Designing your firm’s new space?  Take a look at this post about a printing company in Montana.  Some of the unique office features:

Day Care and 'family' is built in; there are no other options!  The first thing you see when you come walk the parking lot to the front door are little kiddos playing under the Montana sky.  All employees pay a pitance to have their young kids on site with them.  It's a fundamental.  Andrew made it a key design driver.  And the # of Baby Bjorns in the office was an indicator that for many of the employees, a family 'quality of life' decision was made without compromising their careers.  And its a spectacular daycare.  Small adult/kid ratio.  Healthy environment.  Kids loved.  And obviously very happy teachers and parents on site.  It wins all visitors over the second they come into the building.

The main floor is designed for humans, not executives or administrators.  Andrew had been told by the design team at first that a 'traditional' executive/client floor was needed.  Sends the right message.  Fits the design.  Tradition.  Andrew felt that didn't match the company's feel.  Instead, the upper floor does have all of those elements -- like a typical 'entry' to a school -- but for any visitor, the real sense is that it's an open series of collaborative spaces that are designed for all team members (regardless of rank) to relax, create, rest, and connect. 

Every space is a learning space.  Man, there just weren't any spaces in the building that didn't suggest learning, collaboration, experiment, and team.  Sure, business had to be done and things were divided up by tasks and teams, but the real take-away had to do with energy and collaboration.  I'd have given anything for teachers/administrators and school designers alike to have spent time on the bottom floor (ground level, due to the slope that building sits on) where the teams were moving at full speed, serving clients around the nation, and providing rigorous real-time design/printing solutions.  Spaces were vibrant.  Team members were free to work in a variety of settings. And the place had a learning buzz about it.

All workers are humans, learners and team members first.  I was struck by one programmer/service expert that had forgone the chair entirely. He used a yoga/exercise ball as his chair -- not only did it help create a different dynamic, but it also had a huge impact on his back problems.  I also liked that it allowed him to move.  To bounce.  To fidget.  To shift.  Mmmm....imagine if kids were given the same option.  Imagine. We talked about this a bit, but what really struck me was that the 'trappings' of professionalism were tossed out the window with a grand investment being made instead to support 'how' people worked, created, succeeded, and collaborated.  Every team member looked happy/healthy.  And the spaces reflected that -- not choosing expensive design but instead being creative and letting the teams be able to gravitate towards what worked best for them.  Solo. Small groups. Large groups.  Formal.  Informal.  Inside. Outside.  In other words, every space a learning space.  Even hallways.  Very little wasted...and a far more vibrant learning organization because of it!

Check out the entire post for more.