Every space says something, but creative spaces have the capability to transform the outcome, the way we move, think or act… This is some research I did that identifies the major themes that are predominantly in world leading advertising agencies. The spaces not only affect the person trapped in the space (nearly 24hrs a day), but become a larger than life advertisement, that mirror the values and ideologies embeded within the company to lure the intended audience in.

1. Creative Spaces
Thursday 8 October 2009

2. Table of Contents
1) Themes: pages 4-9
2) Creative Offices From Around The
World: pages 11-22

3. 6 Themes

4. 1. Varied Spaces for Specific Purposes
Different sized and styled meeting rooms serve varied purposes, enhancing the intended
experience. Through the chosen space a clear objective is identified and mood set, which
assists the development of a problem/project.
Google Zurich
Igloo Cabins: teams can close themselves off
and take part in videoconferences.
Aquarium water lounge: chill out in foam brick-
filled bathtubs
Facebook Office
Large space for casual catch ups
Naked
Tool Room: challenges one to use
different tools and way of thinking.

5. 2. Spaces Evolve from Employees Working
in Collaboration
Employees are encouraged to express their creativity and themselves, growing a space
organically together. This results in a dynamic flow of ideas and communication. Employees
feel a sense of belonging, feel valued and take pride in their company.
Erika Mann Elementary
Kids worked to designed school
Google Zurich
Google interviewed 350
employees to gain an
understanding of their needs.
Google Mountain View
10 m long whiteboard that grows
organically as staff ad
anything(filled with doodles, lines,
arrows ,random bits of text) to it.

6. 3. Openness and Growth
Open spaces and the sense of being outside an office, where “the sky is the limit” allows the
mind to grow into new mindsets to reach creative solutions.
Facebook Office Google Mountain View
Mass Studios
ANZ Breakout & Learning Centre
Selgas Cano Architecture Office

7. 4. Childlike Imagination and Fantastical
Worlds
Spaces that evoke adults to take themselves back to childlike mindsets, where they are free
from pressures, able to let their imagination run wild and escape into fantasy worlds to lead to
creative solutions.
Ogily & Marther Guangzhou
ANZ Breakout & Learning Centre The main theme is "Carnival of Ideas” . This is executed through
Green Small Door- Inspired by “The Chocolate Factory” scene, going into “Playfulness” , providing an opportunity for employees to break
many parallel worlds. free.

8. 5. Mirror of The Company
Spaces that imbue the companies values, philosophies or ideologies through the visual
appearance or atmosphere created.
Google Mountain View
Diane Von Furstenberg Studio The recycled materials and energy efficient lighting
Glass sphere is like a gigantic diamond fallen from the sky, just shows Google’s respect for environment and view to
improve world/make things better.
like each carefully designed fashion piece.
Naked
Creative room reflect that they are
one of the leading creative media
agencies in Aus.

9. 6. Ownership of Space
Private spaces are personalised, by being visually branded as a teams, or individuals,
allowing those to take ownership and pride in the work they produce in that certain space.
Pollotta TeamWork Headquarters Realmac Software
Identify & mark employees names in a space.
Individual shipping containers allow for own
creative/thinking bubble.

10. Creative Offices From
Around The World

11. Ogily & Marther, Guangzhou
Theme -“Carnival of Ideas”
The spaces are inspired by a carnival, a travelling amusement show that is ever changing, in aim of offering
an environment that inspires creativity.
Playfulness is embraced
“Playfulness” is illustrated throughout, providing an opportunity for employees to break free from the things
that weigh them down in everyday life.
Open space reflects there are no creative barriers
The height of the space between rooms, or mini theme park environments flow freely from one other,
conveying that every room and person interconnects and that there are not barriers of creativity.

12. ANZ Breakout & Learning Centre, Melbourne
Unexpected materials & contradictory colours
Challenge ones opposite to lead to startling results.
Range of meeting room sizes
A room can be chosen accordingly to enhance the intended experience. The outcome, objectives and type
of meeting are dependent upon the room. Therefore by moving through various rooms/spaces means
progress and development.
Subliminal theme - Fairytale
Space tries to take staff back to their childlike imagination, where creativity is ripest.
Green Small Door- Inspired by “The Chocolate Factory” scene, going into many parallel worlds.
“Tree of Knowledge” & “Giant Foot” Feature: tree grows between floors in a natural raw shape. Beneath the
tree, the Giant Foot reminds us about reality and perception.

13. Google- Anything But Neutral, Zurich
Work in collaboration with employees
Google interviewed 350 employees, as they believed staff knew what they wanted better than management.
Through this process staff gained a sense of creation of their office, are able to take ownership and feel a
sense of belonging.
Distinction between meeting & private rooms
From open-plan spaces (8-10 employees) to smaller sectioned off private spaces.
Business/creative space vs. recreation space
The importance of balancing work and recreation space enables staff to knuckle down when required and then
to escape when necessary.
Business/creative space
•Cocoon rooms: spaces within spaces.
•Switzerland floor: look like snow on floor and ski gondolas.
•Igloo cabins: teams can close themselves off and take part in videoconferences.
•Aquarium water lounge: chill out in foam brick-filled bathtubs.
Recreation space
•Slide: between floors and rooms.
•Game rooms: foosball, video games.
•Massage spa.

14. Diane Von Furstenberg Studio, NYC
Fashion head quarters- 6 story building
Theatrical features are a reflection of empire
Glass sphere that is part of the penthouse suite is like a gigantic diamond fallen from the sky, just like each
carefully designed fashion piece.
Unique design
Combination of old and new, light and dark, openness and enclosure, artistry and practicality.

15. Realmac Software
Personalisation
Through identify and marking employees names in the space they take ownership of their space and pride
in the work they produce in that space.

16. Selgas Cano Architecture Office, Madrid
Openness and Growth
Being open to the world outside an office- “the sky is the limit”. It allows the mind to wonder and grow into
any direction, which leads to unique creative solutions.

17. New Facebook Office
Self-expression and creativity encouraged
Employees are encouraged to write on walls, add artwork and move furniture.
Blurred distinction between outside and inside environments
There is a sense of the outside creeping in as the office edge extends over the green grass outside, the
wooden patterned wall resembles a tree trunk and the pedestrian lines are painted on the floor.

18. Googlepex Mountain View, California
Space reflects Google’s beliefs & values
Google appreciation and respect for the environment is evident in the recycled materials and energy
efficient lighting.
Dynamic flow of ideas and communication
10m long whiteboard filled with doodles, lines, arrows and random bits of text are generated over months
and grow organically, as staff embrace and contribute to it.

19. Pollotta TeamWork Headquarters, LA
Own space allows for own creative bubble
The individual offices are located inside shipping containers and stacked on top of one another.
Unique spaces inspire
Tents and overarching trees create spaces to escape from containers.

20. Mass Studios, Seoul
Mass Studios in Seoul, Korea is one of the only buildings on earth that needs to be landscaped both outside
and inside the space.
Openness and Growth
Integrating the outdoors with the inside of an office results in a calming effect. Also, once again in relation to
the creative outcome the “sky is the limit”.

21. Naked, Sydney
Journey of Creative Spaces
The many crazy and random rooms (bath tub room, lava room, garden room, dining room) allow the employees to
enter into new mindsets, challenge the environment they are in and the problem at hand.
Each Room has a deep connotation. For Example the Tool Room challenges one to not address something with one
method or way, but from different angles, using multiple tools to create one final masterpiece (ad, campaign,
headline).

22. Erika Mann Elementary, Berlin
Designed by Kids themselves
.
Worked in collaboration with 10 architects to design school that suits their needs.
Open and changeable environment equals an open mind
An open space and mind means a better way of learning. Depending upon the wishes of the children at the
time the flexible furniture can lead to new spaces and new mindsets.