My first professional office was at the Institute for Defense Analyses in Alexandria, Virginia. It was small—walk-in-closet sized—but it was on the top floor with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the woods. I didn’t mind spending time there. The view of the ever-changing trees out the window let your mind wander – a necessity for deep analytical work.
My next job was in the private sector and my office was on the 10th floor of a building at L`Enfant Plaza in Washington, DC. In DC, the 10th floor is always the top floor. My actual office was nothing special— a door and a window. The winning feature was the conference room. It overlooked the Washington Monument through a semi-circle of windows. We ate lunch in that room every day. I watched 4th of July fireworks from that room. We had our Christmas parties there. You wanted to hang out in that room to take in the vista of monuments and greenspace of the National Mall.
There’s a lot of post-pandemic hand-wringing about the future of the office these days. Will knowledge workers ever return? Do they want to? Will companies require it? Will all that office space lose value? What about the safe investments in REITs?
Here’s a different thought. Design offices that people are inspired by and spaces they desire to be in.
At my last real office job in Washington, DC, we designed our own award-winning space in the National Air Traffic Controllers Association building. It was triangular with hallways surrounded by glass and light. Blond-colored hardwood floors. The conference room occupying the center of the space was all glass so when you walked in the front door you could see to the other end of the office. My office was shared with 3 other co-workers. And it was huge. Enough space for each of us to have our own private work area. Even with all that glass and wood the office felt calm and quiet.
After I left DC for Des Moines, Iowa, I worked from home. I loved the autonomy. I loved making eggs from scratch for lunch. I loved the quiet and lack of interruption. At the same time I loved the possibility of interruption from family. My kids grew up with me working from home, so they knew the cues and would close my door for me – a treat I never had in an office! I had the flexibility to work at 11 p.m. when inspiration hit. Best of all, there was no commute.
In the next 16 years, I moved through 3 different jobs all while working at home. Every company I worked for was largely remote. So all my colleagues were used to it. Chatroom apps, video calls, email, it all allowed us to collaborate effectively.
But in 2019, I accepted a job at a company with a local office.
My current office is less than 10 years old. Specifically built and designed for the company. The lobby and atrium are beautiful with lots of light and tall windows. There’s plenty of art on the walls. It has a variety of different spaces to work; from standing desks to lounge areas and couches. Most of it is filled with cubicles. It’s adjacent to the freeway. This sped the commute but increased the ambient noise inside the office.
At first it was a welcome change. As an extrovert I enjoy being with people all day. It was easy to overhear conversations and jump in. It was nice to lead projects by getting everyone together in the same room. Over time though, I enjoyed the change less. Although commuting in Des Moines is easy, it grew old. Even with a new car I liked. I went into the office primarily for the camaraderie. I wouldn’t go there just to be in the space; or to hang out in that part of town.
Then the pandemic happened. Everyone worked from home and I loved being back in a home office! Commute was gone. I got up. Made coffee and got to work. Everything was good. I didn’t ever need to go back to an office in my life. Ever. I was sure.
But a visit to a doctor made me rethink this sudden conviction. No, it wasn’t a medical diagnosis that changed my mind. It was the doctor’s office. It was on the 8th floor of a building with large, rounded glass windows overlooking the Raccoon River and Des Moines Water Works Park. I hate doctors. But I loved going to this doctor’s office. I wanted to be in that space. With that view. So different than my day-to-day view. Inspiring.
That’s when it dawned on me. I was ok with all those early office experiences because the offices were worth going to. They were inspiring in some way. You wanted to be in the office even if you weren’t required to be there. The space was calm and different than your home. You had your own room – which is rarely true at home if you have a spouse and kids. But it’s more than just a physical place you want to be. It’s public transportation that makes it easy and enjoyable to get to your place of work. It’s a workplace neighborhood that feels alive with people to remind you why you work. All of these make an office a place you want to be again.
That’s the path back to the office. No more cubicles. No more open space layouts. Offices with inspiring views. Commutes that evaporate due to great public transportation. A neighborhood around the office that calls to you when the office is closed. Places you want to be.
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