Office environments are not just functional -- they say a lot about an organization and can even impact work styles and culture. Two recent examples of new office designs that strongly convey a brand feeling to both employees and customers prove the point.
Randy Howder spoke at the WorkTech12 West Coast conference about designing the social network--â„¢s nine-building, one million-square-foot headquarters that debuted last December.
A panel at NEOCON East discussed the current concerns regarding the state of affairs in the design community. I have owned and operated my own design practice for the past 10 years (out of 30). Nearly half of that time, I--â„¢ve faced economic challenges.
Coming from a fairly closed environment, Sonic executives saw the new headquarters as an opportunity to illustrate the company's corporate culture and bring to life its mantra, "carpe diem."
The role would require an individual who could integrate a passion for graphics with interior design to create engaging decor in an unlikely venue for standout design. I warmed to the challenge.
The character of creative work requires spaces that enable collaboration and participation. Emerging workplaces continue to evolve, where the place is seen as a backdrop to new ways of working and new ways of thinking.
Natural light, scenic views, and an aluminum slide might indeed belong in a park. Instead, they're design details of the new headquarters of one of the country's fastest growing companies: Snagajob.
It's within this 21st century technological framework that IBM, currently the second largest employer in the United States according to Fortune magazine, has recognized the need to establish a more mobile workplace designed to allow and support flexibility in employee work patterns and schedules.
The focus is shifting away from having students memorize facts toward self-directed learning, research techniques, and team approaches to problem-solving.
The space -- a 25,000 s.f., former metal fabrication warehouse built in the 1950s -- had plenty of existing character. Concrete columns with graffiti and a few masonry partitions were incorporated into the design. It also includes wood, metal, railroad ties, and historic glazing that incorporates the feel of its previous location in the Stockyards.
How we work is changing, but where we work isn't. Over the last 10 years, a new way of working has emerged, along with some people who live it every day
