Talk about forward-thinking office design! Twitter, the incredibly popular social networking site, recently moved into a new space in San Francisco's SoMa district and spared no expense at providing its employees with a hip, positive and (most importantly) effective work environment.

Keeping up with global office design trendsetters such as Facebook, Red Bull and Google is no easy task, but Twitter succeeds by incorporating non-traditional elements such as a dj booth, arcade, and awesome looking custom concrete conference tables. Not surprisingly, the entire building is outfitted with Wi-Fi connectivity and the company's now world-renown bird logo.

The following are a few photos taken by actual Twitter employees. Bonus points : Pay special attention to the use of Steelcase office furniture, including the Think chair with alive-seating technology.

Our verdict? Twitter doesn't only know how to design a great looking space, they know how to create an environment that's as innovative as the online services they provide.

[via Office Design Blog]

Facebook, the world's most popular social networking site, recently unveiled its new office headquarters in Palo Alto’s Stanford Research Park. Results : Amazing! Besides being the new envy of the neighborhood, the new facility succeeds at aligning the company's mission of connecting people.

For its insights, Facebook actually conducted numerous employee interviews and company-wide surveys to truly understand the needs and desires of their workforce.

This new facility is the first commercial project that has been completed under Palo Alto’s 2008 Green Building Ordinance, accomplished by recycling and repurposing various components of the original facility such as millwork and industrial components.  The officespace also features energy-efficient lighting and high recycled-content carpet.  

The big message here? As the millenial generation makes its mark on the workforce, innovative companies just like Facebook are taking the steps needed to offer their employees a work/life balance unseen in less progressive organizations. The results are a happier, more productive workforce that can share and collaborate at work as quickly as they do online.  

[via Office Design Blog]

cobi: comfortable collaboration
Designed by the Steelcase Design Studio in collaboration with Luke Pearson of PearsonLloyd

In case you haven’t noticed, we spend more time in meetings today than ever before. Meetings in any office set-up (at home, meeting rooms, teleconferencing) requires changing postures and various degrees of support us.

We’ve all been there…squirming, fatigue, and loss of focus (sound familiar?) are unavoidable. Enter cobi.

Every part of cobi was designed to flex and adjust to your body. cobi’s top flexing edge lets you comfortably rest your arm on top of the chair. You know, like you’ve tried to do on every chair you’ve ever sat in, but this time it feels good.

cobi’s seat encourages you to move and shift, allowing you to sit centered or off to the sides. It’s even comfy to sit with your back against the arm…seriously.

cobi is great as a conference chair because it offers one manual adjustment (seat height). Research says we don’t adjust more than seat height on conference room chairs anyways. We sit down and move into the first item of discussion on the meeting agenda.

And, if you’re in meetings as often as I am (more than I’m at my desk), cobi is perfect! I’m not at my desk long enough throughout the day to require more adjustments…and if I had more adjustments, I don’t think I’d have the time to use them!

i2i: an intuitive seating arrangement
Designed by the Steelcase Design Studio in collaboration with Thomas Overthun of IDEO

Sometimes, you don’t need a conference room for meetings. You may only need a few chairs in which you and a small team can connect. And those big, stuff lounge chairs don’t cut it (unless you’re looking for a place to nap). You need a chair you can move, shift, and breathe in (not to mention looks nice too).

So…picture yourself in your non-conference room meeting. You have a lot to take in: people to your left and right, people straight ahead, and often a screen or laptop as a centerpiece. And don’t forget to say something intellectual. With all of that going on, how do you maintain focus and orientation without losing comfort? Answer = i2i.

i2i’s dual swivel mechanism keeps you focused where you need to be: keeping eye contact. The back and seat swivel independently, allowing you to change your posture without changing your orientation…and vice versa. You kinda got to see it to get it.

Your body requires you to move and shift. Tilt back, forward, left, or right. Slant your body in any direction. Slouch if your mother isn’t looking. i2i keeps you comfortable regardless of position. One less thing you need to think about.

Is it just me, or is there an over abundance of green-certifications out there? It’s really confusing. There are almost two-hundred estimated standards that are in use, but one that really seems to stand out is Cradle-to-Cradle.

Started in the 1990s by William McDonough and Michael Braungart, C2C has gained some steam since about 2002, when their book Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things was released. It’s not necessarily the coolest name around, but the criterion to get the certification is stringent. What needs to be accomplished to be C2C certified, you may ask. We just happen to know…

1. Materials – Whatever goes into making the product, if synthetic, needs to be nontoxic,
   non-harmful, and must be able to be reused over and over again into the
   “same level” product, without becoming lesser (ie. tires to artificial turf). If
   organic, the materials should be able to be disposed of in any natural environment
   and decompose into the soil.
2. Disposal – When a product is finished being used, a plan to either dispose of it in
   a safe way or reuse the materials must be outlined.
3. Production – Making the product must be green, too. For the highest level of
   certification, at least 50% of all energy in production needs to come from the sun.
4. Water – If water’s used in making the product, the discharge from the plant is
   measured for safety.
5. Social Responsibility- The factory in which the product is made must treat its
   workers with fair wages, hours, and in a humane manner.

If you’re more interested, check out McDonough and Braungart’s book, or their website. We’ve got some C2C-certified chairs, too – try Leap, Think, Amia & Move. And that’s not all, Cobi and i2i are currently going through the C2C certification review process so check back soon.