Recognizing ways that the work environment impacts productivity, artists and entrepreneurs Jamie and Jeremy Wells designed a new corporate concept that unites art galleries with office space. The boutique-style offices of Village Executive Suites in Houston provide an intimate 6,500 square feet of commercial property, stimulating creativity and collaboration among professionals of all types, from artists to lawyers.

The couple first spotted the underutilized building in 2010 while searching for a new location for their creative arts business, Imago Dei—now the site’s anchoring tenant—and completed construction in March. Standard full-time offices, along with virtual offices, conference room rentals, and offices by the day feature state of the art technology, and are equipped with webcams, video surveillance, and individualized secure networks. Energy efficient lights illuminate the space and incorporate occupancy sensors. Designed to be user friendly, patrons can use a recently launched app that facilitates automatic payment wirelessly from their phonesa as they exit.

A materials palette of glass, corrugated metal, clay, and concrete is mixed with splashes of bright hues, such as the brand-specific, custom green-tinted Venetian plaster in the stairwell. “Applying this to specific walls created a tower within the space and was a subtle way to reinforce the brand without using the logo,” says Jeremy Wells. “Green is a positive color symbolizing growth, vitality, and harmony, which are excellent themes for small businesses.”

Specialty products, including American clay, diamond veneer, and silver leaf embellish reclaimed items like the 14-foot plate of glass salvaged from a skyscraper and reintroduced as a 6-person workstation for Imago Dei staff. Common areas double as art galleries, where rotating exhibitions of works by emerging and established artists are accessible to the public during quarterly openings.