{"id":848,"date":"2013-01-10T15:35:07","date_gmt":"2013-01-10T20:35:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rockspringdesign.com\/?p=848"},"modified":"2013-01-10T15:35:07","modified_gmt":"2013-01-10T20:35:07","slug":"landscape-architecture-and-corporate-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rockspringdesign.com\/?p=848","title":{"rendered":"Landscape Architecture and Corporate Culture"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Clif Bars Headquarters<\/h4>\n

What is corporate culture? \u201cCulture is about values, how respect is expressed and to whom. Culture identifies a company\u2019s source of inspiration and celebration. Culture tells us something about the company\u2019s relationship to the community at large.\u201d (Great Culture, Great Workplace by Kahler Slater) \u201cCulture is about belonging. That sense of belonging is as important to the creation of a high-performing company as a solid business plan and a set of mission-critical objectives.\u201d Culture is about how the employees are treated and view their work environment.\u00a0 Happy employees are critical to a company\u2019s success. The physical environment in a workplace can strongly reinforce a company\u2019s cultural message.<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n

Is your work environment a reflection of your corporate culture?Does it reinforce and support your corporate values and inspire your employees? Does it promote a corporate culture fitting with your corporate values?<\/h4>\n
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Zappos promotes a unique, fun and weird work environment<\/p><\/div>\n

Corporate culture is comprised of those intangible things that establishes the personality of a company and becomes an unwritten extension of corporate values.\u00a0 Companies are actively looking at and monitoring what their corporate culture is and how they can improve it to attract and retain valuable employees.\u00a0 Companies like Zappos, Cliff Bars and Patagonia are large corporations with unique corporate cultures that many employees find very attractive. These companies promote their corporate culture as a reason to work there. They will go to great lengths to protect and encourage it. W.L. Gore a clothing manufacturer\u2019s motto is \u201cMake money and have fun\u201d. So they built volleyball courts and outdoor picnic areas at all of their plants around the US. (Great Culture, Great Workplace by Kahler Slater).<\/h4>\n

\"Clif<\/a>Often time\u2019s employees will take a lower paying offer from a company with a great corporate culture rather than a high paying offer from a company with a caustic corporate culture.\u00a0 This is because many of the younger generations place a large value on quality of life and a healthy work environment over money.\u00a0 Corporate culture is a living energy, it is always changing. It needs to be fostered, care for and actively promoted to maintain a positive effect on the company.\u00a0 Corporate culture can shift over time with changes in leadership and become caustic and deteriorate if not cultivated properly.<\/h4>\n
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Patagonia's corporate headquarters has a clear dedication to sustainability in keeping with its corporate values<\/p><\/div>\n

How does Landscape Architectureeffect corporate culture? Some direct examples of this can besee by the many companies that are looking at their corporate campus or office park as an extension of the workspace.\u00a0 Utilizing these common areas for recreation, fitness and use areas.\u00a0 Buildings are being designed to be LEED certified which are healthier and promote a commitment to green corporate values.\u00a0 Companies are providing gyms and other activities which support their corporate missions and make employees healthier and happier.\u00a0 Companies are providing attractive landscaping and outdoor seating areas to encourage people to get out more.\u00a0 But, how do we design for the less obvious solutions that build camaraderie and effect interpersonal relationships that build corporate culture from a landscape architecture standpoint? How do we design exterior spaces and landscapes to instill pride and to support trust through respect, fairness and credibility?<\/h4>\n
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Renderings of the new Apple Corporate Headquarters.<\/p><\/div>\n

Studies have been conducted on office space that determined companies having dedicated spaces to celebrate and build camaraderie were vital to the performance of the best corporations. Some of the attributes of a Great Workplace include: allowing and encouraging for collaboration between employees, provide for clear way finding, have well maintained plantings, allow for access to outdoor spaces, and providing access to unrestricted meeting areas. \u00a0Accessibility, openness and creating a barrier free work environment are also keys to creating a welcoming environment that encourages collaboration and community.<\/h4>\n

Robert Richman, corporate culturearchitect, believes in designing for Serendipity, which is the \u201csource of innovation and creative thinking that creates friendships among employees for the good of the company. Follow natural behaviors, allow opportunities for gathering and to enhance community spirit.\u201d Designing to create corporate culture starts with creating a sense of community. A focal point within the corporate facilities, where employees can gather to relax, eat, talk and celebrate special events is critical to this effort. Gathering spaces are considered key strategic spaces.<\/h4>\n
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Clif Bars corporate cafe creates a welcoming space and is designed for socializing<\/p><\/div>\n

It is human nature to gather around food.Many companies create enlarged kitchen\/dining areas where people convene more informally thus allowing the employees to gather \u2013 for fun, to celebrate, to remember, to honor, to collaborate, or just to relax. Indoor or outdoor dining areas with large communal tables encourages meeting new people, socialization and instilling sense of family.\u00a0 These large tables can also be used for outside meetings and collaboration space.\u00a0 \u00a0A Barbeque or an outdoor kitchen space is another way to create a communal gathering space. McMurry, a marketing and public relations firm in Phoenix, AZ created a communal area for dining for all of the buildings at their corporate campus, just like a university campus union. Other types of outdoor meeting or gathering spaces can provide multi-functional areas which incorporate comfortable lounge type seating, meeting areas with larger tables or just to watch and enjoy the outdoors. \u00a0One company installed a rooftop organic herb and vegetable garden as a way to grow some of their own food and engage their employees.\u00a0 The traditional model of tables for two and four in a dining space don\u2019t promote gathering and the sharing ideas.<\/h4>\n
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A presentation outside at the Apple campus in California<\/p><\/div>\n

Another opportunity for creating a great communal space for gathering, mingling and socializationis the front lobby and plaza.\u00a0 Mr. Richman reflected on company which closed all of the side doors for access to the building and only allowed access to the building through the front lobby. This created a ceremonial portal which everyone had to go through to get into the building and also solved a security problem.\u00a0 The effect of this was increased socialization among the employees and in increased in the sense of community and belonging.<\/h4>\n
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Fitness center at Clif Bar designed to match employees interests<\/p><\/div>\n

\u00a0It is advantageous for companies to reinforce the physical attributes of their company\u2019s corporate culture and brand message. This will allow them to retain great employees, attract new qualified employees, inspire collaborative work teams and to create a pride in the company which can then lead to better performance and innovations that will ultimately benefit the corporation. \u201cTreat your employees well and make them happy. Happy employees then make your customers happy.\u201d Zappos family culture by Robert Richman<\/h4>\n

Landscape Architects are well versed in how to design for corporations and companies to enhance the corporate culture that create a great workplace and promotes corporate values. Are you interested in how you can build or enhance your corporate culture? Call us at 203-581-5715 or email us at info@rockspringdesign.com for a free consultation.<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Clif Bars Headquarters What is corporate culture? \u201cCulture is about values, how respect is expressed and to whom. Culture identifies a company\u2019s source of inspiration and celebration. Culture tells us something about the company\u2019s relationship to the community at large.\u201d … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":854,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,1],"tags":[26,24,10,14],"class_list":["post-848","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-uncategorized","tag-corporate-culture","tag-garden-design","tag-landscape-architecture","tag-landscape-design"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rockspringdesign.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/848","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rockspringdesign.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rockspringdesign.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rockspringdesign.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rockspringdesign.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=848"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/rockspringdesign.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/848\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":975,"href":"https:\/\/rockspringdesign.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/848\/revisions\/975"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rockspringdesign.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/854"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rockspringdesign.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=848"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rockspringdesign.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=848"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rockspringdesign.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=848"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}