{"id":106523,"date":"2018-07-20T09:40:10","date_gmt":"2018-07-20T13:40:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/techvibes.com\/?p=106523"},"modified":"2018-07-20T13:26:38","modified_gmt":"2018-07-20T17:26:38","slug":"killer-spaces-article-vancouver","status":"publish","type":"magazine","link":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/magazine\/killer-spaces-article-vancouver","title":{"rendered":"Article’s Minimalist Vancouver Loft"},"content":{"rendered":"

It often takes a trip abroad to really get perspective on what\u2019s happening back home. That\u2019s exactly what led four self-proclaimed \u201clogic-nerds\u201d to found the direct-to-consumer furniture business\u00a0Article<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Aamir Baig, Fraser Hall, and brothers Samuel and Andy Prochazka were the original four behind the Vancouver-based Article, founded back in 2011 after Andy returned from a trip to Beijing. It was there he noticed a massive disconnect between the manufacturer and retail prices and returned to Canada with the goal to re-engineer the shopping experience.<\/p>\n

The four co-founders came together to simplify the prototypical supply chain and rid the retail world of as many inefficiencies as they could. They found out this task would be easiest in the furniture world, as it was in dire need of an overhaul\u2014product deliveries could take three to four months and suffer from up to 400 per cent markups\u2013 all amounting to an outrageously painful process for even the most callous shopper.<\/p>\n

\"Article-Vancouver-Killer-Spaces-Techvibes-21\"<\/p>\n

\"Article-Vancouver-Killer-Spaces-Techvibes-1\"<\/p>\n

\"Article-Vancouver-Killer-Spaces-Techvibes-20\"<\/p>\n

Article was founded on the basis that a digital-first buying experience would alleviate any kind of concern in that retail environment. With a focus on the customer\u2019s needs and streamlining supply chains, customers would get what they want and build lasting relationships with Article.<\/p>\n

Since the early days, Article has grown just a bit from the original four. The company now boasts over 200 employees working out of an expansive 115,000 square foot space just outside downtown Vancouver, and they have more than 1,000 different product SKUs with plans to double that by the end of 2018.<\/p>\n

Work<\/h3>\n

Article has only been in their new space for about a year. The new office\/warehouse is 20 times larger than their previous Railtown location and was designed by Elizabeth MacKenzie and her team, with some input from Article\u2019s creative team when it came to the layout of the space.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’re expanding in every aspect of our business: We’re hiring more staff, we’re increasing our product range and we’re developing new technologies to make the process for buying designer furniture more efficient,\u201d said Baig. \u201cA new, larger office space was necessary at this stage in our growth, and we wanted to find a location that checked off all of the boxes on our wish list.”<\/p>\n

\"Article-Vancouver-Killer-Spaces-Techvibes-2\"<\/p>\n

\"Article-Vancouver-Killer-Spaces-Techvibes-13\"<\/p>\n

Article\u2019s model works because they don\u2019t work the way most furniture retailers do. With a digital presence as the first priority, the company can save costs by removing expensive showrooms, cutting out sales commissions, and ditching those bruised and coffee-stains floor models. Those savings are passed on directly to the customer.<\/p>\n

But price is only half the battle. Article’s products illustrate a clear company value in design and built quality. The in-house team works with world-class manufacturers to built a catalog with mid-century modern, Scandinavian and West Coast designs. The best part? Every design is exclusive to Article, and pieces are often designed in-house from start to finish.<\/p>\n

\"Article-Vancouver-Killer-Spaces-Techvibes-3\"<\/p>\n

\"Article-Vancouver-Killer-Spaces-Techvibes-7\"
Long vistas and neon lighting: so in right now.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"Article-Vancouver-Killer-Spaces-Techvibes-14\"<\/p>\n

In case you wanted to know what Article has to offer, the company tends to focus on furniture for living and dining spaces. That means, chairs, tables, and the Article staple, sofas, although the product line is growing.<\/p>\n

To run a world-class retail outlet, you have to have a world-class logistics team, and Article\u2019s team is nothing but. The company ships out close to 10,000 orders each month to customers across North America, and 80 per cent of orders are delivered within two weeks, and 30 per cent in under one week. That kind of punctuality is almost unheard of with most retailers, let alone furniture specialists.<\/p>\n

Article has doubled their sales from 2016 to 2017 and expects to hit over $200 million in total sales by the end of 2018.<\/p>\n

Food<\/h3>\n

Snacks are good. Healthy snacks are great. Healthy snacks that taste great are the best, and that\u2019s what Article has plenty of. There are bananas, tangerines and cucumbers available to the hungry furniture family along with hummus and cheese at the ready. If that\u2019s not enough, maybe granola bars or dried nuts and fruits work too\u2014and some of those might even be covered in chocolate.<\/p>\n

\"Article-Vancouver-Killer-Spaces-Techvibes-15\"
Midday snacks never looked so stylish.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"Article-Vancouver-Killer-Spaces-Techvibes-9\"<\/p>\n

The go-to in the morning for many Particles, as they\u2019re referred to, is a bowl of cereal and a cup of Lush Ethical Bean coffee (or a latte, or an americano) from the Jura Impressa XJ9 machine. Seriously, Google that thing. It\u2019s a beast.<\/p>\n

If that\u2019s not enough, Article sits within walking distance of some of Vancouver\u2019s best breweries, including Strange Fellows, Luppolo and Off the Rail. Food trucks like Meet2Eat and Betty Baguette also often roll by the office to make desk-side deliveries.<\/p>\n

\"Article-Vancouver-Killer-Spaces-Techvibes-12\"<\/p>\n

Culture<\/h3>\n

Article\u2019s culture is a state of being. Be Direct, Be Better, Be Good, Be Genuine, Be Adventurous. Those mantras are what the executives and workers live by, all symbolized by the coveted Pony Time award. Every week, Particles gather to award the prestigious equine award to a colleague who truly lives and breathes those values, then next week they pass that award along to the next worthy winner.<\/p>\n

The office maintains a communicative vibe through its open space, which lets all of the different teams\u00a0stay in touch with one another if need be. Natural light floods the office, giving it an airy feel.<\/p>\n

\"Article-Vancouver-Killer-Spaces-Techvibes-18\"<\/p>\n

\"Article-Vancouver-Killer-Spaces-Techvibes-19\"<\/p>\n

\"Article-Vancouver-Killer-Spaces-Techvibes-11\"
An Article supervisor makes his rounds.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cAn open concept layout encourages collaboration among teams,\u201d Maureen Welton, Article\u2019s VP of Creative and Design explains. \u201cWe also specifically decided to situate communal spaces along the perimeter of the office for groups and guests to enjoy plenty of natural light and great Vancouver views. We\u2019re happy to come to work every day and feel great in this inspirational space.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are bike lockers in the basement for those who two-wheel their way to work, as well as showers for those few-and-far-between scorching hot Vancouver days.<\/p>\n

Across from the showers, Article created a jam space to help the musically-inclined Particles find a place to practice their guitar solos and drumoffs. This is where the true stars get together to practice for Couchella<\/em>, a festival headlined by the best and loudest Particles.<\/p>\n

\"Article-Vancouver-Killer-Spaces-Techvibes-6\"<\/p>\n

\"Article-Vancouver-Killer-Spaces-Techvibes-5\"
How does a Particle make it to the Couchella Stage? #practice #jamspace<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Education<\/h3>\n

Article offers\u00a0lunch-and-learns in order to take advantage of the different knowledge bases around the company. Team leads also regularly help mentor team members outside of their own to help make sure everyone is aware of what it takes to be successful at Article.<\/p>\n

If that kind of formal learning isn\u2019t your thing, maybe the trivia nights and communal HQ Trivia gatherings will help too. If none of that works try attending the Greenness 101 club, where Particles help teach each other their best gardening practices.<\/p>\n

\"Article-Vancouver-Killer-Spaces-Techvibes-10\"<\/p>\n

\"Article-Vancouver-Killer-Spaces-Techvibes-16\"<\/p>\n

\"Article-Vancouver-Killer-Spaces-Techvibes-4\"<\/p>\n

Photos by Matt Odynski<\/h5>\n

Do you have an amazing office and would like to be featured here? Get in touch with us: killerspaces@techvibes.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It often takes a trip abroad to really get perspective on what\u2019s happening back home. That\u2019s exactly what led four self-proclaimed \u201clogic-nerds\u201d to found the direct-to-consumer furniture business\u00a0Article. Aamir Baig, Fraser Hall, and brothers Samuel and Andy Prochazka were the original four behind the Vancouver-based Article, founded back in 2011 after Andy returned from a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":76244,"featured_media":106503,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[253,20],"magazine-region":[],"magazine-series":[48],"magazine-topic":[],"class_list":["post-106523","magazine","type-magazine","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-News","tag-article","tag-killer-spaces","magazine-series-killerspaces"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/wp\/api\/wp\/v2\/magazine\/106523","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/wp\/api\/wp\/v2\/magazine"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/wp\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/magazine"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/wp\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/76244"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/wp\/api\/wp\/v2\/magazine\/106523\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/wp\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/106503"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/wp\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=106523"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/wp\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=106523"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/wp\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=106523"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-region","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/wp\/api\/wp\/v2\/magazine-region?post=106523"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/wp\/api\/wp\/v2\/magazine-series?post=106523"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/wp\/api\/wp\/v2\/magazine-topic?post=106523"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}