Step into web consulting start-up Nascent Digital’s shared office with ad agency Rethink and you’ll be greeted by sparse white walls, neatly lined desks, a pearl white Tama drum kit and fire engine red chairs sitting atop astroturf in a space overlooking Toronto’s cityscape.
It has all the trappings of a modern tech office: clean yet funky with a buzz of creative energy. Asked about the philosophy behind his office’s design, Nascent Digital CEO Shawn Konopinsky chuckles.
“I wish there was a more romantic story, but it’s a design by utility,” he says.
Along with his partner, Konopinksy says they chose designs that met their needs as a growing start-up — which seems to be a philosophy most tech start-ups follow.
“Our design concepts are built around having a place that has transparency, open-ness and most importantly, collision,” says Tonya Surman, CEO of Centre for Social Innovation (CSI), which offers shared spaces, private offices and desks for entrepreneurs in Toronto’s tech world.
To foster this type of ecosystem, Surman says CSI’s branches in Spadina, Annex and Regent Park are outfitted with glass walls.
“Everyone is always able to watch and keep an eye on what’s going on,” she says.
Another way to create an environment like this is by having an open-concept office according to Konopinsky.
“If we were to section people off, we won’t get that serendipitous communication that’s so vital in this business,” he says. The positive effect of having an open and interactive atmosphere can be seen through CSI where Surman says 85 per cent of members have collaborated with each other.
Another theme common in most startup spaces is purchasing cheaper furniture. Konopinsky recalls sitting down with his partner and pouring over an Ikea catalogue to figure out what furniture to use. According to him, a custom workstation costs $1,200–1,800 CDN per person but they spent only $400 CDN per station in Nascent.
“As our company gets bigger, we might outgrow our furniture so we wanted to make sure that it won’t be painful to throw things out,” Konopinsky says.
The ever-changing nature of startups dictates that companies have to find cost-effective ways to do expensive things like, in Nascent’s case, soundproofing their boardroom’s loud echo by dotted walls with astroturf to dampen the sound.
This ability to be resourceful and use funky materials is another vital characteristic of start-up spaces: having a fun and relaxed atmosphere, says Lux Design interior designer Laura McLellan, who has helped design tech offices like Climax Media. According to her, since startups employ a younger generation of people, the office has to cater to their needs.
“They believed in having fun while working so we accommodated that,” she says.
In designing Climax Media, McLellan had to pencil in a lounge where employees can play video games and movies. “Each office should be tailored to the people it’s housing and though tech spaces don’t usually follow the layout of traditional offices, it still works,” McLellan says.
Originally published by ONset Magazine
