What is Amazon's 'urban treehouse', and what can it teach you about office design?

There’s no shortage of innovative offices on display around the world now. From Facebook’s California headquarters complete with nine-acre rooftop park to Apple’s iconic circular office dubbed ‘the Spaceship’, companies are increasingly pushing the boundaries when it comes to design. Another business that isn’t afraid to experiment with new styles of workspace is internet shopping giant Amazon. In this blog, we take an in-depth look at its groundbreaking ‘urban treehouse’ themed building to see what it can teach us about office design. Inspired by childhood treehouses An extension of Amazon’s Seattle headquarters, the Spheres building looks more like an exotic plant house than a traditional office. Its three biodome spheres, which can accommodate around 800 of the company’s employees, are made from glass pentagons and are packed with lush plant life, including rare begonias and rhododendron. Designed as a contemporary botanic garden, the unusual construction was inspired by childhood treehouses. At its centre is a staircase that’s been crafted to look like a treehouse ladder. The building has a range of other playful features too. For example, it’s home to a ‘bird’s nest’ meeting area that’s accessed by a canopy walkway and can seat up to 12 people. There’s also an enclosed display of plants and fish that are typically found in flooded Amazonian forest floors, while elsewhere in the building there’s a vivarium showcasing flora from Borneo enshrouded in mist. Designed to be open plan, there are no offices or cubicles in the workspace. Instead, the area is divided into collaborative spaces and meeting zones. Embracing nature One of the lessons we can learn from the Spheres is the value of embracing nature in professional environments. Perhaps the greenest office in the world, it puts employees in direct contact with an impressive range of flora and fauna. In fact, there are around 40,000 plants in total spread across the three biodomes, including everything from cliff-dwelling orchids to a nearly 60-foot rusty fig tree that was shipped over 1,000 miles from California to take pride of place in the Seattle office. There are even carnivorous plants on display, including pitcher plants that feast on flies. Speaking to National Geographic about the importance of being exposed to nature, Timothy Beatley, professor of sustainable communities at the University of Virginia, said this is something that people “absolutely need in order to lead happy, healthy and meaningful lives”. According to biophilic urban planning expert, there is growing evidence for a correlation between health and nature. He noted that being close to nature can help to lower blood pressure, make people think more clearly and even encourage them to be more generous and cooperative. Professor Beatley went on to say that there is growing evidence that nature has a positive impact on worker productivity. While shipping in plants by the thousand may not be an option in your office, investing in greenery on a smaller scale could help to boost employee morale and make your workforce more effective and efficient. Being eco-friendly Amazon’s Spheres building certainly looks impressive, but some of its most innovative features are hidden from view. One of the ways in which it’s breaking new ground is in terms of its eco-friendliness. The campus is situated close to a large telecommunications data centre that gives off large amounts of heat from its server and computer hardware. Partnering with the owners of the centre, Amazon has tapped into this resource by piping in waste energy from this adjacent building and using it to heat its office. Thanks to this and a range of other measures, the workspace was recognised for sustainable building practices with a green building certification. By following the lead of businesses such as Amazon and finding effective ways to harness green energy, you could boost your eco credentials, cut your utility bills and reduce your company’s carbon footprint. From solar panels to rainfall capture systems, there are a wide variety of solutions to explore. Injecting some personality It’s reasonable to assume that anyone who visits the Spheres won’t forget this working environment in a hurry. The building is packed with personality and it’s guaranteed to make an impression on those who set foot in it, and even on passers-by who only see it from outside. By being bold in its approach to design, Amazon is no doubt hoping to create a buzz and get people talking about it for all the right reasons. This can be an important factor when it comes to attracting and retaining the best personnel, and it may also give the company’s brand a boost more generally. Many businesses around the world are aware of the importance of showcasing their brand cultures through their workspaces. From property company Zoopla’s London headquarters that have been created to replicate a house - complete with dining room, wine cellar and lounge - to Red Bull’s UK base that features a gigantic slide, there’s no shortage of innovative designs out there. You don’t have to go to these lengths to ensure that the personality of your business is reflected in your office. Taking relatively simple steps, like overhauling your colour scheme, displaying some carefully chosen artwork and investing in some attractive office furniture, could help to elevate the look of your office and ensure your brand really shines through. The world of office design is undergoing some major changes, and while workspaces like Amazon’s Spheres may stand out from the crowd now, many of the elements contained within them may eventually be in widespread use around the world. If you want to ensure you provide the best possible working environment for your staff members, it’s well worth staying up to date on the latest trends to see what you can learn from the companies that are pushing our understanding of what an office really is or should be.