
- source
- IIP Photo Archive/Flickr
With such a focus on defying convention, it should come as no surprise that Facebook, Google, and their peers spend a lot of time creating places in which people love to work.
Sometimes that means catering to people’s need for inner peace, or providing three-lane slides to avoid taking the stairs. In any case, the goal is to improve morale and boost productivity.
Here are some of the most forward-thinking designs in place today.
The 200 employees at Soundcloud’s Berlin office have the happy problem of fighting over cozy nap pods, in case they need some time to recharge.
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- Courtesy of Soundcloud
Source: Inc.
Airbnb has designed many of its conference rooms in the new San Francisco office to mimic actual listings on the site, reinforcing its loyalty to listers.
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- Glassdoor
Source: Airbnb
Salesforce put meditation rooms on every floor of its new London and San Francisco towers, which opened in September 2016 and March 2017, respectively.
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- Sam Shead/Business Insider UK
Source: Business Insider
At Etsy, the company makes explicit its acceptance of all genders. People can choose to use whichever restroom they prefer.
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- Sarah Jacobs
Source: Business Insider
In San Bruno, California, YouTube’s offices feature an indoor lap pool and putting green, not to mention a three-lane slide connecting the second and third floors.
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- YouTube
Source: Business Insider
Instagram called on a Hollywood set designer to design a “creation space” where employees can use their imagination to snap photos.
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- Christophe Wu
Groupon’s office in Chicago features an “Enchanted Forest” with hobbit houses that employees can use to get quiet work done — random boulders included.
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- Groupon
Source: Refinery29
With nearly 3,000 employees at its headquarters, Facebook has the largest open plan in the world (at 480,000 square feet). A combination of collaborative spaces and dedicated private rooms lets employees work in the setting they see fit.
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- IIP Photo Archive/Flickr
Source: The Washington Post
In Seattle, Amazon is building three inter-connected domes known as “The Spheres” that will connect employees with nature as much as possible. While staff eat lunch, a greenhouse’s living plant wall will feed on sunlight.
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- NBBJ
Source: GeekWire
Quicken Loans, headquartered in Detroit, gives employees ample ways to decompress — including a pool table built to look like a Ford Mustang, a basketball court, and in-office scooters.
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- Glassdoor
Google’s office in New York sits right above the popular Chelsea Market. It’s home to a rock climbing wall, art from New York-based artists, and intimate breakout spaces.
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- Peter Power/Reuters
Source: Business Insider
In New York, Spotify uses pieces of string instead of drywall to separate spaces. Employees use the lightweight barriers to signal they’re working but aren’t impossible to reach in case something comes up.
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- Spotify
Source: Business Insider