Ideas about workplace design change over time and Mikko Kangaspunta has witnessed several of these changes. Mikko is financial director at the State Treasury and he and his organization are accommodated in a 1980s office block on the edge of Helsinkis city centre. When I started working here, in the 1990s, it was a typical government office in which most people had private offices. After a couple of years, however, it was decided to remove all walls and to create open offices. The aim was to improve communications, but employees were not too happy with . People complained about noise and a lack of privacy. And now, we have activity-based working. There are different kinds of workplaces and we are free to choose where we work. According to Mikko this latest change is for the better.Area/employee 14.9 sqmComing from an open office, it is surely an improvement. We still have open spaces, but they are combinedArea/workstation 21.3 sqmwith rooms where we can take phone calls and work in concentration. Asked about the most positive aspect of the new concept, Mikko points to the improved interaction with colleagues. It is refreshing. You can sit next to different people every day, instead of always the same ones. The decision to adopt activity-based working coincided with a reduction in headcount, which meant that the State Treasury needed only two of the buildings five office floors. Another state tenant was sought, which turned out to be the Finnish Patent and Registration Office. This organization had previously been located in the inner city, but their lease was expiring, and they were looking for a new location because the governments real estate strategy stipulates that only ministries can be located in Helsinkis central government campus.The buildings canteen is shared by the two The two cohabiting state organizations share a reception, atenants as are the conference centre and the floor with conference rooms and a staff restaurant. Typically, there is also a shared rooftop sauna, although it is hardly ever used these days. There are plans for more 103