Most people are being required to come into office at least once a week at the state. Some people are overjoyed about going back to the office, and others preferred working from home. As I reflected on the mass return-to-office 'home versus office' squabble, I became inspired to take a look at state departments and evaluate which headquarters are the most architecturally snazzy.

This article is biased and is based on no grounding other than my personal opinion. I pretty much offer no actual value in my rankings, but I bet that you too have an opinion on the matter. I expect retorts and opinions on my rankings, and I hope these opinions are similarly based in inexperience that made this article such a joy to create.

# 10 The California State Treasurer's Office (915 Capitol Mall)

Although formerly called the California State Treasurer's Office, it was renamed as the 'Jesse M. Unruh' Building in 1987 by the presiding Governor. It was actually ranked the fifth worst state building in Sacramento back in September 2008 by the Sacramento Bee, speculating that it needed over $10 million in repairs. It has been 15 years since the article was written (although the article was updated in 2015) , so I hope that this has been remedied.

The phrase "Bring Me Men To Match My Mountains" is written below a group of unidentified statues from the poem The Coming American by Sam Walter Foss.

The ancient Greek columns scream "we do something with money in this building." You can work from ancient Greece and/or Washington D.C. in the Sacramento Valley--what a deal! Plus, the poetic phrase above the door is wonderfully dramatic (and I mean this in the best way possible, it's fantastic!). This building doesn't get nearly the amount of love as the state capitol building, but is still super cool looking. Make sure to give one of the unidentified statues on either side of the doors a hug the next time you pass by.

# 9 The Office of the Attorney General (1300 I Street)

This building has the same "vibes" as the California State Treasurer's Office. They look completely different in their architectural styles, so I don't really have a basis for this opinion other than the face that they both share imagery of women. As with the Treasurer's Office, this building just exudes drama. Not only is Lady Liberty hovering over the door to examine all those enter, but the building itself is gargantuan. It looms over the city and keeps watch over everyone. If Batman were a building, it would be this building.

It looks like a castle you'd try to create in Minecraft, and looks even cooler at night than it does during the day. Just looking at this building makes me want to play Prokofiev's Dance of the Knights, and get my act together.

# 8 The Department of State Hospitals (1215 O Street)

This is another building that just looks incredible at night. Huge fan of the massive windows and the little outdoor spaces on every other floor. It feels very open, bright, and modern upon entry (at least that is what I am assuming). Not only this, but the location of this place is incredible. You are a street away from the capitol building, and you are 2 minutes away from the best La Bou in 6 counties--What a steal! It's also super close to the light rail, so technically transportation is easier than some of the other departments. DSH is doin' it right!

#7 California Department of Natural Resources (715 P Street)

This one is extremely similar to DSH, and it was a close tie between the two. Both appear to have really bright, open windows. After doing a brief Google search, I saw that this building uses zero net energy and is LEED platinum. How can we not love the Department of Natural Resources following through with sustainability as the department focused on sustainability. I also want to mention that this building has a food court (winning!) and the largest child care facility constructed by the state.

Plus, if you look at this building from a distance or at certain angles, it looks like the castle from the Phantom Tollbooth because the panes of glass have different colors. Not only that, but this building also has a pretty rad location. It's right next to the only kava bar in Sacramento and it's a hop and a skip away from R Street corridor.

#6 California State Controller's Office (300 Capitol Mall)

The State Controller's Office is one of those Sacramento staples that makes up the skyline. It has a wild water fountain in front of it, and is right next to another Sacramento staple--The Tower Bridge. This maybe one of the most Sacramento buildings of all time (other than the capitol, and a few others). Not only is it an epic building, but it also has a garden connected to it that overlooks Sacramento (wow!). I mean, I didn't even know that this garden existed, it's so discreet. If you are trying to catch some vitamin D, you have your own, personal park set with a grove of trees. It's like a smaller version of the Salesforce Tower in Sacramento.

And wait, there's more! It's also 2 blocks away from the Golden1 Center, right next to Il Fornaio, and other crazy good Sacramento restaurants - Frank Fat's, Morton's Steakhouse, Camden and Lager.

Yes, that's right folks. You can get some fancy pasta to go, and consume your afternoon lunch at your personal park that overlooks the Tower Bridge.

#5 The Department of General Services

There was major debate with my team about this one, but I say down with the haters! You get to work in a building that was designed after Mesopotamian Ziggurats. In terms of architecture, this is the most creative by far. If you grew up in Sacramento, you grew up wanting to explore this building. I would bet big money that half of the elementary school children in Sacramento think that this building is the capitol of Sacramento. It's basically a movie set for the Indiana Jones franchise. Plus, it's riverfront!

I've also heard that there are secret rooms in this building, although that has yet to be confirmed (if you have information on this matter, please reach out to me). If this is true, you're basically going to work in a Mesopotamian castle complete with trap doors and somewhat surrounded by a moat. Someone call the Disneyland Imagineers, I have your next film idea ready to roll.

#4 The Governor's Office (1300 L St)

I know that this one is cheating, and that is why it is only number 4. The governor's office is only a small part of the capitol building, but to leave it out of my ranking would be just as wrong as making it #1. This is literally the capitol of California! It has over 100 kinds of trees and a rose garden! It is quintessential Sacramento, and it's absolutely stunning. I think we can all point to this building proudly when we take relatives from out of state to take a peek. There's always something interesting going outside (for better or for worse), and they always put up a really epic Christmas tree in December. Last, and probably most importantly, you can rent the space for FREE because as a California citizen, you pay for this land. You can book the space in front of the capitol for basically anything and you'll get free security from CHP. This is an insane deal that most people don't know about. The inside is just as beautiful as the outside (At least it was the last time I was in there). I highly encourage everyone to get a tour and check out the rotunda.

This building is a stunner and a classic, but putting it as number 1 really isn't fair to the other departments that haven't been around since 1860.

#3 California State Teacher's Retirement System (100 Waterfront Pl)

When you think "skyscraper" this is the exact kind of structure that comes to mind. This building literally melds with the sky. If you haven't had the opportunity to see this building during sunrise or sunset, then you're missing out. The entire building turns hues or pink and orange, and you genuinely can't tell if it's a building. That being said, you probably have seen this building because it stands out like a sore thumb in the best way possible to welcome all to Sacramento. It's located right on the riverfront (next to DGS), so it has an excellent location. It has massive glass windows and modern appeal. It accidentally became a Sacramento icon due to it's location and size.

#2 California Air Resource Board (Southern California Headquarters)

This building reminds me a lot of the Ziggurat building in that the architecture is so unique! This does not look like a state department, it looks like a science museum which isn't a far stretch because this building has its own chemistry area and lab (super cool!). The difference between the Ziggurat building (other than the Mesopotamian influence) is that this building is super modern whereas the Ziggurat looks a tad dated.

Similar to Natural Resources, this building lives out CARB's mission. It is the largest zero net energy building in the United States! They achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification, and California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen) Tier 2 standards. Way to stick with your own standards, CARB!

Not shown is a super cool courtyard in the back that is open, airy, and allows for food trucks. There is also super cool art all over the place. I think that just by looking at this department you can tell why it ranks so high in terms of looks.

#1 CA Public Employee Retirement System (400 Q Street)

This is probably the coolest building of all time. Why? Well, first off, it is also entirely made of glass. It has a tower thing that I don't quite understand, but that looks like a castle turret. This structure is like Tarzan's Tree house mixed with Men in Black headquarters. I have no business going into this building, but when I first came across it I thought that it was an adult playground. It just screams urban adventure.

The inside is covered in plants. It's essentially a green house. Each level is lined with flower boxes filled with foliage. I wouldn't be shocked if there were butterflies thriving here. It's absolutely beautiful inside and outside of this building. Plus, it is LEED Gold certified. There are fountains, trees, huge windows, and bridges from building to building. It looks super cool during the day, and it looks good at night too.