Space for Culture

Redesigning an office space can be overwhelming — especially when sizing your company up against “cool hip” offices like young technology firms that get lots of attention.

But making decisions on office space shouldn't just reflect the next big trend. Those decisions should all be tied to the culture of the company, say Tom Wilkinson of Florida Business Interiors and Mike Furnari, a territory sales manager for Haworth Inc., one of the world's biggest office furnishings manufacturers.

Everything from colors to lighting to smells can play a role in space and the kind of culture at a given company, according to the duo. “Some companies bake cookies every day,” to provide an inviting smell, Furnari says.
The pair, who together tout more than 50 years of experience in the furniture industry, recently hosted a Tech Talk at the Microsoft office in Tampa. They went into detail about the link between office space and culture at the event. Edited excerpts of the session follow: