When "The Chronicle" asked college employees what they value about their jobs, they put the physical environment in which they work at the top of the list. They said they were concerned not only that their spaces met their needs but also that their campuses had a pleasing appearance. That's no surprise to Thomas G. Contos, university architect at Washington and Lee University. It's his job to know what the university's employees want in their workplaces. He says in the corporate world, somebody wants the corner office, or more space, or more luxury. But on a college campus, "people are attracted to spaces that capture the sense of being on the campus, being part of the community." Faculty members, he says, want to be near students and classrooms. As for administrators and staff members, he says they "aren't used to having as much say, but they are attracted to the same things" as faculty members--including the sense of belonging to the campus community. On campuses rich and poor, architects, facilities administrators, and presidents make an effort to ensure that employees have pleasant places to work.