I visited Facebook’s new space a few months ago. VPE Mike Schroepfer gave me the tour. I did like it a lot, although I found a few of the areas quite dark. Maybe it was the jet lag. See the link below for an awesome visual tour.
SU – Facebook Headquarters by Studio O+A & CONTEMPORIST
Space can have a profound effect of culture, communication and productivity. Unfortunately, most entrepreneurs don’t think (or perhaps know how to think) about this enough. Make it a priority. It doesn’t have to be expensive to be good.
Yes, your startup won’t have as much money to invest in its space but that doesn’t mean you can’t create a really cool environment. Agile methodologies have helped spread the concept of more open office spaces. With less to spend on buildouts and partitioning systems there is more to spend on making the space project the energy and culture you want your company to have.
You’ll find two great examples of good spaces that didn’t cost that much in Boston at Allurent in Cambridge (which also houses Polaris‘s Dogpatch Labs) and Visible Measures in Boston.
Who else’s space do you really like?
Thanks for starting the conversation. I agree that space really does matter. The right space can energize, inspire and motivate individuals and teams to be more creative and productive. As a real estate advisor, I have walked through my fair share of space over the past 15 years. I’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly. Top three local spaces I’ve seen recently would be PhaseForward in Waltham, eDialogue in Burlington and iRobot in Bedford. Some smaller companies that have the right startup vibe are Viximo in Cambridge, Hangout Industries in Boston and PlayHard Sports in Foxboro (of all places).
Greg, I was at Viximo’s space last week. It does have that open feel. Hangout’s space is also great. Pano had fun with it.
Sim,
Thanks for the shoutout about our offices. We are having fun and trying to create an open / energetic vibe, though we’re probably smaller than a closet at Facebook! 🙂 their new offices look amazing.
Hey Sim,
Thanks for the nice mention of our digs at Allurent. I totally agree that space is hugely important for creating the right environment for something great to happen. Allurent’s space was a continuation of a bunch of ideas from Jeet’s my old ATG days and also influenced by some things Jay Chiat did at the hugely influential ad agency, Chiat/Day. In a nutshell: high ceilings, great natural light, open seating, no cubicles or horrible dividers, good sound control, and lots of unreservable rooms (we call them “pods”) nooks and crannies for ad hoc meetings and phone calls. Best thing we did in the space? We eliminated all the desk phones!!!
Thanks for the shoutout Greg. Same as Joe, you want to keep the space wide open with lots of comfy chair corners to convene and brainstorm. Its amazing what you can do without much money. Ikea throughout. Color and sparseness (is that a word?) is also very impt
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Sim, check out Daily Grommet’s space in Lexington. Proves that inexpensive does not have to be bland.
Hey, Des! I’d expect no less from Jules. 😉