International architecture and design firm HLW has completed the interior design and fit-out of a relocated headquarters for global technology company Wise, in Shoreditch, London.
Inspired by its Estonian roots, the firm’s new offices balance a focus on wellness with agile workspaces that create environments for teams to grow, thrive and collaborate.
The five-storey, 83,000ft2 workplace at Worship Square is a 40% footprint expansion on Wise’s previous HQ in the Tea Building, also in Shoreditch, and is now the home to a team of more than 1,000 employees.
Focused on providing employees with well-being and innovation spaces, the design features a sauna – a nod to Wise’s Estonian roots – nap pods, massage chairs and a fitness studio.
Arrival at the office is designed to create an impactful first impression, from team gatherings in its event space and kitchen, to bonding and recharging in restorative spaces such as the games area.
Workspaces at Wise are flexible and adaptable in configuration, with ‘neighbourhoods’ along windowed façades, which provide agile workspaces. Booths and breakout rooms enable private work and focus, while the HQ also features bespoke device and research labs, for product development and user testing, respectively.
Open, naturally lit communal meeting spaces, as well as a terrace and café, fitted with comfortable textiles and soft furnishings, encourage conversation and collaboration. A statement staircase – in Wise green – is a focal feature.
Throughout, bold colours, texture-rich materials, and graphic artwork pay homage to artists originating from Shoreditch.
The design of the office complies with the UKGBC Net Zero Carbon Framework through a Whole Lifecycle Carbon Assessment, Embodied Carbon Assessment, NABERS, Operational Energy and Design for Performance. Low-carbon material choices – including a shift from steel to GRG – reduce embodied carbon by 11t.
Pendrick Brown, managing director, London, at HLW, said: ‘The new Wise HQ balances the restorative with the collaborative, designed for the needs of a dynamic team, with agility and adaptability in-built from the ground-up. A variety of bespoke spaces – flexible set-ups, ‘neighbourhoods’, and labs – ensure that each employee has the tools they need and a place that works for them. Honouring Wise’s Estonian roots while celebrating Shoreditch as an epicentre for design and craft, choices in texture, colour, and graphics are bold and playful.
‘From nap pods to massage chairs, Wise’s team – at one of the world’s fastest growing, profitable tech companies – is proof that office saunas are far more than just hot air.’
