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The Trade Desk have taken 80,000 square foot across four floors in a new and exciting part of London that supports their identity as a truly international company. Relocating to the new Grade A building, One Bartholomew, in the newly regenerated area in St Bart’s was a considered move that personifies the business. The building sits in the heart of London and bridges the juxtaposition of the financial history and heritage of the City with the tech and creative industries emerging from Farringdon and Clerkenwell.
The Trade Desk wanted this office to be an inspirational environment that would see the London office become iconic for the company. The bold, impressive interior design represents their pioneering approach and plays an important role in their attraction of new staff. The design has lifted the limitations of a traditional office by developing a community-focused landscape that caters for every personality and demographic.
As a global business, there are certain values that The Trade Desk hold as integral to the success of their business and the development of the vibrant, people-centric culture. While their headcount sits at approximately 300 employees, a key concept of this office design was to make it a space for the individual - a welcoming office that balances the sensation of homeliness with an engaging, inspirational community atmosphere.
The office relocation was led by a requirement to create a more connected office. The Trade Desk culture is centred on the idea of community and bringing people together. To achieve their ambitions of growth while nurturing their passionate culture, they needed to move to a location that would lift any limitations on staff and the ways they worked. The main design feature in the office is the central bleacher seating and atrium-style space which was created by knocking thorough the slab on the 10th and 11th floor.
This design feature was introduced to serve two purposes; connect people and improve all staff communications. With locations spread across the world and a growing team in London, communicating with staff and delivering key presentations and talks was a big challenge. Equally with an office split across multiple floors, separating teams would create barriers for integration.
The workplace strategy programme on this project was really influential in us identifying the beliefs and behaviours that The Trade Desk staff found to be most important. This process allowed us to align ourselves with the shared vision and passions of The Trade Desk. Through the staff engagement questionnaires and workshops, we took away some really key values and principles that helped shape the look and feel of this new London office.
The findings showed us that the level of trust, pride and friendship between The Trade Desk and their staff was incredibly high, and to some extent, quite literally off the charts. This insight was priceless as it enabled us to focus on creating an office design that promoted freedom and autonomy. To do this, they needed more space to ensure that there were no limitations in the space and activate people to socialise, eat and collaborate with each other.
Another key finding from the workplace consultancy was that there is no concept of presenteeism in the business. Their people are valued on their performance, energy, culture and passion for the business. Having this in-depth appreciation of their people and their day to day behaviours was an essential part of the space, as the office has been designed to maximise the space and allow people to connect in a hugely diverse landscape. To facilitate this, we have built this space around an activity based working philosophy, with a desk for each member of staff. This was because they wanted everyone to feel that they had their own individual space, even though they are not required to use it.
People and culture at The Trade Desk is one of the most integral elements of their business. They invest heavily in talent and development. One of the most important parts of this project was to develop a community-led environment that inspired their people. There was an acknowledgement that this office would both allow for business growth as well as play a pivotal role in attracting new talent to the business. When their staff walk into the office, for the first time or even the hundredth time, it was important that the atmosphere is always high-energy, modern and positive.
As you would expect from a global media agency, we have equipped the space with dedicated areas for games tables, a catered kitchen with free snacks and a bar. But at the core of the business is a philosophy of being humble and nurturing their community. Creating an office that inspires their people does not end with tangible perks and benefits; it is about building a landscape that connects people and empowering them with trust and freedom. This approach helps to support a healthy way of working as well as mental wellbeing.
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