When New York City is your backdrop, it’s hard to complain about your surroundings. That said, every employee deserves an office space that makes them feel welcome and comfortable no matter where they are; be it at the cross of a busy intersection or in the middle of an off-the-beaten-path suburb. This is even more important in a city where feeling lonely among 8 million other people is not an uncommon or unfounded gripe.
We spoke to two employees about why their office fits their needs and reflects their company culture. They told us why, from fully-stocked fridges to outdoor basketball courts, these spaces feel inspired.
With an eager welcoming committee made up of four-legged friends, it can be easy to overlook the incredible interior design and functional aspects of the space at The Farmer’s Dog. But when you paws from petting your new favorite pal, you’ll notice the open spaces and cozy atmosphere that makes up the West Village digs. We spoke with Co-Founder Brett Podolsky about what the team loves most about the office. Hint: they bark.
What’s the coolest or most unique feature of your office? How does this reflect the culture of your company?
Well, it’s obviously the dogs! We’re a dog-friendly office and usually have anywhere from five to 10 running around on any given day. It’s just so much fun, and it’s always a great reminder of why we’re doing what we’re doing. And there’s a fantastic dog run just blocks away, in Washington Square Park. The park and the West Village neighborhood in general for that matter, is one of the coolest and most vibrant in the city. We’re right in the middle of some of the best restaurants in the world, it’s amazingly historic, and again, there are always great dogs around.
Both species are equally grateful for his incredible work!’’
What’s your team’s favorite part of the office and why?
We’ve only been in our new office for a couple of months now, but I’m pretty sure everyone’s favorite part is the big communal kitchen, where our office manager, Kareem, is always cooking up something good for everyone to eat. He’s been with us since we started, and he’s gone from managing our dog food kitchen to our human food kitchen. Both species are equally grateful for his incredible work! The only downside with all the dogs around is you do have to keep an eye on your food, or else some of them have been known to snatch it!
At Paperspace, the cloud computing and machine learning development platform isn’t the only thing built with a solid infrastructure. Walk into the office and you’ll be greeted with tall ceilings, open-concept rooms and industrial decor. Operations Manager Sophie McNeill gave us a virtual tour of the space, below.
What’s the coolest or most unique feature of your office? How does this reflect the culture of your company?
The amount of space! One of our product managers recently noted that the office creates an epic and spacious feeling, like everything is possible. We have a large parking lot adjacent to the office with a grill and basketball hoop for casual hangouts and parties. We also have a huge downstairs area for team dinners and meetups. We sponsor hackathons and meetups downstairs to cultivate community, support others in parallel industries, and foster networking.
...The office creates an epic and spacious feeling, like everything is possible.’’
What’s your team’s favorite part of the office and why?
According to an informal poll, the plants, natural light, and giant couch are top contenders for the favorite part of the office.
Our CEO has continuously added more and more plants over our tenure at the office, and there are more to come for sure. Like the plants, the enormous windows and skylights bring the outdoors into the office. The couch is the centerpiece of the downstairs area, where people can socialize, recharge with a quick meditation, or have an impromptu meeting.
