I got a bunch of stuff done earlier sitting at the beach. You might want some couches or something for people to think at and relax at when they need a change of scenery from their desks.
This post touches a fairly major nerve for me, for predictable reasons: I personally prefer very bright task lighting with fairly dim ambient light, and walls behind me, with reasonably low ceilings, and dedicated personal space, and the current trend in architectural thinking about office spaces is toward open-plan layouts, with lots of glass and no solid walls. Since it is usually framed as a concession to Sustainability-- since daylighting decreases lighting costs, and spaces that can be reconfigured by just moving furniture save on future construction costs-- this means that my personal preferences are often denounced (especially this semester) as being objectively wrong and probably harmful.
As for "how it's done," there are any number of ways, usually involving lots of glass with selective screening (louvers, brise-soleils, overhangs). The Genzyme Center is a big poster child, currently. It uses a lot of terracing, heliostats, and a big shiny mobile to get light into the interior. You can also look at other work by
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To clarify, I'm not against sustainability as a design goal (as long as it is not the only design goal), but sometimes it is invoked blindly to defend ideological points. For example, extensive daylighting may have an adverse effect on heating and cooling loads, just as recycled materials may burn more fuel in transportation than non-recycled local materials.
i am somewhat indifferent to sustainability or efficiency when it comes to my personal ideal, which optimizes for my own happiness and productivity while doing my current job. i completely understand that exposing many software developers to an abundance of natural light makes them sad and nonproductive.
i've seen a few of the newer buildings on microsoft's campuses which move towards a more open layout and they just seem like nicer places to work in. where i am now i feel is small and sometimes cramped, a victim of orange-y fluorescent lighting and completely nonconducive to collaboration; instead promoting email culture and small insular groups making changes that are ultimately bad ideas. the overall culture is one such that almost no one ends up using the lounges for anything lounge-like.
For me, on sunny days, if I could see the sun from inside through a window or some such, ok, sure. But if it was the abundance I might explode with wanting to go outside. Or maybe just really big windows would get me enough sun that I wouldn't crave it so badly. Or maybe I just need to be a forester so I can work outside all the time.
Sunny days when I have to work make me insane. It is possible that your plan would aggravate that.
my office has a very open layout, somewhat similar to what you describe. we have big windows, lots of plants, separate desks (some have sort of half-cubicle walls; i am in a "developer pod" where we just have 3 desks pushed together around a central desk thing, but we can't see each other over our double monitors anyway :D)
it was hard at first and i thought i was going to hate it -- so distracting. but i've gotten used to it and now i would feel isolated if i had my own office or cubicle or something. it's nice to have this sort of organic "feel" for what everyone else is working on and what their status is. and they gave us nice noise cancelling headphones, and people are pretty good about letting you be if you have your headphones on and just want to codetrance for awhile.
I definitely like sunlight, but I also think I need some guarantee of privacy if I need it.
Open office spaces run into the problem of me having to hear what everyone else is doing, and distractions are not always best for me.
I think I could deal with your office layout, if there were something like 4.5-mat-sized room with a low table and some pillows for me to sit on the floor and work at, with a door on, for when I needed it.
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As for "how it's done," there are any number of ways, usually involving lots of glass with selective screening (louvers, brise-soleils, overhangs). The Genzyme Center is a big poster child, currently. It uses a lot of terracing, heliostats, and a big shiny mobile to get light into the interior. You can also look at other work by ( ... )
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For example, extensive daylighting may have an adverse effect on heating and cooling loads, just as recycled materials may burn more fuel in transportation than non-recycled local materials.
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i've seen a few of the newer buildings on microsoft's campuses which move towards a more open layout and they just seem like nicer places to work in. where i am now i feel is small and sometimes cramped, a victim of orange-y fluorescent lighting and completely nonconducive to collaboration; instead promoting email culture and small insular groups making changes that are ultimately bad ideas. the overall culture is one such that almost no one ends up using the lounges for anything lounge-like.
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Sunny days when I have to work make me insane. It is possible that your plan would aggravate that.
Also...shared spaces promote tidiness. So...good idea?
Your idealistic views are adorable!
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it was hard at first and i thought i was going to hate it -- so distracting. but i've gotten used to it and now i would feel isolated if i had my own office or cubicle or something. it's nice to have this sort of organic "feel" for what everyone else is working on and what their status is. and they gave us nice noise cancelling headphones, and people are pretty good about letting you be if you have your headphones on and just want to codetrance for awhile.
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Open office spaces run into the problem of me having to hear what everyone else is doing, and distractions are not always best for me.
I think I could deal with your office layout, if there were something like 4.5-mat-sized room with a low table and some pillows for me to sit on the floor and work at, with a door on, for when I needed it.
People who dislike natural light are inhuman.
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