Airbnb unveils its first office in India, designed by Airbnb’s Environments Team with local architecture studio Space Matrix in Gurugram. Delhi. Started in July 2017, the building opened in May 2018.
Like many international Airbnb offices before it—including Dublin, Paris and Beijing—the office design draws inspiration from its local culture. These influences are seen throughout the open office and include art, metalwork, and tilework. This is most evident in the office’s use of materials produced in India, such as bamboo and glass terrazzo floors. The micro-kitchen features a chai bar that incorporates locally-made, ornate tiles. The India employees also contributed to the local branding of the office with creative content, including photography that celebrates local Airbnb hosts.
The Environments team designed features within the office to respond to the local team’s needs, emphasizing the importance of team bonding and a strong sense of team connectivity and community. The key areas of the office allow all employees working together as one team, while remaining sympathetic to the differing needs of different job roles.
Airbnb Environments achieved the design of a communal workplace by incorporating alternative spaces that promote gathering. The layout has a centrally located communal lounge structure that provides a degree of separation in the open office without full-partitions, allowing the team to operate as one ensemble.
On each side of the communal lounge, the office has two separate open work areas that accommodate two different work types. Teams whose work involves frequent phone calls directly contrast the work of other employees, who require heads-down concentration. The layout incorporates a quiet room for meditation and seclusion, which is a regional addition based upon staff requests.
There are also alternative work areas, and phone rooms readily available for public outreach. Remaining true to other Airbnb offices, the India office also departs from its local culture with meeting rooms inspired by Airbnb listings. The design of the listing rooms is based on residences in Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Austin, and Goa. These rooms provide distinction to the open office with bright colours and varied materials.
