Something for the weekend: Having the right working environment can do wonders for employee productivity, engagement and motivation, whether that is having a standing desk, being able to attend on-site yoga classes, or having access to a luxury coffee machine for a mid-morning cappuccino. Technology organisation Google has embraced this thinking in plans for its new London office.
Google has applied for planning permission to Camden Council to build an 11-storey, one million square foot office complex in King’s Cross, London. The new building, which will feature a natural theme, will combine Google’s current building at 6 Pancras Square, as well as a third building, to create an office space to accommodate 7,000 employees.
The proposed office, which will be the first wholly owned and designed Google building outside of the United States, will include features such as a terraced roof garden complete with running track, as well as market halls, an auditoria and shops on the ground floor.
Following the natural theme, the new building, designed by Heatherwick Studio and Bjarke Ingels Group, will use materials that have been sourced through Google’s healthy materials programme.
Joe Borrett, director of real estate and construction at Google, said: “We are excited to be able to bring our London Googlers together in one campus, with a new purpose-built building that we’ve developed from the ground up. Our offices and facilities play a key part in shaping the Google culture, which is one of the reasons we are known for being among the best places to work in the industry.”
Here at Employee Benefits, we love the sound of a rooftop terraced garden now the warmer weather has finally arrived…