OPEN 336 I AN IDEAL DAY

Milan, Viale Sarca 336, 7.30 in the morning.
"I'm going to the office today, but I'll be picking up two of my colleagues first. I must admit that car-pooling is really practical.
Working from home is fine, but when I come here, I'm more focused. In September it's still hot in Milan, but fortunately both the air quality and the temperature are optimal everywhere in the building. Aaaah, bliss! Ever since I first crossed it, I've been impressed by the openness and lightness of the hall: it is one of the liveliest places in the whole building. There are always so many people here. Come on, today I’ll take the stairs, a few steps can only do me good and with this spectacle of flowering plants one is even more encouraged to walk up! The office is still empty. I like the tranquillity of these early hours of the day. The light that comes in through the windows always charges me.
But look down there in the street — there's already a lot of life around here: students, neighborhood residents, workers.
In the meantime, everyone has arrived, and some colleagues have joined us online: first meeting of the morning, let’s do it!
I'd say I deserve a coffee break on the terrace with my colleagues. And a bit of greenery...ah, so relaxing! It's nice to chat about something other than work: fortunately, we have lots of spaces where we can meet. You know what? I'm going to stay a little longer here on the terrace replying to emails.
The open space is so convenient right? It allows me to discuss things with all my colleagues quickly. I don't have my own desk, but really, I don't need one, and it's super practical to put your laptop anywhere in the office and get up and running straight away. I can even choose whether to work sitting or standing. If I'm in a hurry, I'll lean for a moment at one of the higher standing desks.
I love doing everything with this agility. My company has fully embraced the values of those who imagined and built this building, both for the attention to environmental sustainability and for adapting to a new conception of work: “...and also because we want to attract the new talent of today!” they told me when I was hired. So, here I am! Flexibility is the key word, so I work to meet targets, but I don't sacrifice my private life.
Speaking of which, after lunch, my sister is stopping by for a coffee: I can't wait to show her where I work! I have to go to the city centre to meet a client, so I’ll take the subway to get there quickly. I’ll come back just to have a word with my boss since he's in the office today and then I'm out of there.
Maybe it sounds silly, but I get the impression that the building has worked with me, that it's given me a hand in dealing with the day-to-day challenges of the day. Sometimes I feel like I'm in a living organism.
At 4 o’clock I arranged with a friend who teaches at the university faculty next door, to go to the new exhibition at Hangar Bicocca, then we’ll have dinner at a small restaurant that has opened nearby. What if I surprise him? Ye, why not. I'll get tickets to the show at the ArcimboIdi Theatre. Maybe we can go together. Back at it tomorrow… and no two days are alike here!"