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Architects: Airbnb Environments
- Area: 14000 m²
- Year: 2017
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Photographs:Mariko Reed
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Manufacturers: Andreu World, TON, Architectural Lighting Works, Herman Miller, ICF, Vitra
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Lead Architects: Aaron Taylor Harvey, Rachael Harvey
Text description provided by the architects. Airbnb is delighted to unveil 999 Brannan, a new office in San Francisco designed by Airbnb’s Environments Team with local architecture studio WRNS as architecture firm of record. The new space will form part of Airbnb’s US Headquarters alongside 888 Brannan.
This is the largest single project that the Environments Team has developed. The challenge with this project was not to reinvent but instead to reveal the essential qualities of the building by emphasizing and articulating its core framework.
999 Brannan’s design reflects Airbnb’s ‘Belong Anywhere’ ethos by incorporating elements of its global community into the design of the space. The Environments Team translated this into a physical space by assigning each floor to a different city: Buenos Aires, Kyoto, Jaipur and Amsterdam, styling each one of the floor’s cafes in relation to that city, the colour, patterns and materials reflecting the local culture. Additionally the interior design of each meeting room is inspired by existing Airbnb listings around the world to enable employees to travel throughout their day.
The Environments Team was exceptionally hands on with the design process creating bespoke furniture and curating every detail. Aaron Taylor Harvey, Airbnb Environments Executive Creative Director, explains “we wanted to bring the same bespoke nuance to this very large space that we brought to the first small office we designed in Portland. We want it to feel like a custom home to every inhabitant.”
Led by Aaron Taylor Harvey and Rachael Harvey, the team worked in collaboration with WRNS to implement the Airbnb neighbourhood concept and components into the space. Primary work spaces are divided into 16 neighbourhoods with identical components, for up to 50 people each. Every neighbourhood comprises of a desk space with large custom made communal tables and standing desks, three phone rooms, personal storage and a 15 to 30 person garage; a meeting room that can be adapted according to necessities by opening and closing a room divider with a garage door mechanism.
As part of Airbnb’s ongoing global office design strategy, The Environments Team engaged with local employees in an Employee Design Experience (EDX) programme to help add the finishing touches to the design of the meeting rooms. The EDX programme enabled employees to re-interpret design components from Airbnb listings into the meeting rooms as well as illustrate elements of San Francisco’s local identity.
999 Brannan, the new 14,000 sqm office in San Francisco, houses over 1000 staff, covering a range of teams from customer service to legal departments. The previous office at 888 Brannan continues to operate.
