Google European Center in Zurich

[Eagle43]

Well, I have sworn off the 9-5 routine forever. But, if I ever decided to return, here's where I want to go.

BBC NEWS | Technology | Google your way to a wacky office

Quote: If your ideal workspace includes a slide, a games room, a 'chill-out' aquarium and plenty of free food then you had better get your CV into Google. Dotcom companies were defined by beanbags and pizza but Google, a company that came to prominence after the bubble had burst, has taken that image to a whole new level.
Meeting 'pods' in the style of Swiss chalets and igloos, fireman poles to allow easy access between floors and a slide to ensure that people can get to the cafeteria as quickly as possible are all part of a design of its new European engineering headquarters in Zurich Switzerland.
The building was designed for - and partly by - the 300 engineers who will work there.


CANOE -- MONEY: Google's European tech center in Zurich

[Texas Proud]

The thing they do not tell you is they have all this 'stuff' because they want you to be at work ALL THE TIME....

This is not your 40 hour per week workplace...

My question is does it produce higher or better output?

[RunningBum]

A friend of mine worked for a company that got acquired by Google in Austin and loves it. Great lunches, etc.

Some of that stuff in Zurich looks too quirky, like the cable cars. You are knee-to-knee with the other person. Those pods look pretty clausterphobic too.

And I see how they did all this and keep costs down. See slide #5. Desks back to back and side by side with no privacy. You better believe you're expected to do lots of work and not just spend time playing on the Wii or relaxing by the aquarium, so you'll be spending most of your time in slide 5. I guess I'd be doing most of my work from home and coming in to socialize or goof off.