The main cafeteria area features a welcoming faux fireplace wall, an industrial oiled steel bar, and restaurant-style seating areas. Photo credit: Elisif Photography
Boston – Wayfair, LLC, a Boston-based, multinational e-commerce company, has recently completed the phased relocation of its 297,000sf headquarters. Columbia Construction Company and project team members Fraser Project Management and McMahon Architects Inc. collaborated on the design and build-out. The new location provides the company the opportunity to expand into a unified and centrally located space in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood.
Established in 2002, Wayfair has grown exponentially since 2011. Employing a young and energetic workforce, the corporate culture is one of collaboration, innovation, and employee development. The design of their new home is in keeping with these values and gives the thriving online company the flexibility it needs to support continued growth over multiple floors while remaining connected.
Dramatic skylights on the seventh floor draw natural light into the space, while connecting stairs unify the multiple floors. Photo credit: Elisif Photography
The design aesthetic for the company’s corporate office resonates with Wayfair’s progressive initiative as a company, encouraging the efficient and concise use of space. Phases 1 and 2 comprise 139,000sf of an open concept office with themed collaboration and meeting spaces, showcasing some of the 7 million home furnishing products from 7,000 suppliers available on Wayfair.com. The same design principle was employed for Phase 3, which provides an additional 158,sf. The result is over 2,500 workstations and 70 distinct collaboration areas featuring themes ranging from “Grandma Chic” to “Seattle Grunge.” These shared spaces, decorated with unique collections in an array of colors, patterns, and furnishings, accommodate spontaneous meetings. Such areas enrich and emphasize the youthful culture of Wayfair.
The game room features a variety of seating options as well as a ping pong table, foosball tables, and video-gaming area. Photo credit: Elisif Photography
“We could not be more pleased with the design and build-out of our company headquarters at Copley Place,” noted Nicholas Malone, chief administrative officer, Wayfair. “Columbia Construction Company, Fraser Project Management, and McMahon Architects worked together seamlessly to create a unique workspace that perfectly reflects our culture of innovation and collaboration. The open office concept is ideal for encouraging the natural exchange of information and ideas, and the distinctive meeting areas bring a colorful and fun touch of home to the workplace. We are very excited to bring all of our Boston-based team into one central location that can accommodate our continued growth. ”
This headquarters project is unique in that there are no private offices — not even for senior management. Conference and training rooms are located at the building core, while open plan office areas reside along the perimeter window walls to maximize the natural light throughout the floor plan. The space is bright and modern and features a workstation benching system to allow for ultimate flexibility. Adjustable desktops enable team members to customize the height of each workstation, ensuring individual comfort. This trend is supported by studies which show that a change in posture, or even standing at work, has a positive impact not only physical well-being but also on employee productivity.
This collaboration zone highlights a contemporary living area, which features products available on the Wayfair.com website. Modern seating, a shag rug, and pink houndstooth wallcovering warm up the office environment. Photo credit: Elisif Photography
Bright white staircases with wood plank treads, dramatic skylights, and chandeliers create focal points for connecting the various floors. A limited palette of vibrant colors accents the custom grey carpet in a custom pattern. A 100-seat restaurant-style café, a cafeteria, and kitchenettes are strategically located throughout the space. Fully stocked snack bars and a game room, complete with ping pong and foosball tables, are among the perks for Wayfair employees.
The Columbia Construction, Fraser Project Management, and McMahon Architects team worked together to complete the headquarters project for more than two-and-a-half years, resulting in an efficient and modern workplace that will support Wayfair’s continued expansion. Thorough preconstruction services by the team ensured elements of the program were well defined, consistent, and maximized value for the client. The result is a headquarters environment that is comfortable and functional, sure to enhance the employee experience for Wayfair team members.
