Research suggests that the work environment can have a huge impact on business success, and it’s important to get it right. Some offices in this world are just plain boring, whereas some are the clear opposite, we all know as a population who work to survive that a lifeless workspace can be draining, dull and make work a hard place to be. Studies show that a collaborative and vibrant office environment can have great impact on a businesses success and growth.
Yes, your office may hit all aspects of what an office should be but just take a seat for a second to admire the big boys, these structures below show how it’s really done!
Founded by Steve Jobs, Apple invested heavily into a project back in 2010 in which they fittingly named ‘Apple Park’. You may look at the image above and question, is it a spaceship? Is it a stadium? the answer is no, in fact it is Apple’s state of the art headquarters.
This impressive energy efficient building was complete in April 2017 and cost the company a total of $5billion! Considering some of the features and areas found throughout the headquarters, this price tag begins to make a lot more sense. From the roof covered in solar panels (and we mean every square inch) to the 10,000 capacity car park found beneath the structure for employees , Apple just continue to impress.
We could honestly talk about the features of the main building and what is found within for hours upon hours, but let’s juts pick out the standout points. The main building and the park within is obviously noteworthy, the shape of the HQ which surrounds the park is for collaborative purposes. The glass filled interior of the building and community feeling around the park encourages staff to cooperate more effectively to drive innovation. With other attractions throughout the park, such as the rainbow music stage in memory of Steve jobs as well as the wellness centre, it truly does just breathe positivity and innovation.
With colourful spaces, plentiful greenery and quirky features, the Googleplex certainly lives up to Google’s reputation for doing things differently. Believe it or not, this in fact a method of motivation as they look to create the ‘happiest , most productive workplace in the world. As part of the company’s culture they stand by ‘casual collision’ , showing the importance of collaboration in driving creativity and productivity.
At Google, it is reinforced that all employees are to work together from senior management to juniors. Studies show this is incredibly effective in productivity as more information is created and shared .To ensure the impact they are looking for will work, everything – from the colours of walls, to the positioning of rooms/outbuildings is carefully analysed and implemented.
A great insight into how this impressive building works is through the film ‘internship’ starring Owen Wilson. The film shows the importance of collaboration and how carefully Google pick their employees to ensure they can trust them to perform at their best in their ‘not all work’ environment.
I mean I guess this one isn’t technically a HQ or even really an office but it is too impressive to miss off this list. We all know that Amazon and its founder Jeff Bezos are very successful, but as a company they have never really been one to standout in physical form due to their focus on online presence. You could say the one aspect that Amazon were missing compared to other big MNC’s is an eye catching structure…
When built , questions were asked over the purpose of the investment; ‘The purpose and aim of this building was to create a unique environment where employees could collaborate and innovate’ – stated by the vice president of Amazon’s global real estate and facilities.
This project certainly added to the sprawl of Seattle’s urban centre and aids in providing communal areas for employees, meeting areas for all, retail stores and most importantly a wide range of natural wildlife. The building contains over 40,000 plants from over 50 countries around the world, all controlled by Amazon’s own horticulturalist (Ron Gagliardo). From top to bottom the place is just utterly awe-inspiring, from the architectural design to the interior features and gorgeous wildlife. Amazon really did it again with this one!
Believe it or not, Tony Stark did not design nor build this impressive structure. Whilst holding a stark enterprise look about it, the shape of this outstanding building was for no other reason than to show off the perceived elegance of McLaren.
This stunning structure based in Surrey, England is made up of two buildings, one of which is the main building (acting as the main headquarters) and the newer of the two which is McLaren’s new production centre. This is where McLaren cars are produced, adapted and innovated. This building alongside the 1000 employees is a huge the reason for the success of the company in both sporting achievements and revenue.
Inside the building is years upon years of McLaren’s famous designs, providing employees with motivation as they stand in awe over the companies greatest inventions of all time, hoping to be a part of that. Models range from the great McLaren M6GT to the more famously known McLaren F1.
This building is truly as impressive as it looks and is home to one of the greatest car manufacturers of all time. This building shown is directly adjacent from the main BMW HQ building, the design represents the top of a piston and its larger companion (the HQ) resembles the four cylinder engine of a car. As mentioned , both buildings are found just meters within each other and share the same space but hold unique purposes.
The HQ is where the work, planning, and business happens, whereas the welt acts as the attraction of the space. BMW uses this building to provide customers with a staged experience when a vehicle is purchased from the product line. This special feature involves a huge glass hall in which the customers cars are lifted up via round elevator platforms.
However it’s use isn’t only for the high end customers but also fans of the brand, providing the public with a building containing a restaurant and a BMW merchandise shop. Public are also able to book exhibitions to the museum building located beside the WELT to see their favourite BMW cars of all time.
