Comments on: Buildings designed for Software Engineers http://designblog.nzeldes.com/2008/05/buildings-designed-for-software-engineers/ Nathan Zeldes blogs on everyday product design Thu, 21 Aug 2008 02:08:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Nathan Zeldes http://designblog.nzeldes.com/2008/05/buildings-designed-for-software-engineers/#comment-292 Nathan Zeldes Fri, 30 May 2008 05:36:59 +0000 http://designblog.nzeldes.com/2008/05/buildings-designed-for-software-engineers/#comment-292 Thanks for the inside view, Mike. Looks like the ones enjoying the Dilbert dream are mainly the coders - which actually makes sense. Too bad they sometimes cave in to pressure... Thanks for the inside view, Mike. Looks like the ones enjoying the Dilbert dream are mainly the coders - which actually makes sense. Too bad they sometimes cave in to pressure…

]]> By: Mike Smith-Lonergan http://designblog.nzeldes.com/2008/05/buildings-designed-for-software-engineers/#comment-290 Mike Smith-Lonergan Thu, 29 May 2008 22:21:21 +0000 http://designblog.nzeldes.com/2008/05/buildings-designed-for-software-engineers/#comment-290 I worked on the Redmond campus for a couple of years, and as I heard tell, the design of those early buildings was definitely to maximize the number of offices that had a window (by maximizing the external surface area), but it wasn't a requirement that every office has a window (even then - now it's far less strict). Offices are still a given on campus, but not in the sales & marketing offices, and in the tech support pools (what few remain that are staffed with blue badges), cubicles were still pretty common. For those groups in buildings with only offices, double-occupancy is not uncommon, and tripling is used under duress (or if you're "just a green badge"). For those groups being moved into the "newer" buildings (e.g. SpaceLabs), the offices are being built smaller and cramped, but they're still pretty committed overall to the concept of a door - though the social pressures can sometimes discourage closing the door on your teammates. Compression still happens, just in different ways - and a door still isn't proof against noise from neighbours, since the walls are often thin drywall and the ceilings are made from those ubiquitous "fibreglass tiles/sheets". I worked on the Redmond campus for a couple of years, and as I heard tell, the design of those early buildings was definitely to maximize the number of offices that had a window (by maximizing the external surface area), but it wasn’t a requirement that every office has a window (even then - now it’s far less strict).

Offices are still a given on campus, but not in the sales & marketing offices, and in the tech support pools (what few remain that are staffed with blue badges), cubicles were still pretty common. For those groups in buildings with only offices, double-occupancy is not uncommon, and tripling is used under duress (or if you’re “just a green badge”).

For those groups being moved into the “newer” buildings (e.g. SpaceLabs), the offices are being built smaller and cramped, but they’re still pretty committed overall to the concept of a door - though the social pressures can sometimes discourage closing the door on your teammates.

Compression still happens, just in different ways - and a door still isn’t proof against noise from neighbours, since the walls are often thin drywall and the ceilings are made from those ubiquitous “fibreglass tiles/sheets”.

]]>