Steelcase’s new “Workspring” initiative has us drooling. It kind of makes us want to go work in a meeting room at the Marriott instead of in our own office. The office furniture design firm and the hotel chain have collaborated to bring the first of many Workspring suites to life in a flagship location just outside Seattle. The new concept is a small meeting suite that is purpose-built with integrated spaces and common areas to facilitate the work style of Gen X and Y. It deliberately blurs the line between casual socialization and professional collaboration in this increasingly tech savvy era. These meeting rooms come equipped with more than just high quality office furniture and open air access. They also include eco-conscious perks from sustainable office supplies to healthy food that’s produced locally.

The goal of this project is to create another “third space” where mobile employees can get things done on the road or when hosting business guests in-town. We can’t help but think that many organizations could recreate this kind of attractive workspace design on-site. It would certainly be a change from stale, boring conference and meeting rooms that most of us are used to!