The members of the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory have designed thousands of offices among them. Who better to share tips on creating a functional yet beautiful workspace"

Above: The office of a net-zero energy home in Cupertino, California, by Klopf Architecture, which was a finalist in the Best Professionally Designed Office category in our 2014 Considered Design Awards.
1. Natural Light
More than any other factor, our architects emphasized the importance of natural light in the workplace. “Natural light is the most crucial contributor to a contented and productive office space,” says Lindsey Theobald of Feldman Architecture in San Francisco. Andrew Curtis of Robitaille Curtis in Montreal agrees: “Daylight is critical,” he says. But keep in mind this caveat from Alan Ohashi of Bay Area?based Ohashi Design: you’ll want “a combination of direct and indirect bounce lighting, which is good for computer work.”
Above: The new 5,000-square-foot San Francisco office of interior designer Nicole Hollis has plenty of storage for her team’s ever-rotating mix of materials and samples. Photograph by Laure Joliet, courtesy of Nicole Hollis.
2. Everything in Its Place
The second most emphasized point was the importance of managing your stuff. “Clutter is the enemy,” Curtis says. “Having a clean, calm workspace is critical to staying on task and to maintaining clarity of purpose.”
Says SF int...