Every year, we share the most innovative offices from around the world (and a few from our own clients). Below is our list from 2017.
First, you get a few of the best clients we were fortunate enough to work with this past year. We can hold our own here in the Valley of the Sun. Below our clients are the international companies from Inc. Magazine. It’s amazing to see the creativity that goes into building out all of these spaces.
Pick your favorite. I love Kudelski (our client—but I’ve been in the space), and the Airbnb space in Dublin. Scroll down, it’s worth your time.
Enjoy,
Craig
PS — In addition to the coolest offices of 2017, we had a client (Oaktree Capital and Cypress Properties) turn loose 4 architects to build out 4 spaces without direction or budget. We called it Project Future (check out this background video). These 4 spaces turned out fabulous and the 600 people who toured them on opening night loved the show. Click here to see the spaces and the party.
MindBody
SkySong 4
Greater Phoenix Economic Council
Booker Software
Kudelski Security
And of course, our home, Lee & Associates
15 OFFICES THAT WILL MAKE YOU INSANELY JEALOUS
By JEREMY BITTERMANN
December 29th, 2017
Crazy indoor plant life. Castles and opium factories converted into headquarters. Inc. has been keeping tabs on the very coolest offices throughout the year. Here are the best of the best.
1. One with nature
If you can’t work outdoors, bring the outdoors inside. Swedish gaming company King used real lichen and trees built out of plywood to create a hideaway that feels like a Scandinavian forest.
IMAGE: KING; DESIGN: ADOLFSSON & PARTNERS; PHOTOGRAPHY: JOACHIM BELAIEFF
2. Nod to yesteryear
Airy and filled with natural light, WeWork’s flagship China office is built into what used to be an opium factory. The space uses the building’s original staircase and steel beams, painted green for a more natural feel.
IMAGE: DESIGN: WEWORK & LINEHOUSE; PHOTO: WEWORK
3. Color by number
Dutch architecture firm MVRDV designed a wing of its headquarters to resemble a doll house. The rooms are color-coded by purpose, from the red TV lounge to the dark blue meeting room.
IMAGE: PHOTOGRAPHY: OSSIP VAN DUIVENBODE
4. Through the years
The offices of genealogy company Ancestry pay tribute to the firm’s employees–and their roots. Portraits of long-tenured workers are hung next to photos of family members from generations ago.
IMAGE: DESIGN: RAPT STUDIO; PHOTO: JEREMY BITTERMANN
5. Over the rainbow
Media agency Canvas outfitted its office with dichroic glass, which reflects light at different angles. The glass changes color depending on the time of day and the angle at which you view it.
IMAGE: CANVAS WORLDWIDE; DESIGN: A+I; PHOTO: MICHAEL WELLS
6. Get nutty
Vice’s Toronto office has a bar designed to feel like a throwback saloon. Made of walnut, it’s stocked with coffee and tea, plus bourbon and whiskey for after hours.
IMAGE: ADRIEN WILLIAMS
7. A colorful history
British startup Money.co.uk converted a Victorian castle into its new home. The new digs combine old-fashioned decor with kitschy elements and pops of color for a truly unique feel.
IMAGE: DESIGN: INTERACTION; PHOTO: CHRIS TERRY
8. Stepping up
Airbnb’s Dublin office is the first one the company has designed from scratch. It’s broken into 29 distinct “neighborhoods,” and the staircase at the center serves as a lounge and meeting area.
IMAGE: DESIGN: HENEGHAN PENG ARCHITECTS; PHOTO: DONAL MURPHY
9. Recharge
PwC’s new Switzerland office gives employees the chance to catch up on rest in the nap room. The natural color palette gives the space a calming, outdoorsy feel.
IMAGE: DESIGN: EVOLUTION DESIGN; PHOTO: PETER WUERMLI
10. Keep it green
Instead of dividers or walls, co-working space Second Home separates its cubicles with greenery. The Lisbon, Portugal-based office is home to more than 1,000 plants, which also helps improve the office’s air quality.
IMAGE: DESIGN: SELGASCANO; PHOTO: IWAN BAAN
11. Grayscale
Squarespace went with a sleek, minimalist scheme for its 98,000 sq. ft. New York office. It’s almost entirely black, white, and gray, with the only splashes of color coming from the plant life.
IMAGE: DESIGN: A+I; PHOTO: SQUARESPACE
12. The ring
Apple’s new spaceship-like headquarters give life to a vision initially laid out by Steve Jobs. The campus is home to 12,000 employees and 9,000 trees, and it relies entirely on renewable energy.
IMAGE: COURTESY APPLE
13. It’s alive
That’s not a painting: LinkedIn’s 26-story San Francisco headquarters feature a living wall next to the 17th story juice bar. It’s made of various types of moss and has both depth and texture.
IMAGE: DESIGN: IA INTERIOR ARCHITECTS; PHOTOGRAPHY: ERIC LAIGNEL
14. Dual purpose
Boston-based Pillpack outfitted its lounge with a refurbished Prohibition-era bar. It serves espresso during the day and turns into a DJ booth during nighttime events.
IMAGE: DESIGN: HALEY MCLANE, PHOTOGRAPHY: JARED KUZIA
15. Looking forward
Google broke ground on its new London headquarters in late 2017. The 1,066-foot “landscraper” will contain offices, swimming pools, and basketball courts, and will be almost as long as the Empire State Building is tall.
IMAGE: COURTESY GOOGLE
