The average Singaporean worker spends about 8 hours in the office a day. That makes up 40 hours a week, 160 hours a month, 1920… You get us. We just spend a lot of time at work. But think about it, wouldn’t it be nice if our work spaces could be playfully designed to be more like a second home? Just as how the furnishings of a home can give you an idea of how the inhabitant family is like, the design of an office is often a visual representation of the company’s culture.
Can work and play be married tastefully and productively in the workplace? Our team’s answer is: Sure we can! We are pretty sure Google is the first thing that comes to your mind at the thought of creative work spaces, but they are definitely not the only one. Today we show you 6 other offices we are in love with.
1) Comvert
Image Credit: www.archdaily.com
What business: Alternative clothing label for skateboarders and snowboarders
Where: Milan, Italy
What we love about it: Aside from the basic design made up largely of wooden elements and black grilles, we absolutely love the idea of having a suspended skate bowl in the warehouse. What better way to live the product you create? If you’re wondering why this office has got so much vertical space, it’s because it had used to be a cinema!
2) Bahnhof
Image Credit: www.taskhome.com
Image Credit: officesnapshots.com
What Business: Internet Service Provider
Where: Sweden
What we love about it: There are too many things! The cave-like interior, unconventional office layout and the clear incubator makes this place look like a laboratory . Also, have we mentioned that the office is located in a former bomb shelter from the cold war?
3) Inventionland
Image Credit: http://www.glassdoor.co.in
What business: Design and development
Where: Pittsburg, California
What we love about it: Are you kidding? This place is practically a theme park! Set in a 70, 000 sqft facility, the workspace is creatively furnished at every corner. Where else will you get to work in a treehouse, in a castle, on a pirate ship or in a cave? To top if all off, the employees get to wear lab coats everyday for they are well, inventors.
4) Epic
Image Credit: www.nytimes.com
Image Credit: www.cssfollowme.com
Image Credit: www.glassdoor.com
What Business: Healthcare software
Where: Madison, Wisconsin
What we love about it: The facade of the office looks almost like a resort; an impeccable marriage between man-made and nature. When the weather is fair, you can even have the luxury of working outdoors if you please. Having to cross a moat to reach the office makes getting to work is definitely more refreshing than squeezing with the rush hour crowd in the morning.
5) Corus Quay
What business: Media & Entertainment
Where: Toronto, Canada
What we love about it: At first glance, this place reminds us of Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, albeit a corporate version of it. And people all wear suits. And there’re no oompa-loompas. Besides, we’d bet Willy Wonka doesn’t have Wifi throughout the entire building. What we love most about the interior is the fact that it has been constructed out of recycled materials – recovered wood for the ornaments and carpets made of old jeans. Talk about sustainable design – this place has our approval!
6) Pallotta Teamworks
Image Credit: www.donutsites.com
What business: Fundraising event planning
Where: Los Angeles, California
What we love about it: We love… the architect’s brilliant creativity. Given a shoestring budget to work with and a raw warehouse space, Clive Wilkinson Architects had managed to conceptualize the idea of using shipping containers as private offices.
We live in an age of connectivity and interaction. With a conscious need for constant stimulation embedded within us, we yearn for interaction at both work and play. And that is precisely why such office designs work for this generation!
Such concepts offer a variety of benefits for an organization. As compared to being cornered off by their own cubicles, employees are likely to find such environments more stimulating and inspiring, especially for creative work. It also instills a form of distinct identity for the company and pride for their staff, to be able to have a workspace that is uniquely theirs.
Most importantly, what’s work without a little fun? After all, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy!
If you enjoyed this, you’ll definitely enjoy our post on cool meeting rooms and coworking spaces that we have compiled just for you!
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