Duolingo’s New Office And The State of the Workplace

The Office Evolution

The modern office has continually evolved as new management philosophies, technology, and furniture (like the cubicle) entered the fold. But, for the most part, one constant has remained: an understanding that an office is required to get the job done. That all changed when the COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020 introduced remote work to more people than ever before and challenged long-held assumptions about productivity. Five years later, another inflection point is here as companies institute return-to-office mandates while employees accustomed to working from home stage what Stanford researchers have described as “The Great Resistance” to them. “Right now, the thing that feels so enormous to me is we’re questioning what the office means to us,” Galullo says.

Of course, offices aren’t going away anytime soon. But, like Roblox’s new space, the most ambitious ones are charting new territory in the features, amenities, and overall look and feel of their workspaces. Galullo—whose recent clients include Goop, Duolingo, Tinder, and Hinge—shares how.

Designing for the Individual

Many of Rapt’s clients, like Roblox, are designing their offices with the understanding that their employees are neurodiverse and prefer different environments throughout the day. At Duolingo’s new office in Lower Manhattan, Rapt designed an array of spaces that include a silent library-like setting complete with study carrels, a cafe with background music piped in, open-plan workspaces, and a semi-secret room behind a hidden door that’s become a favorite place for executive breakfasts and cocktail hours. “It’s a much more bespoke, much more individual reaction to what people need to be their best selves,” Galullo says.

Hybrid Work will Become More Equitable

“Everyone’s realized that hybrid work is here to stay,” Galullo says. A rippled effect that has emerged is proximity bias between employees who come into the office and those who are remote more often. “Our clients are trying to deal with how they develop equity across those two individuals,” Galullo says. To that end, Rapt is experimenting with new conference room tools and technology (like cameras that capture the entire room) to build better experiences across hybrid team meetings.

Minimalism (for Sustainability’s Sake)

Goop’s new office in Los Angeles features wool carpets, polished concrete floors, and natural wood finishes. It’s a minimalist sensibility that reads as quiet luxury, in keeping with the brand’s aesthetic. The move is also environmentally motivated: fewer products means less waste. “We take our responsibility seriously as it relates to pulling natural resources from the earth and gluing it to the wall for five or 10 years and then ripping it out and throwing it back on the earth again,” Galullo says, noting that Rapt’s clients have a “renewed interest” in LEED and WELL certification.  

Mainstreaming Biophilia

Plants are back. In the past, live greenery was a tough sell due to the maintenance required, but as a growing body of research on the psychological benefits of plants is leading Rapt’s clients to request this feature. “There’s been a real push to bring a healthy environment into the office,” Galullo says. Rapt often uses plants to add a soft element to spaces where it would normally have specified drapery, upholstered seating, or another man-made material to yield the effect.

Unifying Brand and Culture

Offices have long been calling cards for companies. The same is true today, but the expressions are more sophisticated than mounting a logo on the wall. “We’ve moved well beyond that,” Galullo says. “Brand has been the outward statement and culture is the internal workings. We say they’re different expressions of the same thing.” To wit: Duolingo’s reception area is done up like an art gallery, with its app’s avatars rendered in interactive digital paintings that move when someone walks by. “It’s really about what does the organization stand for? What’s important to it?” Galullo explains. “In Duolingo’s case, it’s this idea of learning, opening yourself up for exploration, and having things surprise you.”