Interior matters

Design CSMM – architecture matters
Location Berin, Germany
Sometimes it is all about the litte things, the details that give a space its soul. This and its interior matters for this project.

Trends, tried and true

It is well known that IT companies are among the “early adopters” of new products and designs. Interior trends also take effect quickly for them, and they are among the popular clients of the design industry. This is also true for the Reply Group, which provides consulting, system integration and digital services.

However, those responsible are also interested in the working environment, and for this the consulting and architecture company CSMM has now been asked several times for expertise and implementation. Consequently, three locations are presented here as examples: the recently completed capital city office in Berlin, the Italian headquarters in the Lingotto district of Turin, and the branch office in Munich, whose floors are actually arranged around two inner courtyards like a square pretzel. An interior concept was already developed for these office spaces in 2017, which Reply now sees as an impulse-giving and formally guiding flagship office.

New paths and old ways

This seemed to make sense insofar as with every new location, floor plan dispositions and architectures already have an impact as external factors and a guide as a basis for all office concepts is then quite helpful for the creation of a working environment that corresponds to the brand image. For both employees and customers, the importance of recognizability in office design should not be underestimated in our media-overloaded times.

The interior design guide follows the principle of recurring shapes and colors that are to be found throughout the furnishings and provides a catalog for the selection of materials and surface forms. Communal areas such as lounges and social hubs are also part of the corporate design and are accordingly treated similarly at all locations. Ultimately, however, it goes without saying that the respective location and its parameters must be taken up stylistically and atmospherically, organized into a productively usable interior and brought to life with varying individual accents.

The insights shown here are a striking illustration of CSMM’s creative approach to concentrated work areas, action and opportunity spaces, and the meeting rooms that can be set up for smaller and larger groups.

"At Reply, we experience how successfully a creative interpretation of the respective business field as a world of experience has an effect on the motivation of the employees. The company derives its growth momentum from intelligent solutions created by people - for this it needs the right space and the right equipment."
— CSMM - architecture matters

As a designer, how would you define the term “New Work” in a short and concise way?

CSMM: New Work describes the change in work compared to the past. Today, work has become more communicative, more versatile and, above all, more flexible. It is necessary to respond in a more differentiated way to different activities in the company. CSMM sees itself as a concept developer. We provide spatial answers to these requirements. We call them possibility spaces.

There is currently a lot of talk about sustainability: Do you have a basic approach to this?

Planning maxims are:
1. avoidance: Through targeted and user-oriented planning, individual materials and fixtures can be avoided from the outset or replaced with more sustainable alternatives.
2. product selection: Use sustainable materials and products that are recyclable.
3. compensation: generating energy to ensure the climate neutrality of a building.

Is it possible to respond to the home office trend in office design, or should there be a clear separation between private and office interiors?

The newly gained flexibility in the choice of workplace has brought the office as a physical location into a new field of vision, which is why one should clearly separate the two. Here, teamwork and social meeting moments are experiencing a new appreciation. The space must offer a variety of uses, because innovations are not created in a concentrated retreat, but through co-creation, agile working methods and serendipity.

Details
ClientReply Deutschland SE
CityBerin
CountryGermany
ArchitectsCSMM – architecture matters
CompletionJanuary 2021
SectorTech
Project typeModification / Reconstruction
Gross floor area m238.000
Number of employees-
Solutions
Lighting-
Flooring-
Acoustics-
Workspace Furniture-
Conference Furniture-
Lounge Furniture-
Greenery-
Technology-
Gastronomy-
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