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Entwurf • Design Die Planstelle GmbH, München
Bauherr • Client Medienunternehmen, München
Standort • Location München
Nutzfläche • Floor space 600 m 2
Fotos • Photos Susanne Öllbrunner, München
Mehr Infos auf Seite • More infos on page 150

Grundriss • Floor plan

T he changes brought about by the past pandemic have already become part of Those who go to the office for a team meeting encounter tasks throughout the workday
that require a traditional workspace. It’s possible that due to their home situation,
most people’s daily lives. In the world of work, on the other hand, there have
been significant changes in recent years, but a targeted formation is still lacking. These they cannot work with focus. The complexity of lifestyles advocates for workspaces
changes have occurred in work methods and the digital space – the physical office that encompass all modes of work—individualised in terms of quality and quantity of
space is still the same as before Covid. The transition to the physical workspace is workspaces. In the example of our media company, the main axis structures the entire
still pending. The Planstelle team has been dealing with office space planning for 18 space with three inserted retreat rooms. The resulting spaces can be used for retreat
years, from basic data collection to implementation. A recent example of what this or team meetings. On one end, two focus offices are available for concentrated work,
transition can look like is a project we – in this case Franziska Anetseder and Liane and on the other side, a large marketplace with a kitchen offers opportunities for infor-
Ackermann – completed in Munich. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a media company mal conversations, workspace by the window and workshop formats. With movable
in Munich, which had been spun off from a larger parent company, faced numerous stand-up tables that can be arranged in various configurations, glass whiteboards, and
challenges. The COVID-19 isolation meant that all employees worked 100 percent remo- large screens, the marketplace area is multifunctional. Flexibility and adaptability of
te. The newly hired employees only knew each other through digital channels. In the the space were crucial aspects. Spaces must function sustainably and be adaptable in
first meeting with the decision-makers, it became clear that there was a strong desire the future, as it was unpredictable how individual self-efficacy would impact usage.
for a sense of community within the company and a longing for a home base for first When I can personalise the space according to my needs, I not only feel appreciated
getting to know each other and mutual inspiration. Initially, we needed to develop a but also experience increased satisfaction and productivity. When the space optimally
sense of the requirements for a space that would grow with the young identity and the supports the work style, it forms the foundation for a stronger identification with what
team’s pioneering spirit. Employee surveys provided an initial indication. We delved I do and for whom I work, leading to increased resilience. The mentioned flexible
into the concept by analysing existing surveys, refining the briefing and, as a project collaboration and creativity zones enable the desired personal interaction. The feeling
team, shaping a scenario that represented a tangible space of possibilities spanning of connection was lacking in isolation at home – especially when there was no prior
600 square meters. With the preparation of data on work patterns, needs and assumed interaction, as the company was founded during the initial lockdown. Genuine connec-
presence, the company dared to introduce a high sharing factor of 1:3 for 100 employ- tion with others emerges through encounters. The Jena sociology professor, Hartmut
ees. It became evident that, in this initial phase, it should be a microcosm – a vision Rosa, describes this with the term ‘resonance’: the relationship with the world, dri-
of a scalable home base that caters to all the needs of individual teams and, thanks to ven by mindfulness, openness, taking time for the unplanned, and creating sufficient
its basic equipment, provides room for growth. So, what does a place of collaboration spaces for encounters. From this perspective, in the design for the media company, it
need as a minimum equipment to become an attractor for actually working in the was necessary to empower the central zone as the main artery to provide intuitively
office? Ergonomic equipment for workstations remains crucial. Even if you’ve set up usable open spaces, leading to an open WorkCafe zone that encourages the serendipity
your home office well, the height-adjustable desk with an ergonomic chair, combined of spontaneous encounters. According to Hartmut Rosa, there are so-called resonance
with the IT setup, can be a reason to leave the home workspace at the dining table. axes: things or events that increase the likelihood of a resonance experience. From
While teaming up on the sofa can offer short-term comfort at home, it can strain your conversations with the employees, we concluded that sensory experiences, such as
back in the long run. the tactile feel of surfaces, could be such a resonance axis. This insight supported our
jointly developed concept to create a space that can be experienced with all the senses,
The office as a place of well-being and corporate home one that is tactile and acoustically appealing, thus fostering creativity. Velvety wall
surfaces allow for leaving small messages, and a variety of coordinated materials and
This is also demonstrated by project experience: With one client, padded workspaces textures contribute to the comfort factor. It can be noted that there is no one-size-fits-all
that were intended to revitalise the office environment according to New Work princip- solution to permanently bring employees back from home offices. However, there are
les are currently being exchanged for work desks. In the case of the aforementioned methods and approaches that, characterised by mutual understanding and sensitivi-
company, this meant installing 37 IT workstations in angled geometries, each equip- ty, increase the likelihood that office spaces with humanity and room for resonance
ped with at least two screens. Plug and play in its simplest form. Depending on the will strengthen the sense of connection. Individual work styles within a company
combinations, individual focus workstations can create islands with direct eye contact should be supported by the space, sequences of spaces should promote encounters
through the desk configurations. If we recall that general studies indicate that employ- and enhance the satisfaction and innovation capacity of the users. Ideally, from the
ees prefer to perform conventional office tasks at home, it might be surprising why mix of personalities within a company and the variety of supporting spatial zones, an
we describe the use of traditional workspaces as an added value here. Even though appreciative ambiance for comfort is created. When we, as planners, listen attentively
collaboration may be the primary driver, a workday often cannot be neatly divided and translate what is said into spatial design, the result becomes so much more than
into predictable segments of focus, communication, collaboration and relaxation. the sum of its parts – it becomes a sphere that protects and empowers.

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