06, 2025•2 min read

🏙️ Office Buildings with Recreation Amenities: The Future of CRE in Houston 🎱

🏋️‍♂️ From Cubicles to Pickleball: Office Real Estate Goes Experiential 🎭

🎮 How Entertainment & Recreational Spaces Are Being Integrated into Office Buildings 🏢

By Bill Rapp – Viking Enterprise Team, eXp Commercial

Gone are the days of sterile office towers filled only with cubicles and fluorescent lighting. Today’s commercial real estate market is redefining what an office building should be—and the hottest trend catching investor, developer, and tenant attention is the integration of entertainment and recreational spaces.

From golf simulators and rooftop lounges to gaming rooms, fitness centers, yoga studios, and even wellness pods—office buildings are transforming into destinations, not just workplaces. And in booming markets like Katy, Fulshear, and West Houston, this trend is gaining serious momentum.

Why This Shift Is Happening

  • Remote Work Hangover: Employers need to entice people back to the office. Adding “experiential value” with built-in leisure and wellness perks is one of the strongest draws.

  • Tenant Experience: Companies are competing for talent, and tenant amenities are now a differentiator. It’s not just about Class A finishes—it’s about community, creativity, and convenience.

  • CRE Strategy: For developers and investors, this trend means higher occupancy rates, better retention, and premium rents.

Case Studies in Action

Developers across Houston are already ahead of the curve:

  • A mixed-use office complex in the Energy Corridor recently added a digital gaming lounge and podcast studio for tenants.

  • A Katy office campus now offers coworking with Peloton-equipped fitness centers, meditation rooms, and event spaces.

  • In Downtown Houston, historic buildings are being repurposed into hybrid work-recreation hubs with rooftop bars and art installations.

What It Means for Property Owners & Investors

If you're sitting on underutilized office space—or considering your next investment—it’s time to rethink the blueprint. These experiential enhancements:

  • Boost NOI through amenity fees or premium lease terms

  • Attract lifestyle-focused tenants who value balance

  • Open doors for adaptive reuse financing and repositioning strategies

At Viking Enterprise Team, we help owners and investors rethink commercial space in forward-thinking ways. If you're considering repositioning an asset or developing a mixed-use project, we’d love to brainstorm with you.

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© 2023-2024 Bill Rapp, Broker Associate, eXp Commercial Viking Enterprise Team

commercial real estate trends 2025entertainment spaces in office buildingsoffice amenities for tenantsadaptive reuse Houstonrecreational office space designmixed-use commercial real estate
I am a Houston commercial broker, with residential experience, as well as a lending background. I have been in the real estate industry for 14 years and counting, and I have worked in many roles within the industry and each has given me a unique perspective of the industry as a whole. My dedication to clients is rooted in this industry knowledge, but also includes my desire to go the extra mile in networking to source off market opportunities for my clients. Me and my team at eXp Commercial have a cutting-edge technology package that gets the widest exposure for each transaction. eXp Commercial offers a nationwide network through which we can deliver the best exposure and professional advice to achieve our clients’ goals while also minimizing their risk. Clients appreciate my methodical method of discovery in our initial consultation. Through which we can get to know each other and their specific’s business’s needs and objectives on a granular level. Our processes help navigate each transaction and its potential pitfalls through to a successful outcome for our clients. It is my stated goal to provide our clients with extensive market analysis and expertise that fosters innovative solutions and rewarding commercial real estate opportunities.

Bill Rapp, CRE Broker

I am a Houston commercial broker, with residential experience, as well as a lending background. I have been in the real estate industry for 14 years and counting, and I have worked in many roles within the industry and each has given me a unique perspective of the industry as a whole. My dedication to clients is rooted in this industry knowledge, but also includes my desire to go the extra mile in networking to source off market opportunities for my clients. Me and my team at eXp Commercial have a cutting-edge technology package that gets the widest exposure for each transaction. eXp Commercial offers a nationwide network through which we can deliver the best exposure and professional advice to achieve our clients’ goals while also minimizing their risk. Clients appreciate my methodical method of discovery in our initial consultation. Through which we can get to know each other and their specific’s business’s needs and objectives on a granular level. Our processes help navigate each transaction and its potential pitfalls through to a successful outcome for our clients. It is my stated goal to provide our clients with extensive market analysis and expertise that fosters innovative solutions and rewarding commercial real estate opportunities.

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