Uber: London

Uber's London headquarters had to meet global brand standards, be open by a fixed date, and be built inside a busy multi-tenant building that could not stop operating while the fit-out went on around it. IE was appointed to specify, supply, and install the furniture and finishes, coordinating 11 suppliers alongside Gensler, Parkeray, and CBRE. The project was completed in July 2025, on time and on budget, with a furniture audit that kept usable items in service rather than replacing them. 

Background and brief

Uber commissioned a 40,000 sq ft fit-out of its London headquarters, designed by Gensler and delivered on a fast-track programme aligned to Uber's global brand standards. IE was appointed to support furniture specification, supply, and installation, working within the wider project team of Gensler as designer, Parkeray as main contractor, and CBRE as project manager.

The scope IE was accountable for included:

• Design and space planning for the level 15 balcony
• Furniture and finishes specification
• Delivery and installation, including phased logistics
• Repurposing existing furniture and clearance of items that could not be retained
• Bolt-on services, including refurbishment of existing locker installations

Gensler's concept used interior colour blocking to signal destination zones across the floors, so furniture and finishes could not be selected in isolation. Every choice had to read as part of the design language rather than sit alongside it. IE's team worked from the concept itself, taking the time to understand how the colour and zoning logic were intended to guide people through the building, then specifying to match.

Challenges and how IE addressed them

The main challenge was delivering a brand-critical fit-out on a fast-track programme inside a live, heavily occupied building with restricted access and minimal laydown space. There was no room to store furniture on site, and little tolerance in the programme for a delivery arriving in the incorrect order

IE addressed this through coordination rather than contingency. Furniture packages, logistics, and installation were sequenced to align with the construction programme, so trades were not competing for the same space. Installations were phased around strict delivery windows, including weekend working where that was the only way to protect the programme and avoid disrupting other occupants.

Coordination also caught a risk that sat outside IE's own scope. An early review by IE's project management team flagged the need for an on-site electrical coordination check, including a full review of cabling components. Raising it early meant it could be resolved in sequence rather than discovered at handover, which helped avoid delays to the site's operational launch. This is often where a single accountable furniture partner proves invaluable: the value lies less in the products supplied than in spotting issues that would otherwise surface too late to fix cheaply.

Reuse as a specification decision, not an afterthought

Reuse was supported by a detailed furniture audit carried out before new items were specified. The audit identified what could be retained and repurposed across the floors, and that retained stock was redeployed into the new layouts rather than replaced. The saving was £29,700 in direct costs.

Items that were not suitable for continued use were ethically recycled. Handling reuse and clearance as part of the same programme meant neither activity slowed the fit-out or compromised the quality of the finished space, which is usually the concern raised when reuse is proposed on a fast-track project.

The level 15 balcony

Uber wanted to turn a narrow, unused balcony on level 15 into a usable staff wellbeing space. IE assessed the balcony's suitability and designed an outdoor solution that worked within Uber's Facilities Balcony Management Plan, so the space could be opened to staff without creating a management or compliance issue for the facilities team. Narrow external spaces are frequently written off in fit-outs. Treated properly, they can offer a space to step outside without leaving the building.

Outcomes and impact 

The project was delivered on time and on budget, producing a headquarters environment consistent with Uber's global standards and a positive outcome for every party in the project team.

The measurable outcome is a programme protected and a budget upheld. The outcome people experience is different. Colour and zoning that help staff read the building and find the setting that suits the task at hand, furniture that supports a full working day, and an outdoor space on level 15 that gives people somewhere to go when they need a few minutes away from a desk. Reuse contributed to that as well. Keeping serviceable furniture in use reduced both cost and embodied carbon, which matters for organisations reporting against Scope 3 emissions. 

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