General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsArchitect behind Googleplex now says it's 'dangerous' to work at such a posh office
For more than three decades, Clive Wilkinson has been among the most sought-after office designers in the world. He has planned spaces for the likes of Microsoft, Disney, Intuit and other companies seeking unorthodox approaches to work life.
But he now has regrets about what is perhaps his most famous work: Googleplex, the tech giant's posh headquarters in Mountain View, Calif.
Wilkinson helped lay out Google's campus after winning its design competition in 2004, leading him to work directly with Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin.
"Larry and Sergey said at the time, 'We don't really have any reference point but the Stanford campus model,' " said Wilkinson.
In Mountain View, what emerged was a maze of well-lit nooks, bleachers and clubhouse rooms to encourage collaboration. The office would also become famous for its amenities: Gourmet meals. Fitness classes. Organic gardens. Massage rooms. Laundry services. Private parks. Volleyball courts. Swimming pools. And so on.
https://www.npr.org/2022/01/22/1073975824/architect-behind-googleplex-now-says-its-dangerous-to-work-at-such-a-posh-office
______________________________________________________________
I love what he says further down about office "cubicle farms"
lapfog_1
(29,199 posts)The goal of the companies has always been to have the workers put in 60 or 80 hours a week.
Anything they can do to keep you working..
catered food at lunch, late night free pizza, free soda, gourmet coffee (one place I worked at spend $14,000 for a single express machine). Place I am at now offers free oil change for your vehicle while you are in the office along with the usual Silly Valley employee bennies.
But the trade off is stock options that MIGHT make you a millionaire and interesting work.
Demovictory9
(32,454 posts)luxurious on-site perks have made workers too dependent on the company, a situation he calls "dangerous."
Employees have no reason to leave campus to explore local cafes, restaurants or grocery stores because everything is handed to them. To Wilkinson, overly coddling workers like this is "fundamentally unhealthy."
who wants to stay at work all day and night
Demsrule86
(68,561 posts)4Q2u2
(1,406 posts)Large construction companies always moved their Junior Engineers across the country, isolating them so they wound up working 80 to 90 hours( on salary of course, no OT) a week because there was nothing else to do. Even if that company had major projects in that persons area.