How to Make a House Usful
Maximizing positive and efficient use of a workplace
At the beginning of the summer, Usful moved from a collaborative startup workspace to a solo house office. This prompted the creation of a new, smarter office space that would be able to reduce energy and resources as well as improve the human condition, all part of the Usful motto. A few months have past and the office is starting to see the desired outcome of creating a workplace with such goals in mind.
The Usful House strives to be sustainable and to promote sustainability. It is a paper-free office, as all the team members work off of company Macbooks that contain all necessary documents and methods of communication. Towels are used in substitute of paper towels and laundered accordingly. Recently, the lights have also been switched out for a Nanoleaf smarter series, Ivy, which is one of the most eco-friendly lighting options in the market.
In terms of food, the house is home to two small scale farms. One is the Urban Cultivator, which allows the office to quickly grow edible microgreens which can be harvested and served immediately from the incubator. The second are the outdoor ZipGrows, which are vertically-placed crops that are displayed and harvested at our Farmer’s Market every week. The market is run in the heart of downtown, which gives urban professionals the opportunity to buy local produce as it would be hard for them to access sustainable food options otherwise. These are only a couple ways Usful displays sustainability in the house and hopefully by creating a smarter and more sustainable workplace, other companies will soon follow.
Health and wellness is also a priority within the team and our workspace helps us improve our human condition. Standing and sitting desk space is available all over the office, with the standing desks varying heights for different workers. Flexible desk space is also important, as it allows every team member to find which atmosphere suits them best for their daily tasks. Hours at work are also flexible, providing the team with the ability to create their own daily schedule, whether they have meetings out of the office all day or are working the entire day in the house. Within the office, the team usually cooks and eats from the kitchen as the house is stocked with local produce, usually Ontario-grown, and healthy meal and snack choices. It is very common for the team to cook a shared meal, as it encourages people to eat healthy and realize how easy it is to do so.
Other than being sustainable and healthy, many aspects of the house are now smart and interconnected. The main speakers are Sonos and controllable by anyone on the team. Our lock is the mobile-accessible to the team as well, powered by August. Lights by Nanoleaf round up our smart house elements.
There are many other small ways the Usful House continues to show that it has become a smarter workplace. The house is not only an office, but a space with endless capabilities. By making the workspace smarter, the Usful house truly exemplifies Lane’s motto of creating smart workplaces.
For more information visit www.usful.co or email us at info@usful.co
