Creative Office Design: Google

Creative Office Design

From researching Klein Dytham architects, I have identified an interest
in creative office design. I am going to look at more creative offices by other
designers to inspire a function and possibly a location for my cube. I will
be looking at what is required for an office to be a happy and productive place.

Klein Dytham designed the Google Offices in Tokyo, Japan so I have been
researching into more of Google’s Offices and their ethos for working environments.

Google’s “Healthy” Philosophy

Google’s main focus when redesigning a building, is to make the environment
“healthy.” Again and again this mantra is repeated by Google higher-ups.
Two things Googlers mean when they say “healthy” are: fun and green.

Meeting spaces in Google Zurich’s headquarters

Google believe that if workers have fun at work, they want to go
to work, stay at work, and, subsequently, work at work. A lot.

Google celebrates individuality, creativity and innovative business practice within
a high-energy environment and emphasises the importance of the individual
and, maintaining a small-company ambience throughout company growth.

Google Zurich

Google’s Zurich Building focuses on diverse spaces that offer collaborative
areas for idea-sharing and leisure/dining spaces for relaxing; it:

“Operates as a self-contained city, providing
for every facet of employee life.”

There’s a calming massage area to de-stress employees.

There’s a relax lounge where employees can distract themselves
by watching tropical fish in the aquariums…

And quiet areas to work or take a break away from the bustle of the office.

Or there’s social areas with fun activities for employees to
let off some steam and interact with other colleagues.

If that wasn’t enough, there’s even a slide.

Or a fireman’s pole…

Not only does this bring the notion of play to the office
environment but allows speedy movement and “quick connections” between
floors, making sure the Zooglers can reach their coffee that bit faster!

“The design cultivates an energized and inspiring work environment
that is relaxed but focused, and buzzing with activities.”

A survey of all the employees at Google Zurich revealed that the optimal
working environment for Zooglers needed to be diverse and at the same
time harmonious whilst making it a fun and an enjoyable place to work in.

The survey also showed that while personal workspace needed to be functional
and more neutral, communal areas had to offer strong visual and more
aesthetically enjoyable and entertaining qualities to stimulate creativity.

The Zooglers decided early on that they would prefer to reduce their
personal net area of workspace in order to gain more communal and meeting
areas.The office areas are organised along a central core and are a mixture
of open-plan workspaces for 6-10 people and enclosed offices for 4-6 people.

The concept of the communal areas relates directly to the survey conclusions and
wider research that indicates relaxation to be crucial to innovation and stimulating
original thought. Google believe that work and play are not mutually exclusive.

The office enclosures are constructed using a glass partition system,
which maintains transparency and optimises daylight while reducing noise
and achieving the required degree of privacy for working teams.

There are also many different pods dotted around the office,
which can be used for quiet individual work or group meetings.

Google London

Renowned interior designers, Penson, were given the job of designing
the Google London Headquarters. The new HQ is Situated in the Central St.
Giles Building in the heart of London’s bustling Covent Garden area.

As with all the Google HQs, the office reflects the culture of it’s location. The
design is based on typically British things, from the Union Jack-covered walls in reception
to the ‘Granny Flat’ area complete with rocking chairs and cosy vintage furnishings.

For those wanting to escape the office, the ‘Hedge Your Bets’ secret garden
on the roof terrace affords stunning views of London surrounded by
grass and foliage – all with wi-fi to allow staff to continue their work.

Employees are encouraged to have green fingers, with allotments situated on the ninth
floor. Those interested can put their name on a waiting list to be assigned certified IPE
timber tubs in which to sow their seeds. However, if someone does not tend their
garden well, they lose the privilege and the next person on the list gets their chance.

And the green credentials don’t stop there. PENSON have adhered to Google’s Red
List, removing as many harmful ingredients as possible from materials used in the
design and construction, and using water-based products wherever possible, as well
as high volumes of reclaimed and recycled materials throughout the interior space.