The Office Slide

This Google-inspired office design a game-changer for anyone who sits at a desk all day

Far more than the standard compilation of desks and computers, the Sugar Land headquarters of Heavy Construction Systems Specialists (HCSS) is a game-changer in office design with unique amenities ranging from an adult slide to a climbing cargo net.

HCSS CEO Mike Ryden tells CultureMap, “I wanted to build a building specifically for software developers that would allow them to work the way they want to work and also be a great recruiting tool for new developers."

That meant seeking inspiration from Google headquartrers, known for its unique campus and colorful, collaborate work environments. And it meant bringing in Studio RED architects to handle the 15,400 square foot project.

The result, built by Rosenberger Construction, is a contemporary, somewhat whimsical office that boasts "spaces to increase the collaboration, communication, and workspace flexibility of our software developers," according to Tom Webb, HCSS' vice president of strategy/R&D.

The goal was to create a building which would complement the working environment needed to support software programming and development. Rather than the typical massive open areas or cubicle farms, the design features 18 rooms or pods that can seat between three and eight individuals, the typical size of project teams. A lounge space, open to both floors of the two-story building, joins the pods together.

And then the fun part. "We also added a cargo net for climbing to the second floor and a slide to come down," Rydin said "to show management's commitment to a fun and creative work environment.”

In terms of developing a design aimed at recruiting and retaining talent, it seems that Studio RED succeeded. “I love the slide," said Robert Foster. "I work on the second floor, so using the slide at the end of the day makes me feel like I'm in the Flintstones.”

No surprise then that HCSS has been recognized by the Houston Business Journal for the past eight years as one of the best places to work.

Studio RED architects designed the clever Sugar Land office for HCSS's 200 employees. The adult slide is a favorite amenity.

Photo by Jud Haggard Photography

Studio RED architects designed the clever Sugar Land office for HCSS's 200 employees. The adult slide is a favorite amenity.

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a major award

$2.6 million grant funds UH research towards a fentanyl vaccine

Photo by Jellybee on Unsplash

UH has received a new financial gift towards the Michael C. Gibson Addiction Research Program, which is developing a fentanyl vaccine.

The estate of Dr. William A. Gibson has granted the University of Houston a $2.6 million gift to support and expand its opioid addiction research, including the development of a fentanyl vaccine that could block the drug's ability to enter the brain.

The gift builds upon a previous donation from the Gibson estate that honored the scientist’s late son Michael, who died from drug addiction in 2019. The original donation established the Michael C. Gibson Addiction Research Program in UH's department of psychology. The latest donation will establish the Michael Conner Gibson Endowed Professorship in Psychology and the Michael Conner Gibson Research Endowment in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.

“This incredibly generous gift will accelerate UH’s addiction research program and advance new approaches to treatment,” Daniel O’Connor, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, said in a news release.

The Michael C. Gibson Addiction Research Program is led by UH professor of psychology Therese Kosten and Colin Haile, a founding member of the UH Drug Discovery Institute. Currently, the program produces high-profile drug research, including the fentanyl vaccine.

According to UH, the vaccine can eliminate the drug’s “high” and could have major implications for the nation’s opioid epidemic, as research reveals Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) is treatable.

The endowed professorship is combined with a one-to-one match from the Aspire Fund Challenge, a $50 million grant program established in 2019 by an anonymous donor. UH says the program has helped the university increase its number of endowed chairs and professorships, including this new position in the department of psychology.

“Our future discoveries will forever honor the memory of Michael Conner Gibson and the Gibson family,” O’Connor added in the release. “And I expect that the work supported by these endowments will eventually save many thousands of lives.”

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This story originally was published on our sister site, InnovationMap.

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