No business is defined by its workspace, but having a functional, well-designed office is crucial to keeping employees happy and productivity high.
Having an awesome tech office doesn’t just mean providing beer and cold brew on tap. It means providing a company's workers – as well as clients and the community – with a comfortable environment that aligns with its mission and its operations.
Whether startup and tech companies are hiring artists for custom murals, bringing plants and dogs into the office or hosting rooftop happy hours, the members of D.C.'s innovation community prioritize having a space that looks and feels good as they look to attract and retain talent.
For a glimpse into some of the region's unique, artful and spacious local tech offices, DC Inno has compiled a list of five we envy the most.
Here they are:
Axios
News organization Axios' headquarters in Arlington sprawls about 13,000 square feet on the 13th floor of the building, offering views of the National Mall and the Air Force Memorial. Immediately upon exiting the elevators, employees and visitors find the colorful (and self-explanatory) Snaxios room. Floor-to-ceiling windows provide natural light and conserve electricity for its nearly 100 employees. And some of the high-top tables were crafter by co-founder Jim VandeHei’s brother in Wisconsin. To mimic its internal transparency architecturally, all of Axios’ conference rooms walls are transparent glass.
Signal Vine
The 31 full-time employees at Signal Vine's Alexandria office know it's dog-friendly, and they use that perk often. The communication platform's office, a former warehouse, is entered through two large sliding doors that open up to the outside. The front of the office is all glass and the roof has multiple skylights, allowing natural light to fill the space. On the back wall of the one-floor, open-plan layout sits a mural of the GW Parkway, which many employees use to get to work. The space includes multiple conference and call rooms that the office dogs love exploring, and Thursday team lunches and Halloween costume parties are not to be missed.
Taoti Creative
Taoti Creative bought its building about four years ago and converted it from a law office, though – based on some risqué wall murals found during renovation – it might have served entertainment purposes back in the day. In addition to being its HQ, the marketing firm's spot hosts several community events like its annual Santa’s Workshop gathering. The office hosts an open device lab for testing websites, as well as a maker space – both of which are open to the public. The retail location on a main street, with plenty of foot traffic, leads visitors to frequently wander in to find out more about the company. As it grows, Taoti is breaking ground on new space next door in coming months, which will double its size and add more square footage to its already-spacious rooftop deck.
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Cvent
Cvent moved to its current McLean headquarters in 2014, and has been expanding ever since. In the past year, it made significant employee program enhancements including expanded health and wellness offerings like sports programs, massages, onsite fitness classes and wellness seminars. The gym in the building recently added Peloton bikes, which plenty of employees take advantage of. It also added Fooda and Foodsby to its dining options, offering employees more convenience and variety than a usual mess hall. The office has a beer keg and bar used for team happy hours and small gatherings, as well as onsite specialty coffee and draft cold brew from Commonwealth Coffee.
Langan
The local office of civil engineering firm Langan calls Rosslyn home, and it has created a homey atmosphere in its D.C.-area digs. The floor plan is centered around “The Hub,” its kitchen and lunchroom space that includes a shuffleboard area and a dart board. The floor plan is semi-open, with top executives situated on the interior of the space – leaving plenty of natural light for the cubicles. Langan's office includes phone rooms, adjustable standing desks and multiple conference rooms named after DC landmarks. The simple but vibrant color scheme is featured throughout, and live plants are scattered around for some indoor nature.
