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Offbeat Offices Push the Envelope to Keep Workers

It began with the percolator, that hulking piece of machinery that brewed coffee for the ranks; then the microwave and refrigerator migrated to the workplace. Management got daring and brought in a gym, childcare and ping-pong tables. Office parties became exciting. Workplace attire went all sorts of casual. Then your dog could come to work. And now this.


Funky offices

Offices with the latest in architecture and technology. Fun and meaningful offices with wide-open spaces designed to raise morale, inspire long hours and create an ensemble work environment. Never mind the client. These spaces are designed to impress the worker. NeoBrands’ new 18,000-square-foot warehouse, uh, office, is pretty radical. A bright orange fire pole shoots down from a catwalk that cuts diagonally three flights above the floor. Though entertaining and conversational, it’s the no-wall, no-doors layout and open workspace that makes NeoBrands’ offices distinctive, said Chip Shafer, chiefexecutive officer of the high-tech focused ad firm. Shafer came up with the ideas and architectural firm Gensler in Newport Beach designed the space. The whole idea is to “promote an ensemble workspace,” Shafer said. And having an interesting workplace doesn’t hurt recruiting either. “It’s a chance to work for a company that has pushed the old model out the door.” NeoBrands has 40 employees in Orange County and needs to hire 50 more by year-end, Shafer said. Cutting down the cubicle walls is essential for idea sharing, he said. “We can stand up and see everyone.” In fact, you can see virtually everywhere from any location in the office. “We need to be faster, nimbler in the new economy than we had been.”


Artistic Approach

Forgoing the traditional maze-like cubicle look, NeoBrands took a more artistic approach. The X-shaped cube section belongs to the Web site developers, the L-shaped pod is for the media planners and the zig-zag area is for the art directors. But it’s the accountants who have the most unique space. They are caged within a playground chain-link fence topped with barbed wire. Shafer, who used to have a 400-square-foot office at NeoBrands’ prior location, now has an 8-by-8-foot cube on the floor,just like everyone else. High-tech companies like Intel have been doing it for years. It’s the no-barrier, common-humanity approach to running a business. “It’s not about hierarchy. It’s about working together,” he said. “It’s easier to influence them if you don’t put up walls.” But there are a few “walls” for privacy. The ice cream cone- shaped “thinkubator” is neoBrands’ version of a conference room. The walls are made of sailcloth, the same kind used on a boat. Another conference room is made of fiberglass, and a few small private rooms offer quiet areas for personal phone calls. What Steve Chesterman likes about neoBrands’ new office is “you’re not restricted to your cubes.” Chesterman is an “account architect,” for neoBrands. Teams can meet in the “Starbucks” area, he said. The large caf & #233; with stainless steel tables and wooden chairs is where you can plug in a laptop, log on to the Internet and scribble endlessly on whiteboard that takes up an entire wall. Employees, by the way, own their laptops if they stay longer than a year.


Meals Delivered

Shafer put in the caf & #233; to “save them from getting in the car and loading up on McDonald’s.” A chef will be delivering lunch onsite at a nominal cost. And if that’s not enough, neoBrands’ kitchen offers amenities like a dishwasher, large fridge, blender and lots of coffee,the purveyor (Peet’s Coffee & Tea) was chosen by the employees in a taste test. Employees aren’t getting all this attention because management is getting soft. Just the opposite. Management is expecting more, according to a recently released survey by Sage Software Inc. in Irvine. Employees, especially those in the high-tech arena, are working longer hours. Other offices are stretching the office space boundaries too. RiechesBaird’s Irvine office has a space-age sleek and colorful,purple, blue and green,look. The unique appearance is intended to “stir the creative juices for our employees,” said Lynn Howes, public relations manager. “Fore!” and “Meet me at the clubhouse” might be heard at TeleCore Inc. The golf motif at TeleCore’s new University Research Park location even includes a place to putt. The management went out of its way to make a fun place to work, said Kyle van Hoften, director of public relations. It promotes a familial environment and is good for morale,he said.

Kore, a technology company near the beach in Newport Beach, melds office life and personal life. A bookshelf doubles as a skateboard rack and surfers store their boards at work for midday indulgence.


High-Tech Important

High-tech perks are important, too, Shafer said. NeoBrands is wired with two dedicated T1 lines. Employees can make copies from the network and read voicemail via their computers. “Everything is state-of-the-art, technologically,” Shafer said. Best of all, NeoBrands’ adventurous corporate look is less expensive than the traditional corporate design, Shafer said. NeoBrands’ new office cost $34 per square foot to design and build, and as a matter of style, all the nuts and bolts are showing. The office is “pragmatic in an era of excess and greed,” he said. n

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