Through qualitative approaches to workflow, branding, and culture, RIOS have designed headquarters for leading companies like GoodRx, Vrbo, and Spotify that exemplify the firm’s approach to the next generation of office spaces.
Reconfiguring the workflow to create a living embodiment of a brand and encouraging a community oriented approach to work has been a driving force for the firm, which sees a future beyond rows of cubicles and fluorescent lighting that have defined offices for generations. Rather, design should support the productivity and positive morale of employees while creating a living embodiment of a brand that promotes an engaging work culture.
GoodRx, a healthcare and technology company, wanted an expression of their wellness-focused brand in their new Santa Monica warehouse space. The design incorporated a main street fluid walking experience with natural light that moves between a series of episodic environments that feels welcoming yet stylised and creates intimate moments for employees to connect.
With client Vrbo, an online holiday rental marketplace, RIOS’ design imagined a scientific interpretation of their brand to create a House of Science where data, technology, and ecology would merge and connect their employees within one building. Previously, Vrbo employees were spread across multiple locations in Austin, which hindered the efficiency of circulating ideas and collaboration. After examining the data and leveraging focus groups to uncover the way people work, the team created a design that interconnects every floor of the 315,000 sq ft, nine floor space to promote intra-office travel with programmatic spaces for teams to meet.
The workplace is designed around five ecosystems that offer a controlled sense of colour, articulation, and furnishings to evoke the feeling behind familiar places. Each workspace is equipped with a collaboration table, developed for quick stand-up meetings out in the open to spark creativity.