Working in the middle of nature, in a tree house. You begin to feel envious of Microsoft employees, who have been given an unusual workspace, some splendid tree houses surrounded by greenery
Don't store avocado like this: it's dangerousWorking in the middle of nature, in a tree house. You begin to feel envious of Microsoft employees, who have been given an unusual workspace, some splendid tree houses surrounded by greenery.
The new outdoor meeting spaces according to Microsoft help employees connect with the environment and each other as well. To reach them you need to take a pleasant walk in the open air on a raised and accessible access ramp. At the top, a wooden gate opens and reveals a bridge suspended from wooden beams. The area smells of mint and pine as two awnings protrude from the tree trunks, providing shade for employees.
Dominating the scene, however, is a Douglas fir, inside which there is a meeting room.
The Treehouse is one of three new meeting spaces organized by famed builder Pete Nelson of Nelson Treehouse and Supply at Microsoft's Redmond headquarters. The latter kicked off the project by spending his first day on the site "connecting with the trees" for hours.
“The usual corporate sounds of slamming doors, conference calls and heels on concrete dissolve. An autumn wind sweeps through the emerald branches. Occasionally, a pine cone falls onto the deck with a light thud. A sudden noise breaks the sweet morning silence: a squirrel climbing for breakfast loaded into the arms of the nearby hemlock and western red cedar. Welcome to a new type of workspace that helps employees benefit from nature's powerful impact on creativity, focus and happiness " it is read on the official website.
Suspended about 3,5 meters above the ground, tree house number 1 features wooden walls and a ceiling equipped with a round skylight that lets in only a bubble of light.
A hand-carved double arched door opens as the badge passes. The fragrance of the raw cedar is instant. Inside the small room is a simple table with rust-colored seats. There are also wooden benches along the recycled wood walls.
Two of the three tree houses, accessible to all employees, are open to the public for meetings and business meetings. The meeting room on the cedar accepts reservations, as do many of Microsoft's more traditional meeting spaces.
A large external Wi-Fi network allows employees to move freely from one place to another; each bench is weatherproof and has an electrical outlet. There is also an indoor cafeteria, with a restaurant built into a shipping container.
Tactile surfaces have also been created to help blind or visually impaired people to move around easily. Many materials are local or recovered.
“The first thing when you enter space is that everyone is really peaceful. Stop talking and you're just there, ”said Boulter, the designer. “It is fascinating. People absorb the environment and change the perception of their work ”.
Numerous researches have confirmed connections between exposure to outdoor spaces and people's well-being. Nature triggers a kind of reward mechanism in our brain, warding off stress. This means lower cortisol levels, lower heart rate and blood pressure, and a better immune response.
“We want to give a more human touch to the workplace. In order for people to be more productive and create the best products, we want them to have the opportunity to collaborate. Each employee can take their device out, organize a meeting, even in a tree house, and be just as productive, ”Boulter said.
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Francesca Mancuso
