Microsoft's new Denmark headquarters is inspired by a Bill Gates memo from 10 years ago

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Sure, you could take a trip to Washington to visit Microsoft's sprawling flagship campus. 

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But wouldn't a trip to snowy Denmark be even better?

Architecture firm Henning + Larsen built Microsoft Domicile, a 194,000-square-foot space designed with Bill Gates' love of collaboration in mind, in Lyngby, Denmark.

Back in 2005, Gates released a white paper called "The New World of Work," in which he stressed the importance of communal office spaces.

This building is the living embodiment of that paper, 10 years in the making. And as of two weeks ago, it's finally open.

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The new Denmark HQ sits right beside the Technical University of Denmark. It features designated study rooms that are open to all students.

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The building itself is made up of two cube-like buildings, which come together around a V-shaped atrium.

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Design director Louis Becker says the plan was to use the common space as a place where all employees could gather, which follows Gates' 2005 vision.

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"Over the next decade, shared workspaces will become far more robust," Gates wrote.

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Source: "The New World of Work"

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Becker says the ground floor is intentionally friendly, as the space is meant for the employees and the general public. The light-filled atrium also sends a signal to people that it's the heart of the building.

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Another communal public space is the auditorium.

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There's also a café.

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On the higher floors, the conference rooms and work spaces resemble the shared workspaces Gates predicted a decade ago.

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There are secluded quiet areas and bright conference rooms, each making use of the natural light (or lack thereof). Dimmer areas are subdued for contemplation, while daylight helps stimulate activity.

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"Working with daylight and space is part of our Scandinavian legacy," Becker says. "It excites me every time we succeed in this discipline."

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Henning + Larsen also wanted to create "visual dialogue" between the various rooms. When people can see others working, they will naturally think more collaboratively, the thinking goes.

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Oftentimes, offices will trap themselves under unnecessary pressures to be "always on," Gates wrote back in 2005.

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He argues that the solution is in simplifying the average worker’s environment.

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Ultimately, the office space fulfills Gates' goal of uniting office workers in the name of collaboration and Becker's desire to maximize the use of light.

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Which will come in handy once those dark Scandinavian winters take hold.

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