About

BEST WORKSPACES is the 1st international architecture award for smart working environments. We bring together the best projects assessed by an independent jury of experts and network decision-makers, planners & manufacturers, both digitally and live.

ABOUT THE IDEA – OR:
HOW WILL WE WORK IN THE FUTURE?

What do the interiors for this look like? Technical innovations take place almost on a daily basis, and the way we work is constantly changing. Of course, this has an impact on the appearance of our offices, our workplaces, our training facilities – which no longer have to be confined to a fixed location. It is challenging for companies to meet the rapid development of working life in spatial terms. We believe that every business is people’s business. Motivated, creative employees make the difference. Smart working environments ensure the motivation and creativity of employees, and design and architecture play a central role in the creation of smart working environments. But where are these smart working worlds? The bestworkspaces.com platform looks for and awards the best workspaces, office buildings and products, presents inspiring ideas, provides access to the most important findings from research and teaching, and networks the decision-makers of companies with designers, planners, and manufacturers dealing with modern working environments.

OUR MISSION

The vision behind bestworkspaces.com is to present the best and internationally pioneering spatial concepts on one platform. They will be identified by an independent architectural competition. An international jury of experts assesses the submitted projects on the basis of predefined criteria in order to ensure maximum transparency. The results are published in a high-quality publication and online. The Workspace of the Year and Architects’ Choice will be ceremoniously presented during an event. The presented projects and products are put into a solution-oriented, architectural, and design context and complemented with informations about products.

APPLY NOW!

Clients as well as planners and concept developers (manufacturers, architects, interior designers, consultants) can submit their projects and products and face the jury’s vote. If selected, our editorial staff will edit the projects exclusively and present them with photos, background story, information on planners and products including contact details and services. The visibility of the award-winning projects and products and thus the attractiveness of the companies and planners improves by implication and sets them apart positively from competitors in the industry and on the job market. The highlight of the year is a conference accompanying the award ceremony for the Workspace of the Year and Architects’ Choice, to which all nominees and pioneers from the fields of business, architecture, and science are invited.

ABOUT THE ORGANIZER & PARTNERS

Callwey

… was founded in 1884 by Georg D.W. Callwey in Munich, Germany. Today, the publishing house is still family-run in the 4th generation. With our many years of expertise, we create print and online worlds of experience for our readers. As a modern media company, it is our task to give impulses for change. We’ve always considered architecture to be a part of culture.

OFFICE ROXX MAG

… is the only German-language magazine for the entire office: for office culture, office furnishings, office technology and office supplies. Competent, compact, complete.

OFFICE ROXX BLOG

… provides information about all the important facets of the modern office. The blog presents news, product recommendations and comparisons, user and trade fair reports, tips, tests, reviews and much more.

OFFICE DEALZZ

…provides information on all areas of the office industry and beyond. The offer is aimed at industry and trade. OFFICE DEALZZ is a “hub for manufacturers and retailers”. The portal sees itself as a bridge between producers and sellers.

baunetz interior | design

baunetz interior | design – the magazine for interior and design is the interface between the disciplines, combines journalistic content from interior architecture and design and mediates between the protagonists: designers and manufacturers find a platform on baunetz-id.de, which introduces, lists and networks relevant professionals. The editorial team is dedicated to the most exciting interior projects and design finds in numerous dossiers and stories and focuses on people and their inspiration.

apoprojekt

apoprojekt gives existing buildings a new future. At the side of planners and architects we are the best partner for every transformation need in existing buildings. From tenant improvements to refurbishment & revitalization to customized ESG solutions, we successfully realize all conversion and expansion measures.

CASI

The Center for Corporate Architecture and Spatial Identity explores the interface between architecture and communication. The initiators at Berlin’s Quadriga University are convinced that space and communication belong together. Companies are – also – spatial and space-related entities. That’s why they think architecturally, and why architecture plays a role in their activities. The research center was initiated by Dr. Alexander Gutzmer, professor at Quadriga University and long-standing editor-in-chief of the architecture magazine Baumeister.

arcguide

arcguide offers you interesting and current information about architecture and building. A network of competent editors delivers concentrated expertise.
Under the heading “News” you will find information about exciting events of the publishing house, such as the future congress of db+md or the md events on the topic of “Sustainable Planning”. You will also find recommendations on exhibitions and trade fairs, books and podcasts or reports on competition results, symposia or architectural discourses. A manufacturer database, an overview of current tenders and new building products complete the offer. And in a large section of projects you can see what can be created from all these individual aspects in terms of architecture that is worth seeing, innovative, inspiring.
Have we made you curious? Then take a look at www.arcguide.de. Or subscribe to the newsletter, and you’ll always be up to date.

WHICH ARE THE BENEFITS FOR AWARD PARTICIPANTS?

The award-winning architects and clients presented in the book receive a comprehensive package of media formats for corporate communication:

  • Editorial publication in the yearbook
  • Own microsite on the website
  • Award winners seal for website, newsletter, letters, etc.
  • Short clips for online communication
  • Prize trophy
  • Rights of use for text material from the publication and image material from the award ceremony
  • Possibility of participating in the gala dinner with a festive award ceremony
  • Exhibition in an architecture museum
  • 10 copies of the yearbook valued at 980 euros and a 30% discount on reorders
  • Submissions will be accepted via our online tool Awardforce up to and including August 2, 2022.

For manufacturers:

  • Chance to win the “Solution of the Year” award
  • Prize trophy and seal for website, newsletter, letters, etc.
  • Advertorial in the yearbook with 2 pages
  • Own microsite on the website
  • Award-winner-short-clip for communication
  • Editorial connection to presented projects in the book
  • 10 copies of the yearbook valued at 980 euros and a 30% discount on reorders
  • Possibility of participating in the gala-dinner with a festive award ceremony
  • Exhibition in an architecture museum
  • Submissions will be accepted via our online tool Awardforce up to and including October 27, 2022.

WHAT MAKES A WORKSPACE A “BEST WORKSPACE”?

Our jury is evaluating each project in the category “Workspace” according to this criteria:

  • Flexibility
  • Collaboration
  • Communication
  • Concentration
  • Wellbeing

In the category “Office Buildings”:

  • Innovation
  • How contemporary is the building?
  • Design
  • Dialogue with the surroundings

 

WHO IS IN THE JURY?

  • DE WINDER ARCHITEKTEN, Last year’s winner, Sascha Nikolauschke, Claudia de Winder, Klaus de Winder
  • PROF. DR. PHIL. ANDREAS K. VETTER, Author BEST WORKSPACES, Professor of Art and Cultural History
  • JOHANNA NEVES PIMENTA, Editor-in-chief, md magazine
  • MAY-BRITT FRANK-GROSSE, Editor-in-chief, baunetz interior | design
  • PROF. DR.-ING. CHRISTINE KOHLERT, Architect, Managing Director RBSGROUP
  • PETER SCHÄFER, Senior Designer, Gensler
  • PROF. RUDOLF SCHRICKER, Interior Designer
  • DR. ROBERT NEHRING, Editor-in-chief OFFICE ROXX MAG and BLOG and OFFICE DEALZZ
  • DR. SVEN HORSMANN
    Editor-in-Chief, luxlumina lighting architecture
  • STEFAN RIEF
    Head of Organisational Development and Work Design Research Unit, Fraunhofer IAO

HOW DOES THE PARTICIPATION PROCESS WORK?

  • Companies/planners can submit projects and products for evaluation until August 02, 2022.
  • Manufacturers can submit products for evaluation until October 27, 2022.
  • Registration on the platform https://award.bestworkspaces.com is free of charge.
  • The Participation fee is 390 Euros (plus VAT) for each project or product.
  • Any number of projects and products can be submitted.
  • Projects and products can be submitted after uploading photos and floor plans as well as completing the online questionnaire.
  • You can choose from three different media packages – Basic, Medium & Premium.
  • The fees of 2.900 Euros (Basic package) or 3.900 Euros (Medium package) or 4.500 Euros (Premium Package) (plus VAT) is only due at the time of submission.
  • Our jury assesses each project.
  • Participants will be informed about the outcome after the jury session.

WHAT ABOUT THE PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS?

  • The award is open to clients as well as planners, concept developers and manufacturers.
  • The projects to be submitted must have been completed, with the date of completion no more than three years prior to the time of submission.
  • The participant has acquired the utilization rights of the photographic material necessary for participation in the competition and (if eligible) subsequent online publication.
  • The fee will be invoiced by the publisher.

WHICH DOCUMENTS ARE REQUIRED?

In the category “Workspaces”:

Images: for a flawless presentation we ask you to send images with a resolution of 300 dpi, size at least DIN A4. Please also make sure that the image names are correct, for example “project-name_conference_1”. Admissible file formats: jpeg, jpg, png.

  • 1 exterior shot (or more)
  • 8-10 interior shots, all areas

Documents: the plans are published as black and white drawings. Please provide us all relevant plans individually per page and as digital vector graphics in draft/presentation plan style as .eps or .pdf. The cut components should be blackened. To improve legibility, please refrain from additional hatching, shading, colored backgrounds or similar. Please upload one labeled and one unlabeled version of each (two plans in one merged pdf file). The unlabeled plans should not contain any numbers, dimension chains, elevation marks, etc. Please make sure that the labeled plans contain a north arrow and scale.

For optimal printing:

  • Line width for 1:1 presentation in the document 0.3 pt, if different line width are necessary: more than 0.25 pt
  • Color space: CMYK, grayscale, always 100% black, gray = 50% black

In detail we need:

  • Site plan with north arrow. 1: 2000, own project marked and including all (neighboring) buildings and property boundaries
  • Floor plans of all relevant floors 1:200 or 1:400 including furniture (line thickness of furniture max. 0,13)
  • Floor plan of an exemplary office unit 1:50 including furniture (line thickness of furniture max. 0,13)
  • Min. a longitudinal and a cross-section 1:200 or 1:400, if possible including furniture (line thickness of furniture max. 0,13) – please save each cut individually
  • For conversion projects, please upload a sample “before”-plan

In the category “Office Buildings”: 

Images: for a flawless presentation we ask you to send images with a resolution of 300 dpi, size at least DIN A4. Please also make sure that the image names are correct, for example “project-name_conference_1”. Admissible file formats: jpeg, jpg, png.

  • 4 exterior shots (or more) with completed outdoor facilities, day and night shots
  • 8-10 interior shots including furniture, offices and access areas

Documents: Please provide all relevant floor plans and sections in individual .pdf/.eps style presentation papers. Please blacken the cut surfaces and provide no additional shading for better legibility. Please upload the plans in labeled and unlabelled versions (two plans in one pdf-document). Please ensure, that the labeled plans include a north arrow and scale. The unlabelled cracks should not contain labels, numbers, dimensions or any other text.

In detail we need:

  • Floor plan 1:200 including furniture
  • Cut 1:200 including furniture, if possible
  • if your project has more than one floor plan and section, please submit all plans. Use the “additional floor plan” option for this.

FURTHER QUESTIONS?

If you have any further questions, please contact awards@callwey.de

Best workspaces initiators