Uniplaces is an online marketplace for booking student accommodation, founded in 2012 by Portuguese Miguel Amaro, Argentinian Mariano Kostelec and Brit Ben Grech. In an ever changing market, this platform helps millions of students, around the world, find and book their accommodation when studying abroad.
Office File
Company: Uniplaces
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
Área Total: 1000 sqm
Year: 2016
People: 135 people (Lisbon)
Industry: Student accommodation platform
Office Design: Paralelo Zero
Culture
At Uniplaces, they have a “startup” culture that embraces growth and change. They highly value transparency, learning and open communication (they hold weekly open Q&A sessions, speaker series, surveys, …). The culture shapes the way they work, the way they interact with each other, and the way they build and develop the Platform.
The Office
Uniplaces office is located in Lisbon’s downtown, in the building of Rossio Train Station. Structured as an open space, it’s organised in two floors connected by a dramatic staircase and an iconic fishnet.
On the ground floor we can find work stations, meeting rooms, a library and the kitchen; and on the first floor there are more work stations, informal meetings spaces, a gym and the fishnet used mostly for relaxing.
Lounge
The entrance takes us straight to this large lounge area where we can see Uniplaces moto in a big vibrant blue wall: “Book it Live it”.
This area is where visitors are welcomed, weekly company Q&A’s and meetings are held, as well as doubling as a work area and relaxed place to take a nap every now and then. This is also the stage for numerous Tech meetups, both promoted by Uniplaces or other companies or groups.
Deck
The high ceilings, the decked floor, the old arches of the historic building and the green living wall, give a unique atmosphere to this area - particularly when the sun is shinning. There are tables and chairs that people use at lunch time, for quick meetings or work sessions, making it a very flexible and alluring space to be.
The bicycle in the corner has an ice cooler inside, and it’s used to cool drinks at gatherings and meetups.
Library
The library is a secluded space where people are welcomed to pick up a book or gather with their team for a quick meeting.
At every weekly Q&A session, a book is presented by a person that recommends it, and it’s added to the library.
Kitchen
Most people bring their own lunch or grab something from a shop nearby to eat in the office. This area is functional and the elongated wood table allows for a large number of people to get together at meal times or for a snack. This, as other flexible spaces at Uniplaces, is also used as a work area.
Work Areas
These areas are mainly used for focused and collaborative work. The white worktables are organised in rows, and departments tend to group together in a cluster of tables for better communication and context.
Cocoon
Used mainly for audio calls or focused work, these cocoons are in different points of the office. The materials used and the shape keep sound in and also block most of the exterior noise.
Meeting Rooms
The meeting rooms are very open and transparent, and some don’t even have doors, which also represents the openness of Uniplaces’ culture.
Net
The suspended net located between the two floors brings a unique element to the space.
Plans
Office Talk
“It’s a great thing to be in Lisbon city centre. The environment and the diversity of people motivates you to come to work everyday. One of my favourite spots to work is the entrance Lounge, where I create a pile of pillows in the sofas. Maria Almeida
“The office is very open: all meeting rooms are transparent which is also connected to the company values: brings transparency and therefore resulting in trusting relationships. The ping pong table, bean bags, and the gym are there to help us relax and get together. Areas like the kitchen and the Deck encourage connections, which is vital for Uniplaces. João Ribeiro
Todas as fotos: André Henriques | www.ahphoto.pt/
