This Office Forces Employees to Quit at 6 PM by 'Disappearing'
Hate working late? You may want to consider taking up a career in design and moving to the Netherlands.
The brilliant minds who built the Amsterdam-based design studio Heldergroen had one specific thing in mind when they created the space: Emphasizing work-life balance for their employees. After 6 PM, the office “disappears,” leaving an open space that can be used as “a dance floor, yoga studio, trend session, networking reception, or anything else you can think of — the floor is literally yours,” creative director Sander Veenendaal explained to Fast Company's Co.Exist blog.
To create the open space, the work tables (along with the computers and other objects on them) get pulled up into the ceiling. They’re attached to the ceiling by steel cables, and the entire mechanism is based on theater production techniques for moving backdrops. During the work day, the tables balance on rolling cabinets that can get pushed out of the way at night.
When the office isn’t in use, Heldergroen lets others use the space for free, which can be a boon for fledgling artists or start-ups who need a space where they can work or display their work. The space is also sustainable, and was designed inside a century-old chocolate factory. The cabinets are made from flattened car doors, while the desks were formerly telephone poles.
The intelligent workspace should come as no surprise to fans of Danish design. The country is known for its commitment to sustainability, intelligent design, and innovative urban planning. A sustainably-built office that allows for more than a single purpose — while also protecting itself from potential theft of expensive equipment and confidential materials — fits right in with the Danish design mentality.
The Netherlands have consistently been high scorers in the OECD’s Better Life Index’s work-life category, scoring third in the world in 2011. They also trend towards high scores in income, housing, and jobs. Thinking it may be time to ditch the good ol’ USA? Canada is a popular option, but you could definitely do worse than Amsterdam.
Check out the video of Heldergroen’s office in action, below.
Dutch Design Awards Heldergroen from Heldergroen on Vimeo.
[Image via screenshot - Heldergroen.nl]
