Tuesday, October 06, 2015
Here's a look at what you might have missed in Pittsburgh's Coolest Offices Month
Pittsburgh Business Times: September was Coolest Offices Month at the Business Times. We asked readers if their offices were special and, if so, to send us photos and tell us what made them unique. To say we were overwhelmed with the response is an understatement. More than a hundred companies from across the region answered the call for submissions.
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Running through these pictures, there's one aspect that's present in almost every shot: natural lighting. Whether you notice or not, you're a lot more relaxed and productive when you're near a window. Sometimes, if the window is open and privy to a lot of street noise, it can be distracting, but the fact of the matter is that natural light and a connection with the outside world is good for productivity. Seasonal affective disorder is a real thing. Bringing this into a theatrical sense, maybe that's why we, in theater, are stressed out from time to time - we can't see the sun. I used to have an app on my phone called "Is it Dark Outside?" Basically, you would start the app and it would either tell you yes or no, depending on your time zone. I downloaded it as a joke, but it's actually really sad. I would be stuck inside in a theater/rehearsal room for so long that I wouldn't see the sun. The sky shows you the passage of time in a way that a clock can't. It reminds you that there is a life outside of your job. However, it can have an opposite effect if it's a beautiful day and you're stuck in focus for the the 9th straight hour. Then, I guess it's better to not know what I'm missing. In conclusion, we would be more productive in theater with a window, but anyone that can fog a mirror wouldn't install one in the performance space.
There are clearly trends in office design in the past 10 years and a lot of them reflect the current trends in other areas of design. Things that I noticed from the gallery are open spaces (less division), minimal design, and overall creating a space where you want to work. I have not formed solid thoughts on whether I would like more or less division in my work space just because I haven't had that much experience in either, but I think the less cubicles and more open spaces you have for people to work encourages collaboration and discussion, two things that increase the morale of the office. The more divisions an office has, the more of a hierarchy is created. My personal tastes lead towards a minimalist style which I enjoy because of the absence of distractions and cleaner atmosphere, which I think would help boost productivity. If these current trends continue, I'd be happy to work in a office.
What a cool variety, and all in the area too. Like Katie said the definite trend has been natural lighting although that is just a theme of modern architecture. If you go into Wean it is dark, internally lit, and generally just kind of miserable. but if you go into Gates the changes in architecture are reflected in the enormous amount of light and open space. But just because it is a trend does not mean it is present in all of them. A lot of those had neither lighting or space and the people still look happy. There is clearly something to be said for corporate culture, and how an office is managed. I would love to work in many of these buildings, but if I had to give that up to work at a company with a great culture I would probably consider it pretty heavily. Also I am super jealous of the one where they have a conference table on a patio. That is amazing.
The discussion about natural lighting is actually something I've learned to care a lot about. Where you spend your day can really heavily affect how much you like your job...even if it's something you love doing. I worked in a basement with no windows for a year and halfway through that year we asked our boss if we could switch from having fluorescent lighting to natural lighting and it really made all the difference. It's such a simple thing, but working in a space that is comfortable for everyone in it makes your day better overall and this eventually yields better results from your employees. I purposefully park myself next to windows whenever possible, because it just makes me feel better.
There are some really amazing offices on this site for so many different reasons. I love the ones that seem like a lot of fun, particularly the one with the slide or the one with all the tabletop games. While it does pose the threat of distracted workers or loss of respect from visiting clients, I think it is extremely important to make sure the people in your office are happy and enjoy coming in everyday. Another huge part of people's happiness in a workplace is really how much sunlight they are getting. There are few things more miserable than working in a windowless space with fluorescent lights 40 hours per week. Over the summer, my boss would let me take my laptop outside to the 17th floor deck, which was really wonderful because office life is pretty difficult for me to handle every day of the week. Instead I was able to sit in the sun and do my work to the tune of New York below me. It really did wonders for my spirit. The days that I had to stay inside and sit at the same desk from 10 to 6 were fairly miserable, just because I felt trapped in my laptop. So I'm a huge fan of the offices in this article with big windows, or decks, or at the very least large working spaces. Some of them are also really beautiful, which always helps with efficiency.
I love the trend of offices becoming more collaborative, open spaces. I have worked in both offices with open space and offices with closed off rooms or cubicles, and the open spaces definitely felt more efficient and collaboration friendly. When you are working in an office with closed off rooms, it can feel intimidating to enter a room, as it feels as if you are intruding. This is something I notice every time I visit my dad's office in New York. My dad's office has an open floor with closed off cubicles, and then closed off rooms for partners. In my dad's office, he often keeps the door open. However, even with the door open, everyone that comes to see my dad knocks on the door and says something like "sorry to interrupt." I've always felt this layout does not send the best message to the staff at my dad's firm. Of course, not all industries lend themselves to an open office layout. A law firm's office needs to be very different than an event producing company's due to the nature of the work. However, I do think there are things that can be done to improve upon the closed of nature of office space. For example, instead of having solid walls, perhaps glass walls will send a message that the partner's office spaces are open to all. Also, having food available in an office can greatly increase the level of efficiency. Free food always makes people happy, and it also means your employees do not need to take as long of a break as usual, since they do not need to go out to purchase food at lunch time. Investing in office environment can definitely pay off, as long as there is reason behind each design choice.
Open, airy, colorful, cheerful, playful, all of these offices have many qualities that make them interesting to look at, but I also think that these qualities will improve the quality of work and the productivity of work achieved by their employees. A clean, happy work environment can make it so much more worthwhile to go to work and get things done. If the place you work is dingy, you are less likely to get work done or will get it done at a lower quality level. I also think the openness of the office spaces make such a big difference in the collaborative efforts of teams so that people are much more willing to come and go from each other’s offices as needed.
I wonder how we can incorporate some of these design ideas into a theatre. I think having a gym and full kitchen available could make a lot of difference. People who exercise regularly and eat healthier tend to be happier and making those easier to do in an environment with long work hours could make a lot of difference over time. I would love to work at a place that had both!
While I was looking through the slide show, each photo got me so exited. Each office made me excited about working somewhere like that. I agree with the above commenters about the natural lighting. Sunlight can make a world of difference when it comes to productivity. For example, when I have crew in the costume shop, as the sun goes down and the room gets darker and the light sources start to come from the overhead lights. I start to feel less motivated and my productivity and efficiency goes down. But when I move my crew earlier and start at 4:30, the light remains throughout the call. I feel more excited to work and I remain efficient from start to finish. Another aspect that many of these offices have is that they look clean and slightly futuristic. I don't know what it is about locations like this, but I somehow makes me want to work more efficiently than when I'm in another space. When I'm working in Hunt, I'm less productive than when I'm working in Gates. The look and feel of the atmosphere heavily influences productivity. This may be why I was unable to efficiently work in 33. Very little natural lighting combined with a very cluttered space. Perhaps what we've learned from this is that the freshmen studio needs a makeover.
Going through all of these pictures, it made me happy to see just how beautiful and innovative plain things like office spaces in Pittsburgh can be. This article is simply more proof to me that Pittsburgh is a wonderful city for ideas to form and grow and where inspiration can be found anywhere you look. It also makes me excited to see that people are breaking away from the traditional ideas of design for typical areas and putting creativity and modern engineering to work. If I had to be stuck in an office all day, I wouldn't mind working in any of these offices because they all seem to be built with the works mental health and working efficiency in mind.
Look at all the windows. All these designs have gorgeous amounts of natural light and beautiful and interesting colors and things to do and they all look like fantastic space to work it. I truly appreciated the picture of the shop with the wall of windows. It's beautiful. I really wish we had more work spaces like this at CMU. 33 can feel so cramped sometimes with all of us shoved in there with no room to breathe and no window to escape through. The lighting is at a constant level and its so easy to lose track of time. It's 5 pm one minute and then suddenly its midnight and you still haven't eaten dinner. Daylight is extremely important for maintaining a regular schedule and it grounds you in time. Without it, there is no reason to stop working, go home, and sleep. The same thing goes for a shop. Back in high school I'd loose track of time and be surprised when the sun had gone down. The costumes shop is blessed to have such an abundance of natural light. It's easy to work in and you can watch as time passes. For me, windows make all the difference.
These are all really cool. I looked through the slideshows and really liked the unique styles of each one. Some were more laid back and others were high fashion and modern maybe suggesting that their company is more fast paced. I worked at a few places over the years who have offices that are very themed. A architecture firm a couple years back had a very simple but elegant design that helped illustrate their modern yet simplistic/efficient designs. they also picked the colors based on tones from their designs as well as their logo. Another office I worked at over the summer showed walls that illustrated their art and works. The walls were very colorful and showed a wide range of themes and stories. I think the design of an office tells a little bit about the people working there much like a home is able to tell us a little bit about the people who live there. If there is a lot of ornate decor then it is a very complicated or old fashioned process. an opposite example in the article would be a very simple design with large windows is geared towards a very natural way of working. I think that the workplace environment is key when trying to give employees an energy and mindset to represent the company.
It's amazing to see how different offices can be, and how that really sets the atmosphere of the workplace. I'm always very aware of my surroundings, both interior and exterior, and they do have a great impact on my mood. CMU is a big adjustment since everything from classrooms to my bedroom is completely changed. It's important to note that different people work well under different conditions. Some like to work with others in a rather loud and lively environment, while others like to work in more quiet surroundings. The first time I sat in someone else's seat in 33, I realized how different their environment can be and the difference seating alone can make although we're all in the same room. If that was my seat, I would've had a very different experience. I think this goes to show how every detail in an office can make a big difference, and I can see why companies are making the effort to create a good workspace.
OH my goodness these spaces are amazing. If I had to be stuck in an office for my life’s work it would probably have to be a space like these; big windows and a good amount of space. I hate the idea of working at a desk for my whole life, but this article reminds me of my summer. Where I worked they were re-doing the offices and it was a big deal because all of the designers and managers were being placed in an open environment. Basically this means, no cubicles, but tables with computers separating people. The spaces in the slideshow seem to also be open spaces. On one hand this is the more conducive environment for collaboration, but I observed it as just being really distracting. I know in PTM now I wish there were panels or something that could put me in my own little space.
Wow, there are a few things that struck me immediately about all these different companies. One, it seems like each employ a literal army of people inside one building. I guess working in different arts organizations that are all relatively small in scale, you don't really get that grand organizational feel, but just these pictures of offices alone reminds me how large some companies can get under one roof. The 2nd thing, like other people have noted, is the use of natural lighting in all of these offices. It is actually interesting because the motive for employing natural lighting is twofold. One is that yes, people in general have a preference for natural lighting, especially in an office setting. But two, the practice of "daylighting" is actually pretty huge in architecture right now for cost savings and captured efficiencies, both in the reduced electrical costs for lighting and heating. It really is one of those situations where it is a win win for the end user and creator. I just wish the LPS in Purnell had some more natural lighting..
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