12 of the Most Innovative Office Space Designs

Written by:

Evan La Ruffa

Oct 16, 2017

Many of the most dynamic companies are applying aggressive innovation when designing cool office spaces. Business leaders know that surroundings affect workers’ psyche and that well-curated workspaces get the best out of their workforce. The right color scheme, layout, or tone can increase productivity, energy and creativity, which can lead to a more rosy-looking balance sheet.

One design style won’t work for every company. Luckily there are various types of cool office spaces to choose from that can evoke emotions that matches a company’s personality.

Here are some cool office spaces worldwide that are already reaping their benefits.

Sustainability: More and more companies are reflecting their eco-friendly ethos in their office space design. Melinda Delst Interior Design designed the Fairphone company’s head office in Amsterdam with an open plan, beautiful views, and a variety of recycled and environmentally friendly materials like reclaimed wood and glass that form cube-shaped meeting areas.

Henegan Peng designed Airbnb‘s beautiful offices in Dublin in an arrangement of nooks and pods with glass walls all bordered with cork, giving the space a renewable, chic feel. Many other companies are incorporating foliage directly into office designs. The company, Loft, installed a green garden atop a glass box meeting room in their Rotterdam office, which is accessible by a staircase leading to the office’s exterior.

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Transparency: A major trend in office floorplans is situating see-through, “fish tank,” conference rooms at the center of the office floorplan. At Design Inc. designed the Red Cross’ Melbourne processing center meeting rooms with a glass wall that allows attendees to overlook laboratories. The Gensler Chicago Office improved on this model by etching inspiring quotes on their conference room glass. The meeting rooms in Fujitsu Oceania Headquarters in Sydney are not technically rooms, but rather open cylinders of smoked oak timber cladding with a graphical design.

Bold Originality: Some companies are giving designers carte blanche to implement truly innovative designs ranging from ultra modern to minimal chic. The ultra cool office spaces at Yandex in Kazan are divided into a series of functional zones including separate work areas with a lecture hall, relaxation nooks and a walk-in lounge-pod that’s decorated in pea-green from floor to ceiling, a 70’s flare inside an ultra-modern construction.

Red Bull employees in Mexico City take their meetings sitting in swing chairs hovering above a faux grass carpet. Workers at Autogasco in Chile take theirs in a glass box that looks like it’s floating on a bed of stones. Hudson Rouge meeting attendees in New York are surrounded by walls you can write on, and Dropbox meeting rooms in New York look exactly like someone’s living room.

These are just a few examples of how you can design an office to fit and even personalize your company’s brand.
If you can’t choose, follow the lead of Conde Nast, who designed its more than 20 conference rooms in New York each with its own style and character.

Written by:

Evan La Ruffa

Oct 16, 2017