Deconstructing AIRBNB: Every Frame Matters

The local Airbnb compound isn’t a tiny Cecil Street service office filled with customer service experts – it actually compromises three generous levels that are connected via a central staircase.

- Liu Hongzuo

Every level houses different departments that keep the app fully operational in a local context, but its employees enjoy flex space; your average Airbnb staff is not expected to be strictly housed within their department’s seating space. Each employee gets a personal locker to store their valuables, and they are free to pick any seat within the office.

All three levels also have their own sprawling pantries stocked with food and drinks. The main cafeteria is incorporated into its reception area, and it greets visitors and employees alike. The outdoor patio hosts community BBQ nights with Singapore based Airbnb hosts, as well as company bonding karaoke nights where the employees would break out their karaoke machine to croon until the stars are out.

A Hosting Habit

The office décor was done by FARM, and the interior designers adopted a series of local flavors that helped to blend into the firm’s core values. Like Twitter’s enclave, you can find HDBstyled elements that make up most of the office’s mood – the central staircase blends with its stylized ventilation blocks, and the flights of stairs uses a bright Ebisu (an Airbnb-made neon orange shade) with railings you would see in older HDB estates and public spaces.