Small is beautiful -- and efficient. These freestanding pods, domes, and workstations are so artfully designed and ecologically sound that one might wonder: Is this the future of work?


Turns out, the future of the cubicle isn't very square at all. Some of the coolest small-office spaces in the world--for the workplace or the home--have indoor plexiglass spheres that dampen phone-call noise or outdoor polygons with triangular windows.


More from Inc:

-- World's Coolest Offices of the Future

-- Office Gear That's Smarter Than You Are

-- 15 Greatest Marketing Innovations of All Time[1] [2] [3]


Take a look at a few of the most amazing cubicles, and head to Inc.com[4] for the full list.



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  • Orbs in an Atrium - Pons and Huot


    Designed by French architect Christian Pottgiesser, this other-worldly office became the headquarters for two French companies: Pons and Huot. It is adorned with floating staircases, a recreational room, and indoor ficus panda trees trees galore. (That works because the bulk of the space is contained within a stately glass atrium, comprised of a restored industrial hall built in the late 19th century.)




  • Chameleon Cube - Log Cabin Recording Studio


    This tiny stand-alone office isn't just nestled in nature, it also emulates it. Cross-sections of logs create a camouflage effect for this recording studio, built for musician Hans Liberg by furniture designer Piet Hein Eek. Eye-level windows on all sides of the structure provide ample light when open, but when closed turn the building into a nondescript cube of logs.




  • Stackable Islands - Pallotta Teamworks


    The use of shipping containers--each with an average cost of $3,400--was found to be the most economical way to create dozens of individual, small private offices and support facilities. They are stacked vertically, and hooded with air-flow canopies, creating giant "tented islands," which minimize the volume of air conditioning needed to cool this massive, 47,000-square-foot Southern California space.




  • Prefab That Delivers - Archipod


    So you’d like a home office but don’t have the space? Try the backyard. The Archipod is a unique, eco-friendly prefab garden office made of shingle siding and timber floors. It's created by a company founded in 2009 by Chris Sneesby, who calls himself “The Podfather.” An individual pod costs about $20,000 and can be delivered directly to your home.




  • Inc.


    See the rest of the coolest cubicles at <a href="http://www.inc.com/worlds-coolest-offices/tiny-offices.html?cid=home1" target="_blank">Inc.com</a>.