Google Continues To Rethink The Role Of Office Space

Google’s famous humble beginnings were in a Silicon Valley garage, a story that has gone on to inspire hundreds of startups.

Years after its founding, the company moved into a campus called the Googleplex, which would again inspire other companies to rethink what the physical workplace could mean to company culture as a whole.

Once again, Google is redefining the office itself by transitioning to a hybrid work model, allowing employees to continue working from home who don’t want to return to the office full-time.

Additionally, Google is expecting to alter around 10% of their office design in order to accommodate the new needs and desires of the young workforce.

This includes designing what Google is calling “Team Pods” which start as a blank canvas and can be easily adjusted based on the needs of workers. These spaces can be equipped with chairs, desks, and whiteboards and rearranged within hours if necessary.

To better accommodate the blend of remote and office workers, Google is also launching a new meeting room called Campfire. This space will allow in-person attendees to sit in a circle that includes large displays showing the faces of workers who are attending the meeting virtually. Doing so gives the sense that remote workers are fully integrated into meetings.

Across various locations, Google is building outdoor work areas, such Camp Charleston at its Silicon Valley headquarters. The space that once served as a parking lot and lawn area now features a fenced-in mix of grass and wooden decks, large teepees to serve as meeting areas, as well as tennis courts and Wi-Fi.