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The down side was a stilted atmosphere - everything was so open that rather than being too noisey the place was often deathly silent, a kind of a public library effect. I found it disconcerting at times, but perhaps it got better with more people.

Yeah, when there's a lot of people on holiday or ill or whatever it can feel fairly non-warm. At or near full occupancy it works well. (Mind you, I sit right in the middle. Maybe someone like Dave, who sits on the periphery and facing outwards, gets to feel a bit more isolated.)

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The second mistake, I think, was fitting the place out with Herman Miller everything, minutely trimmed and platted miniature trees, bloody expensive lighting and other stuff that made it feel like a classy solicitor's office more than an R&D centre. I got carried away with the sudden availability of money but it was the wrong vibe. One of my more pointy haired moments I have to confess. I know the Sigmatel folks tinkered a bit since I left, with lots more plants and so on and I'm really pleased to read Peter's positive comment as Andrew (the office manager) and I put a lot of effort into making it somewhere nice to work.

The only thing I'd really change is the trimmed and plaited miniature trees (and the other elaborately manicured plants that we got later) -- the new place is somehow a bit sterile compared to the cosy, ramshackle world of Empeg Towers, and plants that were a bit more wild and less regimented would make it feel more comfortable. Those bloody expensive uplighters are rarely switched on nowadays, as they have an alarming tendency to droop forwards and shine directly into people's eyes. The one by Andrew's desk is the worst for that; when you first come through the front door you feel like you're about to be interrogated by the Gestapo -- but then maybe that's the effect Andrew's looking for

Peter