Step into my parlor ...

January 25, 2013 11:33 AM

Some time back I either read in a magazine or saw on TV an article about a company that provided their employees with small cottages or sheds as their work space.

The cottages were in a large hangar/warehouse like area and were arranged in blocks with streets. Each employee was free to decorate their cottage as they liked and they were encouraged to throw "block" parties and such. Pixar does something similar but it doesn't seem to be to the extent that I remember seeing. I would love to see pictures or read more about this. Googling brings up a random picture of the Pixar workspace and not much detail. Thank you!

posted by Allee Katze to Work & Money (9 answers total)

The phrase you're looking for is "company housing," and Google brings up loads of images of old company housing.

When I combine Pixar in the search, I get information that Pixar provides interns with housing, but not permanent employees.
posted by cooker girl at 12:23 PM on January 25, 2013

cooker girl, I think you're confusing this with company housing. These shacks are actually a substitute for cubicles and offices, to be used by employees during the workday.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 12:36 PM on January 25, 2013 [1 favorite]

Best answer: It sounds like you are thinking of Developer Town.

They showed up in Forbes late last year.
posted by teh asset at 1:07 PM on January 25, 2013 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: Thank you! I think that's exactly it! What a cool work environment, that must be wonderful.
posted by Allee Katze at 1:41 PM on January 25, 2013

It looks neat, but those work environments can be set ups for 70-hour work weeks.

Apple used to do all that social stuff, and have couches for sleeping and stuff to keep people on-site.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 1:51 PM on January 25, 2013 [2 favorites]

Pixar has this for their developers, as you say. I've been in the room and it's AWESOME. All the houses are about garden-shed sized and in different styles from white-picket-fence to tiki hut, to an enormous castle at one end. All of the wiring is run along telephone poles.
posted by L'Estrange Fruit at 9:49 PM on January 25, 2013 [1 favorite]

"Workforce housing" is an old idea, 19th century factories sometimes had attached or adjacent buildings that were basically dorms. Cottages is a cuter presentation but like NotMyself and Ruthless Bunny mention, the point was that you never really went home, you lived at work.
posted by epanalepsis at 6:30 AM on January 26, 2013

Are you people daft? These are not company housing. They are just a cool way to give everyone an office.
posted by Authorized User at 2:18 AM on January 27, 2013 [1 favorite]

Ah. I see I read the question wrong. Very cool!
posted by cooker girl at 11:30 AM on January 28, 2013