Six companies using WeWork for a custom space

Customized workspaces solve unique problems for companies in a way traditional cubicles don’t support. The future of the office is flexible workspace that’s human-centered, invites collaboration, fuels innovation, and promotes wellness and balance. WeWork designs every one of its spaces to reflect these goals—and when it comes to custom spaces, the design team listens closely to the needs of company leaders. 

Spaces that are customized to reflect a brand’s culture, values, and work styles through art, design, color, and configuration promote productivity and a sense of belonging.

“Place identity,” or the sense of feeling at home in the workplace, is beneficial for employee satisfaction and productivity, as reported in the Harvard Business Review. 

Here’s how six companies leveraged WeWork’s global portfolio of spaces to customize workspace design and infrastructure. Each of these spaces uniquely serves their needs and imparts an overall sense of place identity.

A Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company launches a spin-off

The challenge: A global pharmaceutical company and longtime WeWork member set out to launch a spin-off company at scale and needed flexible, customized workspace in locations around the world.

The solution: The large Fortune 500 company teamed up with WeWork’s design team to identify key standards and develop the custom Information Communication Technology infrastructure the firm needs to conduct business.

The result: WeWork’s large global portfolio made it easy for the company to enter key markets. By the end of 2021, 30 to 40 custom satellite offices will be up and running all over the world. All of the new spaces are fully branded and customized to ensure a consistent employee experience in every market. In the end, the pharmaceutical firm saved on capital expenditures for all these spaces. And with just one point of contact for all of its WeWork assets, it will be easy to scale up or down going forward.

A Fortune 100 social media company customizes for collaboration and education

The challenge: A social media company growing its presence in Brazil found that the country has a shortage of skilled tech workers. The company’s leadership developed an initiative to offer free programming classes for underserved communities and support for social impact startups. They just needed the right home for it.

The solution: The company partnered with WeWork to create an inspiring new space for the Brazil initiative. Flexible terms leave room for expansion.

The result: The new full-floor, multipurpose space is fully customized to meet the education and development objectives of the company. The location serves as a collaboration hub for 10,000 community members each year. It features multipurpose workspaces, flexible classrooms, state-of-the-art conference rooms, and relaxing common areas that facilitate social interaction and spark innovation. The inspiring design of the space includes special touches from local artists and designers.

A financial services company goes all-in with a full-building HQ

The challenge: After a period of large investments and hypergrowth, a financial services company wanted a headquarters in Sao Paulo, Brazil, that it could customize to suit the company’s unique needs and grow into. 

The solution: WeWork created a custom-designed, full-building headquarters for the firm. The open space accommodates all of the company’s employees and internal events and supports communication and collaboration. Movable and reconfigurable furniture, fixtures, and equipment enable every space to be customized for any need, which also helps make social distancing easy and natural as part of the company’s return-to-work strategy.

The result: The new headquarters enables the company to settle in for the long term, accommodating all 2,639 desks that it currently needs. The fully branded space manifests the company’s culture, identity, and values—and the structured, flexible terms allow for future growth.

A software provider settles down in a branded, client-facing office 

The challenge: During the COVID-19 pandemic, a software provider in the Bay Area issued WeWork All Access passes to its employees. But after a merger, and facing the expiration of its current lease, the firm began a search for a customized, client-facing headquarters.

The solution: WeWork partnered with the company’s broker of record to facilitate the design process. WeWork provided the firm with a full-building headquarters, fully customized to reflect the company’s unique brand identity and engage employees and clients alike. 

The result: The company’s new 37,000-square-foot headquarters provides inspiring, flexible workspaces for employees and a branded experience for clients. Flexible terms include an extension option, and WeWork All Access allows employees to make informed choices about where they work in the Bay Area.

A healthcare provider opens a new, customized call center

The challenge: A healthcare provider and WeWork member’s hiring forecast indicated a need for more workspace. At the same time, the company wanted to create a customized call center that felt like home for its Phoenix-based employees.

The solution: WeWork provided the member with a custom-designed space with an open layout to accommodate administrative growth. The 181-desk call center features specialized acoustic solutions, including wall treatments and privacy dividers.

The result: Employees enjoy amenities such as a new pantry and plenty of relaxing spaces for taking breaks and collaborating with colleagues. Enterprise-grade IT fully supports all of the company’s technology requirements, and a flexible, 36-month term enables the company to reevaluate and adjust its space needs down the road.

A health tech company expands into new markets

The challenge: A growing healthcare technology company based in Boston needed space for expansion in the local market—as well as several new markets. It wanted a new, fully branded headquarters with room for future growth.

The solution: WeWork custom-designed a 52,000-square-foot workspace in a prime downtown Boston location. From ideation to move-in, a single point of contact at WeWork ensured streamlined communication throughout the entire process, so that everything came together on time, on budget, and exactly as the firm envisioned it.

The result: In the new headquarters, the WeWork design team created dynamic, brand-focused interiors that encompass the company’s culture and draw heavily from its colors, logo, and identity. The result is a space that works exactly how the company works, with plenty of quiet areas for heads-down work and larger spaces for collaboration and socialization.

The physical work environment is one of the most important factors in employee satisfaction and productivity. The best office space for your company depends on your workplace culture, how your teams interact, and the structure of your organization. WeWork partners with companies of all sizes to create both large- and small-scale customizations that make work easier for you.

Kristen Bailey is a veteran writer and editor based in beautiful Lincoln, Nebraska. She has a penchant for helping large and small brands create stories that tell the why.