my beloved desk...sort of

As I mentioned in my “Have Laptop, Work Anywhere” post, HOK Advance Strategies is really into Alternative Work and Sustainability - both for our clients and ourselves.  One of the things the DC Advance Strategies team has done as part of our commitment to both is to take on smaller, unassigned desks (we have 5 seats for 6 people). 

“My” desk is about 36 SF, including room for my chair and file cabinet (behind the desk).  It’s tiny.  It’s open.  It’s close to my colleagues (you can see Claire Whitehill and Daphne Kiplinger in the background).  It gets loud.  I have little storage space.  Other people sit at it on a regular basis. It is AWESOME and I HEART it!

Why do I love this desk so much?  Some of the reasons:

• It enables me to collaborate very easily and fluidly with my colleagues – essential for my job
• I have lots of access to natural light (windows on three sides, usually – although one of them is boarded up because someone threw a tequila bottle through it one weekend – the perils of having an office in Georgetown)
• I can’t keep too much junk, which helps me “think before I print” – both green and healthy
• I can practice what I preach to my clients: both on the sustainable side and on the “you don’t need that much space” side
• It enables me to catch up on office gossip very quickly

Why does it work so well?  Maybe it’s because our team is really fun and we genuinely like one another.  Or maybe it’s the desks.