Other than cubes, it's nice to have access to a clean shower and be in an area where you can run. A kitchen is essential too (fridge, sink, toaster oven, microwave).
As you can tell, I think it's healthy to dream big.
One wall is entirely glass, looking over a shaded garden with the Ocean in the distance (probably on the side of a mountain here).
The wall to the right of the window wall is a bookcase.
The wall to the left of the window has an extra long couch (that I could actually fit on) to sleep. That wall also has the door.
The wall opposite the window is at my back, with my 72x40 inch desk in front of me. On my desk are three 24 inch Dell LCDs, each running at 1920x1200. My chair is a Herman Miller Mirra (fully loaded).
Behind me and to my right is the door to the en-suite bathroom, complete with shower and closet full of clothes and a kitchenette (with tap that has Dr Pepper, Cherry Coke, Boulevard Wheat, Murphy's Irish Red, and Guinness).
Behind and to the left of my desk is a door to a wiring closet, where all my computers and stuff are.
The carpet is black and deep like grass, and all the lights are LEDs.
Between the window wall and the desk is an extremely comfortable recliner and table (for reading).
Outside the office itself is a common area with doors opening onto all the other offices (of my brilliant fellow coders). The common area has couches and big long tables for collaboration. At one end is a recessed movie-theatre-esqe area for group presentations and movie nights. At the other end is the entrance to the building.
.___________window____________.
/ |
/ |
| reading b|
| chair o|
|c o|_________
|o k| b |
|u c| a |
|c deskdeskdesk a| t |
|h deskdeskdesk s| h |
| deskdeskdesk e| r |
| chair \ o |
| \ o |
|_____________________________|________m|
| |
|wiring|
|_clos.|On that note, I love huge desks...that are mainly empty. But that probably relates to my insanity.
Fantastic vision, though. When I rule the world, I'll have you and gibson1f design my control room!
Do you need other people to give you the core motivation & challenge to get things done? Individualism is at the core of Startups. Individuals first, team second. Why? Because designing & building stuff is a pretty much a solitary task. Sure you can have a team to assemble the bits. But in the end it's really down to how well one individual does particular job, task. You will fail where individuals fail, regardless of help by other team members.
where failure is the norm an ideal office is not optional
You have lots of hurdles in a Startup. An ideal, even good workplace is a core concern. It is not optional.
[0] This is a Phil Greenspun idea on building and keeping good engineering teams. There are a whole lot of good practical ideas here ~ http://philip.greenspun.com/ancient-history/managing-softwar...
You don't build greatness yourself, you do it by leveraging other people.
Yesterday I was talking with a colleague that it would be also great to have a small room to relax/sleep. Sometimes, when I'm blocked or with headache a quick nap (20-30min) is magic.
Of course, good coworkers is a must!
Hmm couch to the left, bookshelf in front. Large table. Places outside to walk and think.
a quiet place that's a
leap and a bound from
a keyboard & monitor
- http://www.paulgraham.com/gh.html
- http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/BionicOffice.html
[0] btw I add these references not because of "who" wrote them, but the quality of the descriptions.
I'll agree with the place you can sit anytime. But views are important, to me. I'm not sure why but having something natural to look somehow improves my thinking ~ http://flickr.com/photos/bootload/1270954109/
Slide is packed like sardines, and Facebook has no style.
My new job features all of these (except soup! :'-{ ), although the commute could be a little shorter, and the hours a little more flexible. ;-)
What tokens, you gotta be joking. How bl%*dy lame is that? The best fun I had at one Startup was playing the pin-ball machine and pool table. More mileage was taken in the press with a single pool table than the cost it took to put them in. More work, ideas & fun were generated around that table & arcade game than any meeting. Except the ones at the pub.
So my ideal office would have to support that.
Note - don't forget about ergonomics!
my ideal office would have alot of light, a plasma, a couch, wifi and a wireless keyboard amd mouse.
my ideal office would have alot of light, a plasma, a couch, wifi and a wireless keyboard amd mouse.