Yep, it’s true, but only if you’re a writer and you know about the Village Quill.  Within the 1700 s.f. loft, you get a workstation with broadband internet and access to a lounge, meeting room and wifi-zone.  The Quill helps foster a sense of writers’ community with regular art-oriented events, such as writers’ workshops, live music performances, author readings, and film screenings.  Plus, it’s in Tribeca, Manhattan, a creative haven itself.

For a more open-ended example, check out the

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Yesterday I highlighted ‘those lucky Macromedia employees’, but they got nothing on those who work at the Affinity Lab, or should I say work and play… and rock…

The topmost images show the ‘Lab’ (as it is affectionately called) by day, with over a dozen or so entrepreneurs working on their own businesses at their own workspaces around a common ‘living room’ (with kitchen.)  ‘Lab members’ commonly collaborate on projects, and every so often they gather for birthdays, goodbyes, politically

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Is your workplace becoming your characterless home?  Is your home becoming your isolated workplace?  There’s no need to be in either all the time, thanks to the proliferation of being spaces: “commercial living-room-like settings that facilitate small office/living room activities like watching a movie, reading a book, meeting friends and colleagues, or doing your admin.“  It’s a specific example of a third place.  I even mentioned being spaces here over two years ago - in fact, it was my

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Since we can’t all be entrepreneurs and artists, many of us need to work for corporations and government.  But when going to work in a cool town, don’t expect to waste away in a cubicle prison.

Check out this demonstration workplace in Washington DC put together by Herman Miller.  Corporate-style office, yes, but no cubicles.  Notice that none of the private offices are along the main window wall - that means great views and more importantly, natural daylighting for all.  It’s also a green

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The previous entry  illustrated the elements a city needs to attract job-creating creatives.  Here’s some of the evidence...

This photo is what’s happening on the floor above The Diner featured yesterday.  As the story goes, a group of entrepreneurs, moving from another creative mecca, New York City, were drawn by the active scene surrounding this now locally-famous 24-hour hot spot, a decision made much easier when the floor above it became available. It was more space than they needed, so

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To best understand the nature of commuting, it’s best to first introduce:

Larry Tesler’s Law of Conservation of Complexity: The complexity of a business process is like energy - it cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be moved around. There is a base level of complexity that can’t be simplified any further. This is related to the adage, “The more things change the more they stay the same” and is the basis for…

Tog’s Law of Commuting: “The time of a commute is fixed. Only the distance

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The workplace alcove is becoming more of a standard feature in new urban homes, as reported yesterday.  Younger people simply can’t afford a separate room just for an office, so alcoves are the next best thing. It also better fits the modern open-plan layout, and the coffeeshop mentality as well.

Architect/author Sarah Susanka began popularizing the idea in her Not So Big House book in 1998, and Neal Zimmerman and Associates AIA is one of the leading resources for workplace niches today.  You

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In today’s evolving workplace of mobile workers, work-at-home entrepreneurs and employees, and satellite offices, the idea of an office park is getting to be increasing outdated.  It certainly isn’t a favorite even in today’s times.  In fact, for the aforementioned workforce, it’s the most inefficient workplace you could possibly design.

From a work point of view:

- Office parks are isolated.  That means you’re wasting one to two of time each day commuting instead of working.  It also means

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For millions, the single, career-driven life is the way to go.  Maybe it’s a phase, maybe there’s a higher calling, but for many, having a family or even a serious relationship is not a current priority.

The Families and Work Institute reports that women’s reported workweek rose to 44 hours from 39 in 1977, with men at 49.9 from 47.1.  People are working longer hours not because they have to, but because they want to - and researchers say there’s no health risk under those conditions.  It’s

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While downtown St. Louis enjoys a residential renaissance, taking advantage of commercial loft conversions in a city with a 15% office vacancy rate, that doesn’t necessarily mean there’s too much office space.  It may also mean there’s too much undesirable office space - who wants to work in a dark building with 100 foot corridors and cubicles?

The prices tell the tale.  As recently as two years ago, downtown office buildings could be acquired for $2/sq.ft. and sometimes for considerably

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What are one of the benefits of being in a workplace full of entrepreneurial, creative people?  You get something entirely spontaneous like High Tea at the Lab.

Take one very creative person recently inspired by a trip to London (no coincidence that London is a compelling place to be), and watch them do the following:

Provide an announcement for “high tea” after work at 4 pm, and play some rather English-oriented music.  Then provide everyone with a menu for tea, sandwiches and pastries,

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The people in the image are the employees of a company in the UK’s Cambridge, just north of London.  Seems to be no rush to get home…

The current workforce generation is fed up with the 12-hour work day - essentially leaving for work at 7 am and getting home at 7 pm because of traffic.  Smart companies like Patagonia are quickly realizing this and locating offices in the downtown where convenient access to mass transit can literally shorten the work day, while immersed in an entertainment and

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First two CoolTown tour stops: Cambridge MA and Madison WI

Next week CoolTown Studios tour will be documenting Cambridge, MA, and how it became the 23rd largest economy in the world, followed by Madison, Wisconsin, the most creative medium-sized town on the creativity index.

The prelimary word on Cambridge is that it is now suffering from its own success, as the immense popularity of the places has caused skyrocketing rents, rents that only retired executives and national chains can

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The CoolTown satellite office

What is a satellite office?  One definition:  A type of telecommute using office locations typically operated by and for a single employer that are away from the employer’s primary work site.

What is a CoolTown satellite office?  A satellite workplace that excites employees.

The image is from the Future@Work exhibit in Seattle, a demonstration of integrated design and management approaches for modern workers.  Notice the diversity of workplaces in one area,

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When should company employees work at home?

More and more government and company employees are working at home or in satellite centers, at least part-time.  Why?

- Companies don’t have to pay for office space.
- Employees don’t have to commute
- Technology is allowing people to collaborate virtually
- Satellite offices bring workplaces closer to more people.  In other words, one giant company campus is close to a few, and far away for many.  Several company offices (satellite centers) are

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Formal learning learning as defined by a Dept. of Labor study, is planned in advance and has a structured format and defined curriculum. Informal learning is unstructured, unplanned and easily adapted to situations and individuals, or alternately, “any learning in which the learning process isn’t determined or designed by the organization.“

How do you suppose business partners first meet?  Company founders come across the idea for their companies?  Products are invented?  A song is written? 

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The Department of Labor released a study stating that 70% of what we learn about our job is done informally.  Meanwhile, economic growth is also being tied to community.

First, the CoolTown visual of what that looks like (see image).  Individuals doing their own thing, representing a variety of interests, yet working together with a common vision, learning and interacting in the process.  Chaos with a purpose if you will.

Second, the CoolTown example.  Tonight, the Affinity

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This is the second of two key questions asked at the First World Congress on the Future of Work last week:

The , based on the vision highlighted in yesterday’s blog:

one: Promote technology that actually works, from video-conferencing to collaborative software to workstation furniture, and demonstrate working models.  This is one of my favorite resources for real examples.

two: Build more open plan workplaces that encourage a sense of community at the office, creativity at home and

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This is the first of two key questions asked at the First World Congress on the Future of Work last week:

The from a group of thought leaders on the future workplace:

one: Work is becoming less place-based, with more mobile workers and informal teleworking in a less structured system.  The anyplace workplace.

two: There is a growing need for community building as business systems become more complex and individuals are vastly more information-sophisticated.  We’ll be working as

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With all the buzz about how creativity is vitalizing economies, it’s imperative to understand what motivates the creative people at the heart of it all, like Dana Ellyn, one of Washington DC’s rising artists…

“Living in the suburbs is not an option for me as an artist for many reasons. My art is often inspired by what’s going on around me and events in the news. It is tremendously important for me to feel a part of what’s happening.

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I asked Diane Dorney, who owns a new live-work unit in the truest sense of the word (within a live-work community to boot), “Sure, live-works units are great, many would love nothing more than to be able to live above where they work, but who can afford one?“

“The thing about making live/works work for people without a lot of money is that they are flexible - much more flexible than any other option out there.  While they are income-eating as far as the mortgage and utilities go, they are

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So what do the urban loft and storefront townhouse actually like?  How are they configured?  How big should they be?  Town planners DPZ & Company partnered with Beazer Homes to actually build the answers.  Check out the units and dimensions here.  Find out more than you may want to know here.

Keep in mind that these are enormously expensive units - they were built for a trade show so you could say they’re a tad ‘showcasey’.  The costs are also greatly augmented by the parking and courtyard. 

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Where there’s a rising demand in live-work, there’s the spark of a new supply - live-work units.  I turn the spotlight to Thomas Dolan, founder of the Live-Work Institute, to explain the three main types of live-work units:

• Urban lofts in renovated former industrial or commercial buildings, often but not always sold as condos. Urban lofts are now being developed as new, purpose-built projects. 3,500 have been built in San Francisco in the last ten years: all are condos. Other cities are

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While much of the focus in CoolTowns is in providing workplaces for the entrepreneurially creative, larger companies will find tremendous benefits in relocating to a CoolTown as well.  Here’s how some progressive investors are planning on that:

The key reason why most corporations don’t occupy downtown space is that it simply costs a lot more than in the suburbs, the same exact reason given by Gen Xers.  The solution provided by capacity-rich investors is investing in large

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This summary of workplace trends is brought to you by a long-time associate of mine, John Vivadelli, CEO of Agilquest which focuses on enabling modern workplaces.

“Telework/Telecommuting allows employees to work from home or a telework or touchdown center.  Teleworkers generally work off-site 2-3 days per week, and are linked to the office by cell phone, laptop and/or email.  To reap the full benefits of teleworking, organizations often implement office hoteling in conjunction.
Office

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