Microsoft obviously have a soft spot for working in treehouses. We reported back in 2007 about an arbolic shedworking experiment they carried out and they have now gone for a far more adventurous version on their Redmond campus.
The company says that the three "new outdoor meeting spaces help Microsoft evolve the modern workspace and help employees connect to the environment and one another". Instead of a soulless grey building, entry to the main collaboration room is by a stroll up a planked switchback ramp into a Pacific Northwest Douglas fir which contains the treehouse built by Pete Nelson of the television show Treehouse Masters. "Welcome," as they say "to a new kind of workspace that’s helping employees benefit from what science shows is the powerful impact of nature on creativity, focus, and happiness."
It's 12 ft off the ground and features charred-wood walls, a high ceiling with round skylight, with box benches around the reclaimed-wood walls, and is clad with cinnamon-colored shingles. Entrance is via a hand-carved arched double door which opens electronically. The almost mustardy fragrance of rough-hewn cedar is instantaneous. “The first thing when you walk into the space is that everyone is really quiet. You stop talking and are just present,” says Boulter. “It’s fascinating. People absorb the environment, and it changes the perception of their work and how they can do it.”
Lots more photos and explanations about the environmental advantages of working this way at Microsoft's own blog site.
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