In today’s era of the “fun office”, it can be hard to keep up. Sure, that new Keurig Coffee Maker in the break room is nice, but how does one company compete with daily happy hours, ball pits, and Nerf gun fights at lunch? Answer: tree houses.
Microsoft has opened a new space for meetings, work seminars, and settings to type away at computers, 12 feet off the ground in tree houses. Their woodland offsite in the Pacific Northwest is built on 500 acres of woodland, perfectly remote from the sounds of the city of technological advances nearby. The tree houses were built by Pete Nelson of the Animal Planet series Treehouse Masters, and feature all kinds of improvements and architectural adjustments to make the fun new environment a workplace dream scenario.
The complex features burnt wood, a beautiful skylight, and is full of outlets and wired for electricity, an important commodity to the tech trade. While moves like this have catered to younger workers’ interests, Microsoft seems to think differently. In a recently statement on their blog announcing the tree houses, the company spoke to how working in the wilderness boosts creativity and mindfulness in their work.
