We just moved office to a new building this Monday. Because the company is growing so quickly, this is already the 3rd office since I joined less than a year ago.
It seems like every time we moved, the worse the building situation is.
Our team is expanding quickly. We will have 3 FTEs and 2 interns joining in the next two months. But the new place we just moved to does not look like there is much room for more people. Our team is put in the same “team room” as another team, having 5 people there in one room. The room feels crowded, either too warm or too cold since there is no window anywhere, just walls all around and a door at one corner. They are planning to put 2 additional people in the same room.
Really? How did whoever that was who measured the room to say it was a 8-people room in the first place? The team room is about the same size as 4 cubicles right outside!
I don’t mind open office; in fact, I like open cubicles. It increases communication. Having people in a dense room is a different matter. The air vent in the room is always very loud, hissing. Without the air, the room is too warm. With it, everybody has to put headphones on to block out the hissing. Now try having conversations over that noise, and try to be the other people who aren’t part of the conversation and don’t have headphones on. I don’t mind people talking there, I just wish there’s a better office environment in general.
Another problem of the current office is that, usually I like to keep my ears open for other people’s discussions so I can learn, or to contribute. With the noise all around, I had no choice but to put on my headphone full time. I can’t hear any discussions any more.
There is no natural light inside the team room. Inside, we cannot tell if the day is getting dark or not, if we are the last in office or not. As a result, everybody stayed later than usual this week.
It’s kind of strange that we have just been there for 3 days, but so far, I have heard more complaints than praises, even about the bathroom and elevator. Maybe we are spoiled. The first office when I joined was on 10th floor, overseeing Seattle downtown, had a great view of the Space Needle. It was very nice, but maybe we did not appreciate it enough and therefore we are damned now.
What is the use of complaining and venting? Well, we sure are hoping to move to somewhere better, even if it just solves some of the problems, such as having proper office space and enough desks for our about to be expanded yet again team.
Good thing about moving? Cleaning and tossing things away. What not to like? Rearranging furnitures, reconnecting computers, and losing one whole day packing/unpacking/rearranging/getting equipment back online. Deadlines approach at the same rate, completely ignoring the fact that we have just lost a working day being unproductive.
Life goes on.