New Diggs

This week I got to tour the future home for the world headquarters of my employer, VWR International.

The building is actually being completely gutted down to the cement structures and being remodeled. Everything from new heating and cooling, flooring, lighting, walls, and cubicles. It will basically be a new building when we move in (scheduled for this Fall).

A few things I’m looking forward to in the new location:

Free gym – The company is really trying to promote healthy life-style choices. This is a great step.

Outdoor terrace patios

Complete WiFi coverage – I really dislike the wired setups we have currently

More gathering / meeting locations – especially for ad-hoc meetings with your workgroup

More lighting / open areas

Swans – They actually bought 2 swans to live in the fountain pond to keep the geese away. Apparently they are very expensive, but they are quite beautiful.

I believe there will be a definite moral boost for everyone once we into the new digs. After all, who doesn’t like that fresh new building smell?  Somehow the environment you are in can do wonders for your attitude, motivation and outlook.

The only thing I’m not looking forward to will be the new commute. It will probably be adding another 10-15 minutes to my daily drive and into heavier traffic. I’m staying hopeful that adjusting my work hours may help avoid the worse time of rush hour, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Have you ever had a work-related environment that you either really liked or didn’t like?  How did it impact you or others?