37 Signals' New office (pics and video)
37signals.com
37signals.com
I don't know where that came from... seams prudent.
* Various art robots. One would greet me with "Home again, home again, jiggedy-jig. Hello, J.A."
* Tennis court
* Machine shop
* Personal SCUBA tank with space-station truss mockup and Russian Orlan space suit / dive suit.
OR
* personal submarine / office
OR
* I could just get back to work, in my office adjoining the laundry room. Time to replace the fluorescent bulb. I can see it flickering. Haven't had to squash any centipedes yet this week.
Despite what the person downvoting my comment may think, it was a sincere question, not an attempt to troll.
I have recently ordered a new macbook pro, and had to make a choice between matte and glossy, so I had a genuine interest in the answer.
http://tycole.blogspot.com/2010/05/etsy-office-in-dumbo-hang...
It left a dark, cold and sterile impression on me...
(I like it - but see your point)
Here's Microsoft Belgium: http://bene.com/office-furniture/microsoft-belgium.html
Most developers use whiteboards, so the exceedingly tasteful folks at 37signals will surely use something more refined.
One of the ideas behind our space was plenty of space for everyone to move around. No one should ever feel cramped while they're working. Feeling cramped is a form of stress - this is meant to be as stress-free a space as possible.
btw, this looks like a great place to play LazerTag.
http://steveblank.com/2009/05/15/supermac-war-story-11-the-c...
[Aside: Is that DHH having a snack at the stainless steel table, and was he really working or just surfing Hacker News?]
I'm a bit of a Spolsky-ite when it comes to office space - everyone should have an office - so it isn't my dream layout, but I will say the design is very, very cool.
The phone booths are a reaction to our former space where we'd get up and go out into the hallway to take phone calls. They exist because we value privacy, not because the office is too loud.
The first thought that came to mind was that this is the type of office space that Howard Roark would architect. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fountainhead#Architectural_...
Perhaps, this will start a new trend in office design for SaaS companies.
Seriously, very curious of a ballpark figure for the renovation.
Even though one or two might not seem like too many, "none" is a simpler heuristic than "how many are there? Ok, we have enough, downvote any new ones..."
BTW, in the US, Boulder seems to have some 'cool' companies, and is pretty far from the coast itself.
I am not saying you should rush out of San Fran for Chicago, but if you are considering moving here you should give it serious consideration.
One caveat, for the love of god don't move to the suburbs. They are filled with mid-westerners. scary.
* "Real people" as someone said below. People can be kind of fake and superficial in certain parts of California.
* People in it for the long haul: so many people in places like the Bay Area are not planning to stay there. Indeed, unless you make a lot of money, it can be pretty difficult to stay there if you want things like a family. In any case, people are constantly coming and going, so you tend to be a little bit more guarded/less committed in your dealings with people, whereas elsewhere, people stick around a bit more, so you can get to know them with less fear that they'll be leaving soon.