The article asks me to prepare for a "serious case of office-envy." My lack thereof: http://m.imgur.com/wMzLSjo.

Oh wow. A door. That must be nice.

Hard surfaces everywhere. The acoustical consultant in me takes one look at those pictures and wants to start crying.

YES. I was thinking the same thing. The last building I was in was converted from an old industrial space. There were noise cancelling devices in the ceiling. You couldn't hear the person sitting across the table from you.

Noise canceling? Got a link? I am aware of white noise machines but not noise-canceling. Presently building out a new office and would love to see details.

I'm not an acoustical engineer but my understanding is that noise canceling devices are usually passive - think of the oddly shaped foam panels you see in recording studios: https://www.google.com/search?q=anechoic+chamber&source=lnms...

Or, in an extreme example, the ones you see in anechoic chambers: https://www.google.com/search?q=anechoic+chamber&source=lnms...

The foam devices serve to both absorb sound energy, and to scatter the remaining sound energy at a variety of angles, where much of it will collide with other reflected sound waves and cancel out.

I needed some acoustic foam for a small project at home and found this place. They seemed pretty affordable (and had lots of colors) compared to other places, though I'm far from an expert and I was only buying ~$40 of foam so I didn't exactly spent too much time comparison shopping: http://www.foambymail.com/acoustical-foam-products.html

I'm pretty certain he means noise dampening, and you knew that.

I truly didn't; the use of the word "device" and the word "canceling" hints at something active. I've not heard of foam before referred to as a "device".

One thing I like (and is so obvious) is to use the roof. It's insane how much wasted space exists on building/office rooftops.

I would run there every single day if I worked there.

Where's a photo of this massive open floor?

It looks kind of like this, except with computers and people sitting at them http://boysandfrogs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/costco2.j...

I'd die of glutteny with 1.50 hotdogs and coke.

Don't insult Costco like that.

No pictures of day to day work space, alas.

I saw this one from Chris Marra

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10204715357418943

Ah, that is Zuckberg and Schrep embracing the open floor plan by commandeering a conference room for a small two person meeting.

'Open floor plan' doesn't mean there's no leeway if you want to have a private discussion, or a meeting with more than 2-3 people for more than 5 minutes.

So they invented a conference room or office that can't accommodate those with mobility issues?

"Someone clear a path for the wheelchair!"

Really? We're that politically correct now that we can't have a joke meeting-room-ballpit to celebrate the opening of a new building without offending someone?

The Americans with Disabilities Act exists for a reason. It's not about being "politically correct", it's about accessibility. And yes, it's the law.

Have you ever seen a company where the actual work space is shown?

That's the key, there isn't any!

(kidding)

It's nothing fancy.

The first two pictures look like a prison

> non-gimmicky this Gehry building looks on the outside

I feel similarly about a lot of Gehry's more well known work.

I'm interested to see how the building performs. If only I worked in Facebook management...