Zoom opens new London ‘Engagement Hub’

Zoom has opened a new London ‘Engagement Hub’ which the firm claims will  spearhead the shift from traditional office spaces to ‘experiential working hubs’. With the demand for hybrid working  and remote capabilities giving rise to unconventional ways of operating, Zoom says it has designed its new office to support the changing nature of the employee experience, marking a new era of modern work.

Situated in Holborn in the centre of London, the 15,000 square foot space has been transformed into a multi-use cohesive hub with built-in Zoom technology. The building will provide a collaborative space where Zoom’s 200+ UK employees can share ideas and strategies, while fostering a sense of community across the global Zoom network. The move has been designed to bring Zoom’s new workplace strategy to life, providing optimal working spaces for colleagues who live close to the office to collaborate in-person on designated team days.

“The world of modern work has changed. Both employers and employees have experienced the benefits of a more flexible approach to work and want to use technologies like Zoom to maintain them. This means more and more communication will take place across more channels, and collaboration across oceans.” says Phil Perry, Head of UK & Ireland at Zoom. “The organisations that best adapt to these changes and optimise the benefits of technology and flexible working, while maximising the times that teams spend face to face, will be those that succeed commercially in the race for the best talent. And it’s no different here at Zoom.”

“That is why we have totally re-imagined our London office for the modern, digitally connected age. We are confident the state of the art design, underpinned by the full suite of Zoom technologies, will make it the perfect place for our teams to come together to do their best work on some days, while being optimised for hybrid and remote interactions leveraging the full power of the Zoom platform on other days. Today’s announcement also underlines our commitment to and confidence in the UK – a key market for Zoom where we continue to see strong adoption across our entire unified communications platform encompassing virtual meetings, telephony, internal communications, online events and more.”

Welcoming modern work

Split into different zones, Zoom’s London Engagement Hub includes 75 work points, ranging from library-style benches, touchdown spaces, agile tables for collaboration to traditional desks. All these offerings are bookable through Zoom’s workspace reservation tool. Zoom’s all-in-one solution enables its employees to plan and navigate their workday in the office.

Each meeting room is equipped with the latest Zoom Rooms technology along with digital signage to bring collaboration and customisation into any space, making meetings frictionless regardless of what devices employees are working from. Even for traditional in-office roles such as a receptionist, Zoom’s Virtual Kiosk will enable them to manage the office remotely, greeting guests and handling administration tasks, empowering everyone to do their best work from anywhere.

The office is fully equipped with the tools, technologies and workspaces to foster human connection as well as enable digital engagement. To encourage in-person connection and cooperation, the Engagement Hub contains creative furniture, community areas, and formal gathering spaces, as well as quiet corners for calls.

In addition, the Executive Briefing Centre (EBC), set to open early 2024, will provide a state-of-the-art demonstration space, offering a hands-on immersive education experience for employees, prospects, and customers to drive business outcomes.

Designed with the planet in mind

The design of the London Engagement Hub as well as the EBC demonstrate how Zoom addresses sustainability holistically, in a way that extends beyond its carbon footprint through the LEED certification, a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement.

In line with its core value of care, including caring for the planet and its communities, Zoom has collaborated with Nicaraguan women collective Las Tejedoras, NGO Casa Congo and global design firm Unispace to deploy Art for Impact (AFI), an initiative that matches organisations with artists to benefit their local community non-profit groups. Zoom’s EBC contains a custom-designed tapestry made from 3,500 plastic bags, with a message of inspiring individual and corporate action in the areas of environmental conservation and social impact.

“Our company is centred around people which is why our London Engagement Hub has been intentionally designed with the employee experience at the heart of it all,” says Alana Collins, Head of Real Estate & Workplace at Zoom. “For in-person days, it’s important to have a structure, rooted at a team level, to build value and purpose. This is why we’ve combined the best of in-person and virtual collaboration to inspire innovation and promote maximum productivity, satisfaction and creativity as we adapt to modern work.”