The Boston Globe recently published a tongue-in-cheek article about the evolution of the workplace from private offices to cubicles to entirely open-office floor plans. As an organization mentioned in the piece, we want to reiterate why we love our open-office layout for the “super awesome good juju” it fosters and the community it supports. Here’s why:  

• Opportunities for collaboration
  • It’s a lot easier to communicate with the person sitting next to you or directly across from you than having to knock on someone’s office door every time you have a question or idea to share. We feel–and witness everyday–that having our startups sitting alongside one another facilitates more conversations and opportunities to collaborate.

•  Access to resources
  • Greentown Labs is unique in a variety of ways but most notably for its focus on the cleantech space and specifically, on supporting startups that are primarily focused on building prototypes in the lab. When startups join our community they’re expected to bring the materials they need to build their prototypes but many of our companies frequently share tools with one another. We also have a machine shop, electronics lab and organizational membership to Artisan’s Asylum which all of our members have access to.

• Knowledge sharing
  • When you’re sitting alongside 50 other startups working on similar challenges–like building a cleantech company, overcoming difficult engineering projects or fundraising–it’s hard to imagine not sharing the roadblocks you faced or lessons learned. Our startups look to one another for advice, support and guidance.

• Energetic environment
  • [Pun semi-intended…] Our entrepreneurs work incredibly hard and when you walk into our office and lab space you sense the buzz and progress they’re making in building their companies. We also host a lot of events, both internal and external, to support and serve as a convener for the regional cleantech ecosystem. We may be biased but we think Greentown Labs is a fun, supportive place to be!

No matter what, like T-Swift always says, “haters gonna hate” on the open-office floor plan for its potential distractions, on the cubicle for its confining ways, and on the private office for the sense of isolation it creates for its occupant. The office layout is not a one-size-fits-all model and its important for companies to identify the best layout for its employees and tenants in terms of productivity, practicality and cost.

Here at Greentown Labs we’re confident our open-office floor plan is the best option for all 54 of our startup member companies. So much so that next Summer we’ll expand our current footprint in Somerville, MA, to open the Greentown Labs Global Center for Cleantech Innovation. With our new headquarters we’ll have an additional 50,000 sq. ft. of office space and prototyping lab space, enabling us to support 50 more startup companies. So if you’re a cleantech startup looking for a place to build your company, drop us a note to see if we’d be the right home for you!