An office design to celebrate Upwork's growing presence in Chicago as well as the company's mission to to provide economic opportunities in local communities around the world.

Solomon Cordwell Buenz was tasked with giving Upwork a workspace to support their global mission in Chicago, Illinois.

Upwork, a web-based global freelancing platform based in Silicon Valley, selected SCB to design a new 28,000-square-foot workplace for the relocation of their Chicago office. SCB’s design celebrates Upwork’s growing presence in the city as well as the company’s mission to provide economic opportunities in local communities around the world.

To connect the new space to its surroundings, the design team organized the office into different areas named after Chicago neighborhoods. Each quadrant is denoted by large, graphic wall coverings of iconic landmarks and restaurants located throughout the city, as selected by Upwork employees. To tie the design back to the organization itself, SCB incorporated branding elements throughout the space as seen in the crisp design aesthetic, bright lighting, and verdant accents, reminiscent of the company’s logo.

The open floor plan features sit-to-stand workstations, a number of collaboration and informal meeting spaces, quiet areas for individual work, and a large café space that can accommodate meetings for up to 150 people. Integrated technology in both the collaboration spaces and conference rooms creates a flexible, team-oriented work environment and supports connectivity to Upwork’s clients worldwide.

Design: Solomon Cordwell Buenz

Photography: Kendall McCaugherty | Hall+Merrick Photographers

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