"Outdoor" Office

Having previously pooh-poohed half's idea for bringing some much-needed grass into the office environment, I think it is only fair to present my own alternative.

Which is, to replace the bricks and mortar of the modern squat office block with a huge glasshouse. Then replace the awful gray plaid carpet squares with grass and the cubicle walls with bushes and trees. And since, to keep the same square footage, the office building will now take all the space where the parking lot used to be, we'd better add an underground garage.

Everything will have to be watered by an automatic in-ground system - sprinklers might be fun for the interns, but they'd play havoc with accounting's paperwork.

Advantages:
• *everyone* gets a window office - just look up
• you can walk barefoot on the grass just going to the water cooler (on casual Fridays, at least)
• trees are great sound absorbers and besides, they're good for the soul
• when the weather was suitably clement, the sliding walls at the ends could be opened up and cool gentle breezes could waft through the entire space
• you don't have to log onto weather.com to find out if it's raining
• the cars are tucked safely out of the elements
• you don't have to worry about remembering to water that funny little plant that Flo in personnel gave you - you can just plant it behind the waste basket
• you can bring your pet tree frog to work

Of course, we'd install smooth paving slabs immediately under your desk, so your roll chair could still roll (I don't think they work so well on grass).