My part of our building is the big, modern open plan bit, which I share with 75 others. I obviously did something wrong in a previous life because the other 100 or so agency bods are happily ensconced in the adjoining mansion (yes, really, with a secret staircase and everything), complete with French windows, original fireplaces and garden views. Sigh.
My room is huge, you could fit a couple of full size swimming pools in it, but it can get a tad noisy. One of the premises of the need for Creative Spaces is that no-one can be expected to do their best work less than a foot from their nearest colleague, surrounded by strip lighting and constantly ringing phones.
The thing is, if I was shut off by myself in glorious executive solitude I’d miss the buzz. The hum. The start of the day when everyone is in and no-one has gone out yet and the volume level rises with the promise of what the day might bring. Coffee is drunk, opinions exchanged, phone calls answered and laptops switched on. Tannoys call out, printers hum and mobiles buzz. Its an orchestra of sorts, orchestrating the business of running an agency.