Union Square Ventures

New offices prompted Union Square Ventures to rethink how they work and interact with the technology companies—such as Soundcloud, Kickstarter, Stripe—in their portfolio. Functionally, the office emerged as an innovative “ideas incubator,” which facilitates a broad range of meeting venues from private offices to casual collaborative spaces. Architecturally, the goal was to create an open, spacious, and naturally illuminated workspace that promotes interaction and collaboration while creatively while maximizing exterior views.

The plan unfolds along a spine of open workstations for analysts and administrative staff. Private offices, all with glass walls, are aligned along the north wall where tall windows provide city views. Situated in one corner of the floor plate is a multipurpose work and social space that features a large glass board for brainstorming sessions, and state-of-the-art video and teleconferencing technologies. With a sliding translucent glass wall system and moveable components, the space can be reconfigured to accommodate groups and events of any size, while allowing the rest of the office to operate independently.

A palette of natural and manufactured materials merges glass, natural woods, and cool metals with the building’s industrial elements—polished concrete floors and exposed sprinkler heads—to create crisp, streamlined interiors. Furnishings are a mix of contemporary pieces and mid-century modern icons; upholstered pieces, graphics, and contemporary art provide punches of color. The overall result is a highly collaborative workspace with maximum transparency and flexibility, which nurtures start-up campaigns and collegiality, clearly conveys USV’s forward vision.