Recently, I had the opportunity to visit our firm’s new Columbus, Ohio offices.  The office design and space use is so refreshing and sharp.  What caught my attention most was the creative re-design/re-purposing of the office kitchen (picture above).  No longer a galley room with a microwave, refrigerator and a toaster; today’s office kitchen is similar to the open kitchens in our homes and the social collaborative spaces in coffee shops (which many use as defacto offices when out and about).  The New York Times picked up on this trend not long ago in an article describing variations on the theme of social networking spaces.  So, while office size contracts, the space dedicated to collaboration and networking expands.