At the end of 2012, Google opened its new Tel Aviv offices, which feature an array of creative and uniquely themed office landscapes. Covering 8,000 square meters (86,111 sq.ft), the offices are spread across seven floors with each floor designed around a different theme. These include Culture & Heritage, Friends & Family, Joy & Optimism, Energy & Vitality, Innovation & Hospitality, Dream & Delight and Humor & Fun.
With over 30,000 employees worldwide to keep happy, (and plenty of money in the bank), this is not the first time Google has gone all out with its interior office design. The London offices features Brighton Beach sheds, New York hosts retro video game themes, Zurich has a bunch of environmental pods, and Toronto even has a rooftop mini golf course.
Designed by Swiss Design Team Camenzind Evolution in collaboration with Setter Architects and Studio Yaron Tal, the new office space is located in the Electra Tower in Central Tel Aviv and hopes to “inspire” fruitful collaborations between co-workers. The space caters for a team of approximately 200 engineers and 50 sales and marketing employees, who are currently working on recent initiatives such as Google Suggest, the Digital Dead Sea Scrolls Project, Live Results and the Personal Finder Application.
Computer desks are a non event in many areas, with corridors resembling the streets of small towns and a surfer's meeting room sitting amid a series of beach-inspired zones. An indoor desert, orchard and “outdoor” picnic area also feature, with three distinct and fully-equipped themed restaurants to keep the employees fed.
“It's not so much about inspiration but about a deep understanding how people work and what kind of work environment will help them to excel at their work,” Camenzind Evolution's Executive Director, Stefan Camenzind, told Gizmag.
To make sure the staff do get some work done, the layout does include a clear separation between the traditional desk-based work zones and the more creative areas, which are designed to be conducive to brainstorming or collaborating.
“Each area is designed to be ideally suited for a certain time and a certain task,” said Camenzind. “So hopefully the Googlers will have many favorite places they like to use depending on their mood and on their work.”
The Google Tel Aviv offices have also received LEED Gold certification, scoring highly for the use of low-emitting materials, certified wood, rapidly renewable materials and optimized energy performance. Furthermore the eighth floor hosts Google's new "Campus Tel Aviv," which provides a base camp for entrepreneurs, developers and new start-up companies.
Source: Camenzind Evolution, Setter Architects via Forbes
