It’s no surprise that some of the world’s most innovative start-ups have also emerged as trend-setters in office space, with progressive designs that incorporate openness, fun and creativity.
TRADEME
New Zealand’s biggest and most popular auction and classifieds site recently moved its entire staff into a central Wellington space, ditching a traditional fitout for colourful carpet, slides, a converted caravan and two “picnic rooms”, to name a few of their quirky features.
“I think it’s just a hat-tip to kiwiana and something a bit quirky, a slice of outside which gets creative juices flowing a different way,” communications and community representative Paul Ford says. “It’s a cool room to have a really boring meeting in.”
HUBSPOT
An inbound marketing and sales platform in Cambridge, Massachusetts, HubSpot based their office design around the theme of collaboration, movement and a ‘no door’ policy, in which no employees (even the execs) have an office.
It comes equipped with its own game room, TV studio and meeting pods, and it even includes self-serve confectionary dispensers, filled with all kinds of sugar to keep the spirits high!
COUCHSURFING.COM
Couchsurfing.com, a hospitality and social networking site, really hone in on their brand with the San Francisco head office incorporating a “work from the couch” mentality which means couches (obvs.), beanbags, board games, pets, and not to mention tree-swings hanging from the wooden roof.
INVENTIONLAND
Inventionland Design factory are exactly that, the world’s largest invention factory, where creativity, originality and experience is at the heart of what they do.
Based in Pittsburgh, Pennysylvania, “creationeers” at Inventionland work in 16 unique themed sets, such as a shipwrecked pirate ship, faux cave, treehouse, pet shack, and a giant shoe to name a few; where over 1000 visitors come to tour the factory every month.
Out the back of the factory is a red carpet leading to a state of the art audio, video and animation studio, complete with a sounds room and green screens.
WHITE MOUNTAIN OFFICE
White Mountain Office is located an amazing 30 metres under the ground, in a 1200 square metre dungeon beneath the Vita Park in Stockholm, in what used to be an anti-atomic shelter.
The company, an internet provider, uses the space to house server halls and offices and combines the best elements from earth; light plants, water and technology to create strong contrast where the granite rock dominates and the human is the stranger, in a space which they ultimately overtook.
How could you bring your brand to life by incorporating it into your office design? We’d love to hear what you’ve done or got in mind. Share with us some of your favourite office designs!
