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The #1 Office Perk? Natural Light

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Re: The #1 Office Perk? Natural Light

#221

Post by monocasa »

jrockway wrote: post #137
ehnto wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Trees and greenery in general take a space from "concrete wasteland" to "human living space" for me. I have no idea why we build plazas as big concrete slabs. Who thought that was what people wanted? Who has every thought to themselves, gee, I sure wish there was more flat concrete to look at.

> Who thought that was what people wanted? You don't have to pay someone to mow the concrete slab, I guess. (And in the winter, don't shovel the snow, just make a sign that says: "warning, slippery!")

It's supposedly so that events are easier to setup as "it's a more free form space". IMO it doesn't really make it all that much easier, and looks like shit when an event isn't going on.

Re: The #1 Office Perk? Natural Light

#223

Post by quickthrower2 »

gambiting wrote: post #71

Oh yes please. I work as a games programmer at a massive studio and it looks like 90% of people here prefer complete darkness during the day, to the point where they have these umbrella-like covers above their desks to cover any light from the lamps that somehow miraculously are still on. Me and few other people occupy a little corner next to a window that we stubbornly refuse to close the blinds on, despite bi-weekl…

I think given you are getting light, natural > artificial. However I can see why some people would prefer no light at all!

Re: The #1 Office Perk? Natural Light

#224

Post by nilkn »

taneq wrote: post #99
gambiting wrote: post #71

Oh yes please. I work as a games programmer at a massive studio and it looks like 90% of people here prefer complete darkness during the day, to the point where they have these umbrella-like covers above their desks to cover any light from the lamps that somehow miraculously are still on. Me and few other people occupy a little corner next to a window that we stubbornly refuse to close the blinds on, despite bi-weekl…

I think it's interesting that the comments here seem almost universally in favour of bright natural lighting, when clearly there are plenty of people (at least in gamedev) who feel otherwise. I tend to prefer a dimly lit room and am perfectly happy with the only light being from my monitors. Then again as an ex-gamedev troglodyte I'm also happiest working from 3pm-1am...

One fairly universal current I've observed though is a dislike for strong artificial lighting, particularly overhead lighting. I can work very productively in an abundance of natural light or in a basically dark room lit only by the glow of monitors and RGB accessories, but put me in a room without windows and with supermarket-style lighting and I'll be miserable.

In my home office, I'm fortunate to have both a large window and a simple IKEA floor lamp (something like this: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10394129/). I alternate between the two, but never turn on the overhead lighting on the ceiling fan.

Re: The #1 Office Perk? Natural Light

#225

Post by iamdave »

peterwwillis wrote: post #214
iamdave wrote: post #208

Earlier quoted context omitted.

New job has me sitting next to a 20U rack cabinet with my network "lab" humming away all day long in an office I share with one other person (plenty of space for the two of us). Support is right down the hall. I don't hear a thing except every now and then someone running the ice maker but it's well buffered by the three Dell blade servers lol. It's awesome .

Your setup may not be very noisy, but if it were at 88 dB, I would consider earplug headphones to reduce the risk of NIHL or tinnitus.

I still wear headphones (because much like coffee, I gotta get my morning sports talk radio fix), but the tinnitus is already raging thanks to a past job that involved blowing things up in a distant part of the world.

Measured, it's right around ~60dB.

Re: The #1 Office Perk? Natural Light

#226

Post by loco5niner »

bstar77 wrote: post #199
l33tbro wrote: post #113

Currently working alone in my own windowless office in an almost completely windowless building. Compared to the previous 'open-plan' gig where I sat opposite opposite Jill-from-Comms and Sales-bro Bryan, it rules so hard. So yeah,"the #1 office perk" for me is not getting interrupted with inane shit every ten minutes.

My solution was to buy a pair of headphones with good sound isolation. The building could be burning down and I'd wouldn't give a shit.

Careful with that. I ended up with tinnitus (ringing in the ears).

Re: The #1 Office Perk? Natural Light

#227

Post by AdmiralAsshat »

bstar77 wrote: post #199
l33tbro wrote: post #113

Currently working alone in my own windowless office in an almost completely windowless building. Compared to the previous 'open-plan' gig where I sat opposite opposite Jill-from-Comms and Sales-bro Bryan, it rules so hard. So yeah,"the #1 office perk" for me is not getting interrupted with inane shit every ten minutes.

My solution was to buy a pair of headphones with good sound isolation. The building could be burning down and I'd wouldn't give a shit.

I tried this, but unfortunately it doesn't work if your coworkers don't respect your desire to be uninterrupted. I've told everyone around me, "When I put on my headphones I'm in focus mode, please leave me alone." But people still shout across desks to get my attention or tap me on the shoulder, which means I have to take off my headphones to figure out what they want.

Re: The #1 Office Perk? Natural Light

#228

Post by s73v3r_ »

bstar77 wrote: post #199
l33tbro wrote: post #113

Currently working alone in my own windowless office in an almost completely windowless building. Compared to the previous 'open-plan' gig where I sat opposite opposite Jill-from-Comms and Sales-bro Bryan, it rules so hard. So yeah,"the #1 office perk" for me is not getting interrupted with inane shit every ten minutes.

My solution was to buy a pair of headphones with good sound isolation. The building could be burning down and I'd wouldn't give a shit.

This always comes up as a solution, but what about those of us that hate wearing headphones?

Re: The #1 Office Perk? Natural Light

#229

Post by wmil »

gambiting wrote: post #71

Oh yes please. I work as a games programmer at a massive studio and it looks like 90% of people here prefer complete darkness during the day, to the point where they have these umbrella-like covers above their desks to cover any light from the lamps that somehow miraculously are still on. Me and few other people occupy a little corner next to a window that we stubbornly refuse to close the blinds on, despite bi-weekl…

Designers are probably dealing with white balance issues. Daylight changes colour throughout the day.

It's enough to throw off their work.

As a compromise you might try daylight balanced photography bulbs.

Consistent color but it feels like daylight.

Re: The #1 Office Perk? Natural Light

#230

Post by s73v3r_ »

jimmy1 wrote: post #213
bstar77 wrote: post #199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My solution was to buy a pair of headphones with good sound isolation. The building could be burning down and I'd wouldn't give a shit.

Here I feel the need to share what I feel like is my ultimate setup: put in earplugs first, then cover with sound deadening/isolating headphones, finally play white noise. I don't hear shit. Added bonus: put your chair and feet on a mat with vibration deadening material such as sorbothane, so you don't even feel people walk by. Next I am planning on experimenting putting up a tri-fold poster board to block out visual…

It seems absolutely ridiculous that we have been forced to such lengths just to get some quiet working space.
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