It's well-known that building projects can often take longer than expected, but when the texting for business company Zipwhip set the deadline on their new building, they hit the ground running to succeed. Located in Seattle, WA., the Zipwhip relocation planning team saw a need for a larger office and embraced the opportunity to create an ideal workspace.
“Our objectives setting out were to build a beautiful, accommodating, and comfortable space that supported collaboration,” explained Scott Heimes, Chief Marketing Officer at Zipwhip who participated on the steering committee.
Senior Visual Designer Danielle Patlak agreed. “We designed this space to support and reflect our values of participation with enthusiasm, in particular. We pride ourselves on having fun together. Employees naturally find themselves hanging out in the kitchen after work or during lunch.”
However, the team had an immediate hurdle to surpass: due to the lease agreement for the new space, the timeline was shortened from a typical six to twelve months down to only two and a half. “We were throwing the wheels on the car as we were driving down the road,” joked Tom Engstrom, Senior Manager of IT Operations and Facilities who was on the design team. “It's a testament to our team and ability to work together.”
Bringing designer Christine Chaney of Christine Chaney Creative in on the project, the team was able to make the decisions needed to fit an accelerated timeline. As Heimes explained, Chaney gave them “very clear directions which illuminated a series of steps.”
Looking at the needs of the office, the team decided to partner with Commercial Office Interiors. Chaney elaborated, “Our timeline was such that if we wanted the option of certain pieces and fabrics, we had to act fast. But we couldn't make all the decisions at once, so Susan Stinnett at COI prioritized our decision-making process so we could have longer lead time items by making those decisions first.”
Knowing they wanted a more residential feel, the team then broke down the office to look at the function of each room to determine the best furniture for individual spaces. “Our office has a large variety of different meeting spaces that are for a large variety of people,” said Zipwhip design team member Keena Bean, Director of Corporate Communication. “We knew we wanted standing tables for the team meet-up rooms and convertible lounge furniture for the common areas.” One such collaborative common area utilized the Townhall Collection to provide employees with moveable furniture that adapts to their needs. “Every time I go over there, [the furniture] is moved around. That makes me happy.
The design is a proven success not only in the day-to-day interactions of Zipwhip's employees, but to the wider region as well. In 2020, Zipwhip was named one of the best workplaces in Washington by the Puget Sound Business Journal. “People just absolutely love the office,” said Heimes. “The office really has the stamp of 'us' all over it.”
Patlak agreed, saying, “A lot of people commented that this is our first space that's our own. But one of the things I heard the most was about the desks. People really like their desks—it is a great chair and great desk experience—and because you spend a lot of time at your desks, that's a big one.” For the team, providing employees with a space they appreciate and utilize has made the stress of a short timeline worth it.
Project Details
Headquarters:
Seattle, WA
75,000 sq. ft.
268 Employees
Partnerships:
Commercial Office Interiors
Christine Chaney Creative
Marvin Yamaguchi, Architect
Product Solutions
Seating:
Clarity®, Evo™, Reflect®, Rise™, Peak™, Vicinity™, Gunlocke Iris™
Workspaces:
Altitude® A8, Further™
Tables:
Altitude®, Harvest™, Structure
Storage:
Align™, Involve®, Radii™
Accessories:
Screens, Wand™