Upwork Chicago Office

Demolishing barriers and redefining work

Wood and softer materials are integrated throughout the workplace to create a warm and inviting environment for all who visit.

006106 00 N9 Cdwebsite — Wood and softer materials are integrated throughout the workplace to create a warm and inviting environment for all who visit.

Client: Upwork
Location: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Size: 35,000 square feet
Status: Completed 2020

Upwork’s paradigm-shifting success as the world’s largest work marketplace, connecting millions of businesses with independent talent around the globe, has reshaped our economy and how we work.

Our team partnered with Upwork to create a new workspace that helps them advance their mission to connect the best talent to the optimal opportunities anywhere anytime. Upwork thrives as a departure from the expected and a beacon for where the world of work is headed. They work each day to place independent talent at the heart of every business. Our team brought that to life through the design of this dynamic space.

Unique settings across the workplace empower employees to find the spaces that best suit their needs throughout each day.

006106 00 N21 Cdwebsite — Unique settings across the workplace empower employees to find the spaces that best suit their needs throughout each day.

Hexagonal lighting pairs with acoustic felt tiles and greenery to elegantly create ambience and energy throughout the different areas of the workplace.

Upwork1 — Hexagonal lighting pairs with acoustic felt tiles and greenery to elegantly create ambience and energy throughout the different areas of the workplace.

006106 00 N13 Cdwebsite — Hexagonal lighting pairs with acoustic felt tiles and greenery to elegantly create ambience and energy throughout the different areas of the workplace.

To help Upwork eliminate physical barriers between teams to foster connectivity and collaboration, our design surrounds staff and work stations with amenities and spaces that empower them to structure their workplace experience. This empowerment is amplified through technology throughout the space that ensures freedom and flexibility for all users. All of these efforts build on key themes of freedom, control and boundless possibility while helping Upwork staff think bigger and innovate faster.

The workplace is also filled with artwork that shares stories and emotions from Upwork's global talent community. It offers a look into the positive influence the company has on individuals' lives both professionally and personally.

Read the Interior Design feature article

Desk areas are surrounded by a variety of meeting rooms, each adorned with their own graphic accent walls that inspire and evoke emotion.

006106 00 N17 Cdwebsite — Desk areas are surrounded by a variety of meeting rooms, each adorned with their own graphic accent walls that inspire and evoke emotion.

These unique graphic elements were all shaped by Upwork employees and help bring the human experiences that are at the heart of the company to life.

006106 00 N7 Cdwebsite — These unique graphic elements were all shaped by Upwork employees and help bring the human experiences that are at the heart of the company to life.

006106 00 N6 Cdwebsite — These unique graphic elements were all shaped by Upwork employees and help bring the human experiences that are at the heart of the company to life.

Upwork sought an unobstructed environment where teams could collaborate and feed off each other's energy. This new space achieves that and more, while also introducing panoramic views of the city, biophilic elements throughout and graphics that speak to the company's mission, sourced from employees. It is also set amidst the bustling energy of the streets of Chicago.

Interior Design magazine