OFFICE-WORLD

Inspiration

The large production hall at dormakaba’s corporate headquarters in Rümlang near Zurich offers a real microcosm at this location with 2,035 square metres for 210 stationary workstations and much more; all in a continuous hall area under a transparent roof with daylight! This is based on the decision to bring all employees together here and to commission Drees & Sommer Switzerland to design a landscape optimised for work and life, consisting of existing cubicals and other collaboration areas. Accompanied by internal workshops – including a behavioural etiquette for employees in the open-plan area – the planners developed the concept of an urban ecosystem, inspired by the contact points and communal areas in the municipality of Rümlang.

Subdivision in the open-plan

The “pocket park” in the centre of the hall with many plants and informal seating areas for individual work and exchange functions as a green lung. The marketplace in the entrance area was given a coffee bar as a central contact point for uncomplicated encounters and for receiving guests, also suitable for company-wide events. The business quarter forms an “open huddle” for interaction and collaboration, accompanied by open and closed areas for communication and collaboration, whereby the co-working space also has telephone booths and small closed meeting rooms. In contrast to the activity of the “cubicals”, in which the desks are arranged to save space, the “focus area” allows concentrated individual work and discretion – very much in the spirit of a library atmosphere. Individual retreat can be found in the “Quiet Booth” as a quiet zone and for “recharging the mental batteries”. Collective energy, on the other hand, is required in the “Arena”, which offers space for creative brainstorming sessions at the back of the hall. And if you’re wondering how to look after such a large number of plants in the office? The company commissions gardening companies that offer plant hire as an all-inclusive service. This is practical and ultimately sustainable. A live dashboard is also used to monitor the air quality – which makes sense in such a large hall space.

What are the key qualities of a good workplace for you?
Johanna Trüstedt: To offer the right place for all types of work and personalities, where users can perform their work efficiently and with pleasure.
Do you see any similarities in interior design for living and working?
The office environment functions like a home – people eat in the dining room, sleep in the bedroom and cook in the kitchen, and offices should be designed in the same way. A place for every activity, whether open or closed. And the users should also understand this and use the rooms according to their function.
Which functional aspects do you consider to be the most important for the future development of workspaces? Collaboration areas and retreats for concentrated work. These will be the two largest uses of space.