Tear down these walls

A fast-growing architectural trend is shaking up offices around the Gulf Coast by tearing down walls and boosting worker collaboration.

It's called open design. And it aims to increase productivity through greater communication, while appealing to younger workers more accustomed to functioning in groups.

“Connectivity is important in our business, as is collaboration,” says Ryan Kratz, president of commercial real estate brokerage Colliers International Tampa Bay. “Connectivity gets more deals done.”