Want to Work in a Google Office?

"benjrblant" (benjblant) 01/26/2018 at 14:25 • Filed to: sew fanseh, google, workspaces

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Well, I can’t help you there. But I can show you Google’s newest NYC office which was Interior Design Magazine’s !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! project of 2017. My fiancé worked on this project with some close friends and coworkers.

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!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! if kinja’d. Check out the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! too!

This was designed from pretty much raw space- a floor, ceiling, columns, and exterior walls. I’m sure a few of the lighting fixtures could be inspected by the resident spacecrab.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > benjrblant 01/26/2018 at 14:39

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I work across the street from Google, in fact I’m currently sitting in what used to be a Google floor of my building until we did a swap with them. They do enjoy their exposed bricks

Edit: East Coast, not West.

Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz) > benjrblant 01/26/2018 at 14:41

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Looks nice, if this sort of work environment is what you want, but it’s not for me.

What did your fiancé do, if you can say?

benjrblant > Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz) 01/26/2018 at 14:42

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She was part of a small group of three or four people that worked with the client to design the entire office. All of the space planning, materials, finishes, organization, etc.

random001 > benjrblant 01/26/2018 at 14:43

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Did they intentionally age the flooring?

Chariotoflove > benjrblant 01/26/2018 at 14:44

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Great place to hang out. Does all of this help people get more work done?

Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz) > benjrblant 01/26/2018 at 14:44

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Nice, based on the feedback I think it’s safe to say job well done.

benjrblant > random001 01/26/2018 at 14:48

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No, the wood flooring in the shot above was existing.

benjrblant > Chariotoflove 01/26/2018 at 14:51

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It certainly creates an environment which employees are happy to be in. Things like micro kitchens, lounge areas, huddle rooms, and quiet spaces to take calls give people different places to work and a change of scenery can keep the day from becoming monotonous. Having a nice place to spend the day is also appealing to existing employees and can help secure new talent in an otherwise competitive field.

random001 > benjrblant 01/26/2018 at 14:52

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Phew. Ok, so not completely raw space. Because that would be above and beyond even my mild hipster tendencies. I actually was expected the answer to be “reused from a shuttered wall street broker office from 2009"...

benjrblant > random001 01/26/2018 at 14:54

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Yeah, “pretty much raw space” but not entirely. The building is over 100 years old and has some history to it. They’re not the type to spec faux patina materials that would not age decently.

TheRealBicycleBuck > benjrblant 01/26/2018 at 14:55

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Yeah, but where do I mount all my screens?

random001 > benjrblant 01/26/2018 at 14:56

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That’s really great to know, actually. I know people like to give Google crap, but they’ve been nothing but good to me. They seem alright in my book.

benjrblant > TheRealBicycleBuck 01/26/2018 at 14:57

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TO YOUR FACE!

Kidding. A number of other offices they’ve designed have monitors mounted to the desk and laptop docking stations. This offers the flexibility to work alone or in a group and to dock up if you need more pixel real estate. I’m unsure of the desk situation for this office.

See: the jet.com offices here .

Chariotoflove > benjrblant 01/26/2018 at 15:01

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Yeah, but does that help people get more work done? For me, I might get distracted. For me, the most important thing is to be in a physically comfortable space of my own with access to refreshments for an occasional break.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > benjrblant 01/26/2018 at 15:14

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This just in, Google Offices look like a real like Entertainment 7/20

benjrblant > Chariotoflove 01/26/2018 at 15:16

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I might also get distracted. I’ve never seen a tech giant’s office with people in it let alone never worked for one so I cannot speak to the vibe and dynamics, but it seems that lots of “huddle rooms” or huddle spaces are a popular request in tech offices. Lots of spaces for small group chat and meetings. One of the most noticeable things about tech offices is that work and the workspace almost entirely revolves around the employees and a laptop or pc of some kind. There’s not really a lot of printed stuff or tangible work.

This office type seems to work very well for Google.

Chariotoflove > benjrblant 01/26/2018 at 15:19

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I see value in that. When I was a postdoc, we had a shared office, and that was good for huddling. But most of my interaction was in the lab while doing experiments. A very different kind of work environment from Google.

Ash78, voting early and often > benjrblant 01/26/2018 at 15:32

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I remember working at an ad agency full of toys, great break areas, cool designs everywhere, an atrium, etc.

The pay was horrid and I ended up getting fired in part because the playful atmosphere became a little too unprofessional. It was hard to get anything done.

The best office benefit you can have are good monitors and sometimes good headphones. That’s my conclusion after 17 years in the workforce. Because that’s where you spend all your time. Everything else is just to entice you to stay in the office longer.

Sorry to poo-poo cool design, I just see through it. Corporations don’t want you to leave. Ever. It’s a modern, sly version of company towns in the old mining and sharecropping days. Google might as well pay you in Googlecoins. We’re almost there.

(I do know two insiders who are very happy, but mostly because the pay makes them happy)

benjrblant > Ash78, voting early and often 01/26/2018 at 15:34

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I had my fair share of jobs that didn’t pay all that well, had almost zero benefits “but we have a couch and free snacks!”

Software industry seems to have its own expectations of what constitutes an office.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > benjrblant 01/26/2018 at 22:57

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My last place did something like this on the one floor. It gave me anxiety on how poorly it was laid out.

For Sweden > Ash78, voting early and often 01/31/2018 at 22:06

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Also comfortable chairs if you ever work at a desk. I have a Herman Miller Aeron chair at my desk, and would give up many perks before I’d give up that chair.