Image Credit : Oliver Pohlmann - https://oliverpohlmann.com
Lawrence Anderson Studios - https://lawrenceanderson.net
Project Overview
Zoom Communications, Inc. partnered with workplace design & build leader Unispace and experience design agency Downstream to create its new London office to shape the future of work and collaboration and place Zoom’s industry-leading technology at its heart for its UK employees and visitors.
Zoom’s new London hub is a game-changing workspace designed to redefine the future of collaboration, innovation, and hybrid work. Spanning 18,000 square feet, the space integrates a cutting-edge Experience Centre with a dynamic Employee Engagement Hub, showcasing Zoom’s technology with interactive displays and tailored storytelling experiences.
The Experience Centre offers a fully immersive journey into Zoom’s latest technologies with interactive displays, real-time product demonstrations, and custom content tailored to each visitor’s industry needs. Designed for flexibility, the Engagement Hub fosters collaboration across remote, in-office, and hybrid teams, with a variety of spaces designed for focused work, social interaction, and wellness. Sustainability is woven into the design, from eco-friendly materials to a bespoke tapestry crafted from recycled ocean plastic, achieving LEED Gold certification. Zoom’s London hub serves as a testament to its vision of a sustainable, flexible, and innovative future of work.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Strategy, Design and Construction - Unispace
Experience Design - Downstream
Project Brief
Zoom envisioned its new London hub as more than just an office, it wanted a forward-thinking space to embody its global leadership in communication technology and its commitment to innovation, collaboration, and sustainability. The goal was to create an environment that inspires employees, delights clients, and serves as a showcase for Zoom’s products.
To achieve this, the design had to cater to Zoom’s hybrid workforce while elevating the visitor experience. The Engagement Hub was crafted as a flexible, inclusive workspace for employees, offering a blend of collaborative zones, quiet focus areas, and tech-enabled Zoom rooms. This ensures seamless connections between in-office and remote team members, reflecting Zoom’s vision for the future of work.
For clients and visitors, the Experience Centre brings Zoom’s technology to life. Immersive, interactive installations, including world-leading curved LED touchscreens and tailored digital
content, provide a unique opportunity to engage with Zoom’s solutions firsthand. This experiential design positions Zoom as an industry leader, empowering visitors to see how its products can transform their organisations.
Project Innovation/Need
Zoom’s London hub is an innovative leap forward in workspace design, combining immersive technology with flexible design solutions to meet the evolving demands of hybrid work. At the forefront of innovation is the Experience Centre, a multi-sensory space designed to showcase Zoom’s industry-leading technology. With interactive touchscreens, curved LED displays, and broadcasting space for live demonstrations, it enables visitors to explore Zoom’s cutting-edge products in an enchanting and hands-on way. The centre offers tailored, industry-specific content that gives clients an in-depth look at how Zoom’s solutions can transform their businesses, bringing a new level of engagement and personalisation to product exhibitions.
Equally progressive is the Employee Engagement Hub, which prioritises flexibility and collaboration. The design includes diverse workspaces that can be easily adapted to suit a range of workstyles, from informal collaborative spaces to quiet, focus-oriented zones. Zoom’s hybrid work model is embedded into the office’s layout, ensuring seamless communication for both in-office and remote workers, supported by the latest technology and Zoom-enabled meeting rooms.
This dual-purpose space, combining a client-focused Experience Centre with a versatile employee hub, sets a new standard in the market, blending the physical and digital realms to enhance collaboration and demonstrate Zoom’s technology in action.
Design Challenge
The key challenge was creating a space that met the diverse demands of Zoom’s hybrid workforce while delivering a transformative experience for clients and visitors. The design needed to integrate the physical and digital worlds seamlessly, demonstrating Zoom’s technology while fostering meaningful connections for both employees and customers.
Flexibility was paramount. The workspace had to cater to various workstyles, blending collaborative zones, private focus areas, and hybrid meeting spaces. Balancing these needs while ensuring a cohesive and intuitive design required meticulous planning.
For the Experience Centre, the challenge lay in showcasing Zoom’s cutting-edge solutions in a way that was both immersive and engaging. This required designing interactive elements, including innovative technology displays and dynamic storytelling features, tailored to diverse industries and visitor profiles. The result is a hub where technology and human connection come together, addressing the evolving needs of hybrid work and reimagining the client experience.
Sustainability
Sustainability was a core principle throughout the design of Zoom’s London hub, focusing on environmental impact, resource efficiency, and social responsibility. The space was designed to meet LEED Gold certification, ensuring a commitment to eco-friendly practices and sustainable building standards.
Materials were carefully selected for their durability and low environmental impact. Natural materials such as timber and stone were used throughout, enhancing the space’s aesthetic while promoting resource efficiency. The design also incorporated commercial-grade fabrics containing wool fibres, reducing reliance on synthetic materials and contributing to a more sustainable lifecycle.
A standout feature of the design is the bespoke Unispace Art for Impact tapestry, woven from 3,500 recycled plastic bags collected from ocean waste. This unique piece not only adds to the visual identity of the space but also directly supports Zoom’s commitment to reducing plastic pollution and empowering women artisans in Nicaragua.
Beyond materials, the design incorporated energy-efficient lighting, HVAC systems, and digital tools to reduce the space’s carbon footprint. These features ensure a comfortable, sustainable environment for employees and visitors alike. Ultimately, sustainability at Zoom’s London hub is about more than just the materials, it’s about creating a space that connects technology, design, and social responsibility, inspiring both employees and visitors to engage with the world in a more sustainable way.
Interior Design - Corporate & Commercial
This award celebrates innovative and creative building interiors, with consideration given to space creation and planning, furnishings, finishes, aesthetic presentation and functionality. Consideration also given to space allocation, traffic flow, building services, lighting, fixtures, flooring, colours, furnishings and surface finishes.
More Details