Between a Dream Office and a Wrecking Ball

For six years, our beloved green house in Zurich’s lively Kreis 4 has been home to the Sergeants. But we always knew we couldn’t stay forever.. The house is making way for a new building, and next year we’ll have to move. Time to start looking for a new home.

Which raises the question: what makes a good office? The location, the facilities, enough space for everyone? Or is it mostly the people who work, laugh and debate there? Our team certainly has a few different ideas about what the perfect office needs.
 

On the wish list:
 

• Somewhere close to Zurich’s main station
• An outdoor seating area (to soften the blow of saying goodbye to our pergola)
• Separate offices vs. “No, one big open space for everyone!”
• Plenty of restaurants and takeaways nearby, plus at least one gelateria (yes, we’re a little spoilt where we are)
• A kitchen and dining table ON THE SAME FLOOR would be nice
   

My laptop, my desk, my chair

It turns out that finding a new office means looking for more than four walls, a few desks and a meeting room. We want somewhere that feels right for us, where everyone feels comfortable. And of course, our hybrid setup has a part to play. As you may know, we value remote work just as much as spending time together in person (more on that in our blog post).

The move is a chance to ask ourselves an honest question: does everyone really still need their own desk? We even briefly considered whether a coworking space, with all its flexibility, might work for us. Spoiler: it wouldn’t. The idea of working anywhere with nothing but a laptop sounds great. But it’s definitely not for everyone. For some of us, the thought of finding a new spot every morning and adjusting the screen, chair and desk all over again, is enough to bring on mild hyperventilation.

Some memorable viewings. Some less promising premises.

Our own space with enough desks it is, then. We’ve set up property alerts, and listings arrive in our inbox regularly. We’ve studied floor plans, counted square metres and toured a fair few offices. Nothing has quite clicked yet. But a few encounters have stayed with us:

• The balcony at a beautiful period property, where the current tenant tells us: “I haven’t dared go out there for a while. See those cracks in the floor?”
• The lovely office overlooking the Limmat, with water flowing right past the windows. Inside, unfortunately, it’s a different story: there’s no water connection, and installing one would be seriously complicated. The other prospective tenants, who are planning a nail salon, aren’t thrilled either.
• The almost-perfect office ruled out for being “on another planet!” (Sixteen minutes from the main station.)
• The self-assured young estate agent with the flashy Porsche outside
• The loft space that looked wonderfully spacious in the photos, until we realise during the viewing that Michel would spend his days hitting his head on the ceiling.
• The office in a grand old villa, where a brisk estate agent whisks us through the rooms. Only at the end does she reluctantly confirm what the listing had rather vaguely hinted at: this building is also due to be demolished in a few years.
• The current tenant who greets us outside his office with a curt “Who are you?” and knows nothing about a viewing. Once that’s cleared up, we tour a jumble of rooms in various states of repair, plus a secret motorcycle clubhouse in the basement. Fascinating, but it’s a no.
  
   

More than light and location

By now, we’ve developed something of a routine. Once we’ve checked the basics, our eyes automatically wander outside. Could we put a table and chairs in that courtyard? Who owns that roof terrace, and how do we get access? All those windows are lovely, but will we roast in summer?

And every time, someone says approvingly: “Oh, a kitchen with a hob!” Followed by the realisation that nobody has used the hob in our current office for years. Followed immediately by a question about the local lunch options.

Which brings us back to the point: the perfect office needs to offer more than comfortable desks and good lighting. It should be somewhere we enjoy spending time, with a neighbourhood that feels right too. So we’ll keep going to viewings and asking ourselves again and again: could this be our next office? Because ultimately, we’re looking for a place where all the Sergeants feel at home.

And if you hear of somewhere that might fit the bill, we’d love to hear about it...