Byte Sized

ByteDance, the tech company behind some of the most popular social media apps in the world, needed workspace for the 5,000 employees who keep billions of app users informed and entertained.

The success of their video sharing app TikTok, and other apps such as Today’s Headlines, has meant explosive growth for ByteDance. They wanted offices that could accommodate this growth (200-300 new hires a month), capture their culture, and support the health and well-being of employees who work long hours.

Like most tech companies, ByteDance offers home-away-from-home amenities for its young workforce: cafeteria, varied dining areas, gyms, showers, sleeping pods, outdoor access, as well as childcare space.

The internal circulation of 5,000 people through their daily schedules was a top priority, as was creating an energy efficient, LEED certified project. Energy efficient optimization was a key element in achieving LEED Gold status: The project uses an ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) certified cooling system. All light fixtures are Energy Star products—each with its own code so individual lights can be controlled separately—which reduces lighting energy consumption by 18%. Water saving appliances help reduce water usage by 50%.

ByteDance’s collaborative work culture relies on frequent meetings of all sizes. Video conferencing spaces throughout the building give teams different ways to come together—over coffee, a quick touchdown with a few key people, or in larger, scheduled all-hands updates.