Companies, especially in the technology and creative industries, are putting a lot of money and energy into designing and creating offices that are more interesting and fun. This is in order to increase the morale, creativity and productivity of their employees. From fake grass to bunting, treehouses to slides. Below are some of the most interesting office environments in the world.
1) Innocent Drinks, London
Innocent Drinks are known for their catchy slogans and quirky marketing campaigns and have seen huge changes since they began in 1998. Their new office named Fruit Towers has the whole office floor made of fake grass, with a large picnic area complete with bunting! There is also a reading corner with a selection of books. The company has previously won The Guardians Best Workplace in the UK Award.
Within Innocent's environment they want to encourage interaction, they were very particular about the layout of the offices and although there are tea stations on every floor, there is only one kitchen area, so everyone then has the opportunity to mix with everyone else in the workplace.
Mindlab is an institute that is a part of the Danish government. It works with businesses and people alike to help drive innovation.
The heart of this building is an egg-shaped meeting room inside, where all of the walls are whiteboards, so you can write on any surface with your thoughts and ideas! The basic principle of this room is that the room should accommodate the people, meaning that the room is created by the users. People are free to arrange their physical surroundings and create new work stations because partition walls and desks are on castors and there are also moveable lamps.
3) Wieden+Kennedy, New York City
Wieden+ Kennedy's design moves away from the office as a playground to put work back at the heart of creative work. Their offices are designed to offer the widest possible range of discussion spaces to accommodate gatherings and meetings of different sizes, durations and privacy levels.
Colleagues are able to choose to hold reviews standing up at 10 foot long "Over The Counter" blackened steel tables, have informal discussions in lounges with comfortable furniture, raised at different levels to create a sense of privacy. More traditional meetings can be held in conference rooms that range from small "Phonebooths", to "Wide n Long" conference rooms. Glass walls create a sense of transparency and lightness to the space.
4. Ticketmaster, London
Ticketmaster really is a home with a difference! It is an office that reflects a modern face of the business, and an environment that is creative. It was designed similarly to its Hollywood offices with chill out zones complete with pinball machines, pool, ping pong and football tables.
There is also a picnic area with astro-turf, a fitness studio and a metal slide connected from the floor above for workers to enjoy. There are various clever vintage recycled materials and themed graphics which helps to generate energy and inspiration! This design was centred on the prioritisation of socialising while at work.
5. DPR Construction, San Francisco
Much of DPR Constructions design was focused on bringing the outside in with three living walls, a giant skylight, solartub lighting and outside air ventilation.
The central atrium ("Market Street") provides the focal point in the building with little separation between the various office spaces. Moving all the desk space to one floor supports the interconnectedness of the office. The front of the building greets visitors with a welcoming and relaxed environment.