Island Mentality
One Microsoft Place, Ireland by Gensler Words Photography Measuring over 30,500 square metres, One Microsoft Place in Ireland ran the risk of becoming an unfathomable mega campus.
The project – which reinforces the tech company’s focus on unification – consolidates over 2000 staff from three buildings into one Dublin location. Treating the workforce like a community, the designers at Gensler – the outfit responsible for the interior – wanted to “unearth a way of connecting everyone and everything”, says Amanda Baldwin, senior associate at Gensler. “How did we do it? We call it ‘deconstructing’. First we abandoned all preconceived rules and ideas about typical workplace buildings. When you eliminate the electrical and mechanical systems, the windows and doors, the roof, the bricks and mortar, the foundations . . . what’s left? Just the land. Or, an island. And so, the idea of the Microsoft Island was born.”
Conceived in close collaboration with the Microsoft team,
Gensler’s concept translates “typical island components” into a functional office. The ‘harbour’ is the arrival point; the ‘beach’ is a social space; the ‘lake’ is for reflection, contemplation and gathering; the ‘mountain’ is for learning and discovery; and the ‘grasslands’ is the open-plan workspace, where teams work in ‘neighbourhoods’. Each section is connected by the ‘trail’, a traditional corridor reimagined as a functional working environment. Radically, there are no designated offices. Bosses sit alongside interns; data scientists and software developers mingle with sales and marketing staff. “Microsoft wanted to shift its employee workspaces from ownership to membership,” says Gensler associate Stuart Templeton. “Instead of having a fixed desk, employees become part of a neighbourhood. This change creates a sense of belonging that triggers collaboration and aids productivity.” To make it work, Gensler had to understand how employees work. “We spent a lot of time discussing and observing how and with whom staff members fulfil their respective roles. This information helped to drive the make-up of the neighbourhoods.” By assessing all the activities in which various groups are engaged, Gensler could provide optimal settings for collaboration, concentration and connection.
Baldwin notes that the evolution of the neighbourhood (in the traditional sense of the word) and its migration from home life to the office reflects the changing needs of today’s workforce. “Employees want a space that inspires them, connects them to nature, is designed with their individual needs in mind, and offers a community-like atmosphere. The neighbourhood concept aligns with the progression of Microsoft’s interior design: its spaces are becoming more relaxed, warm and intimate – less corporate.”