Google Zurich

From TheCoolHunter (via Dean):

Google Zurich - Anything but neutral
_{Google hire some 'inventive' designers to re-work their Zurich offices. The designers come up with some of the most amazing stuff I've ever seen.}

How unbelievably hot is that? Not a single row of cubicles in sight, nor corporate logos and colours splashed around the place. I'm not entirely sure whether it'd work for everyday jobs - I can't imagine going through the tedium of checking my emails when surrounded by such stuff - I'd probably go and try to invent something instead.



At Microsoft, if I want to be alone with my thoughts, I find the best places either to be a walk around the (lovely) lake, or to jump into a 'syndicate room' - a small box room with an oversized table, no windows, a whiteboard and moderately comfortable chairs. Doesn't quite beat that bathtub does it? ;)

I'm particularly impressed by two facts in this story (as well as the awesome pictures). The first is that the design team were led entirely by the staff who would be using the offices - they were never even given a brief. That's a superb methodology, not just for office design, but for pretty much every problem I can think of, and it says a lot about the Google culture.

Secondly, the whole thing came in at around the same budget as a normal re-fit! Amazing.