“Let’s meet in the Chill Center” is a frequent request we hear from one of our Cambridge-based R&D clients. The “Chill Center” is a 1,500sf somewhat nondescript, cafeteria area set in the middle of an open office environment near a lab zone. Furnished only with school cafeteria style tables, a kitchenette and a bank of vending machines (all items sold for 25 cents), the Chill Center is constantly buzzing with activity as scientists and engineers work out issues of R&D, often with unsolicited commentary from adjacent work cubicles. In our experience, it is one of the mostly highly collaborative and productive work environments out there.
The idea of the Chill Center is quite different than the recreational areas often associated with start-ups and dot-com companies. Gone are the basketball courts and foosball tables, replaced with simple, flexible furnishings, free coffee and inexpensive food. Because the majority of the conversation in this area is work related, there is no stigma to being seen away from one’s workstation. In fact, participation in this zone is a sign of productivity. With the constant conversations, the Chill Center acts as a white noise machine allowing the adjacent office spaces to have a more relaxed and informal ambiance.
More and more of our clients are requesting space for all-hands meetings and all-office lunch rooms. Usually sized for 50 to 100 people, at 20 to 25sf/person, these spaces represent approximately 8 to 10% of the overall space requirement and can cost more than a million dollars in rent over a lease term. Our clients must be seeing a significant benefit to having these kinds of spaces in their space plan.
This is an excerpt from an article written by Mark Reed for High-Profile. Read the full article »
