Place 2.5 09/2014 engl by Sedus

The Magazine for Productivity and Wellbeing No 9/14

Minds

EUR 9,80 | CHF 12,00 | GBP 8,50 | USD 13,00

Terunobu Fujimori – architectural visionary

Case Study

Up and away – Vodafone Headquarters

Knowledge

Co-working spaces – a phenomenon on the brink

Visions Today‘s playground, tomorrow‘s reality

EDITORIAL No 9/14

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Welcome to Sedus Place 2.5 Victor Hugo once said that ‘Utopia is the truth of tomorrow’ and his statement has never been more apt, even though our notions of what is utopian or visionary have become hackneyed through the overuse of the phrases. In one regard, we are best set to deal with an uncertain future when we face reality and keep both feet on the ground. In another, we must seize the opportunities to be visionary ourselves, to anticipate change and picture the road ahead. It falls to those with an entrepreneurial mindset to illuminate the way forward into tomorrow’s world. The Japanese architect Terunobo Fujimori provides a perfect example of how it is possible to experiment and tread the fine line between breaking new ground in architecture while respecting the traditional and the tried and tested. The global telecoms giant Vodafone has set a new standard in green building with two new headquarters buildings in Düsseldorf and Milan that are home to thousands of employees and adhere to the key principles of Place 2.5. Where such new ways of working can lead and what is needed to make a success of them in terms of management and accountability is the subject of the feature ‘The Future of Work’. Virtual collaboration and the trend for sharing that is typified by the co-working phenomenon and other flexible working practices are all topics covered in this issue. The overall impression left by this copy of the magazine is of the successful creation of multifaceted workplaces on a global scale, not least one from the land of the rising sun: The Suntory Moment tells of how the visionary founder of the world famous whisky and drinks conglomerate Shinjiro Torii worked according to his immutable maxim ‘Yatte Minahare’. I hope you enjoy this issue! Best wishes

Holger Jahnke Head of Sales and Marketing, Sedus Stoll AG

PLACE 2.5 No 9/14

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Sedus Place 2.5 Sociologists tell us that we lead our lives in three distinct places:

Place 1 OUR HOME The first place is our home, which is being eroded by the demands placed on us for greater flexibility and mobility.

Place 2 THE OFFICE The second place is the office which all too often neglects the emotional needs of the people who work in it.

Place 2.5 THE PRODUCTIVE WORKPLACE When we deliver the sensory stimulation of third places into the office, we transform purely functional second places into energising environments where employees find more meaning, fun, success and fulfilment in their work. This is what we call an Office 2.5“.

Place 3 LEISURE The third place is where we go to recharge our batteries. Yet in amongst the diversions and distractions, this can also be where – we have our best ideas.

Sedus is committed to making the workplace somewhere that is productive for both the organisation and the people who work for it. Sedus is constantly developing new products and ideas to help

See how a Place 2.5 looks in this film.

firms create beautiful and productive contemporary workplaces. If you would like to discuss how to make your own offices more productive by developing a new and enlightened office culture,

w w w.p l a c e2 p o i n t5. c o m

we’d love to talk!!

w w w.y o u t u b e. c o m / u s e r/S e d u s S t o l l AG

CONTENTS No 9/14

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08 16

Up and away

The two new headquarters buildings for Vodafone, the Campus in D端sseldorf und Vodafone Village in Milan are expressions of architectural intent. In both cases, they have applied the principles of Place 2.5.

The fine line between vision and Utopia

An interview with the unique, contemporary Japanese architect Terunobu Fujimori.

Contents 03 Editorial

IDEAS

CASE STUDY

52 Lounge furnture: sweetspot

The elegant life at work 04 Sedus Place 2.5 26 News, Tips & Trends 61 Historical perspective

55 Striking the right balance between collaboration and concentration

The modular storage system terri tory

68 Synopsis 58 Mobile structures at work 70 Information, copyright and contacts

Space division that is both flexible and easy to change

16 Up and away

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62â&#x20AC;&#x2030;

Co-working spaces

An international perspective on how a new phenomenon is transforming the way we perceive and use office space.

The Suntory moment

The history of Japanese whisky has been shaped by the vision of one man: Shinjiro Torii.

KNOWLEDGE

38 To have or have not?

What is 'sharing'? 44 Co-working Spaces

An international perspective on how a new phenomenon is transforming the way we perceive and use office space.

MINDS

LIVES

08 The fine line between vision and Utopia

An interview with the unique, contemporary Japanese architect Terunobu Fujimori.

28 The future of work

More freedom, more complexity, but who exactly is responsible? 34 Communication in virtual space

Telepresence systems and their implcations for the office of tomorrow. 62 The Suntory moment

The history of Japanese whisky has been shaped by the vision of one man: Shinjiro Torii.

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The fine line between vision and Utopia An interview with the Japanese architect Terunobu Fujimori B y J u l i a n T rö n d l e

Terunobu Fujimori is one of the world’s most original contemporary architects. He is critical of modern architectural circles and so has formulated his own aesthetic counterpoint. He eschews many modern building materials in favour of an emotional aesthetic that is antithetical to the largely cool forms and materials most synonymous with modern architecture. He made his name in Europe when his work was exhibited in the Japanese pavilion at the 2006 Venice Biennale Architecture. An exhibition in Munich followed along with his first European orders. We spoke with the 67 year old about his work and his belief that architecture should mark the fine line between what is feasible and the utopian.

Mr. Fujimori, you came late in your career as a practicing architect, having devoted yourself for a long time exclusively to theory. Is it necessary to have a comprehensive theoretical grounding to avoid inadvertently referencing other architects? After completing my degree in architectural history, I began to examine how both older and more modern buildings failed to meet popular taste, firstly in Japan, then across the whole of Asia, Europe and America. Essentially unpopular buildings could be categorised as one of two types, those which people could not bear the sight of and also, rather less commonly, those which did actually

demonstrate a good level of architectural integrity and quality. In the first group you’d include buildings such as those by Hundertwasser, in the second the ‘Palais idéal du facteur Cheval’ and the ‘Watts Tower’ by Simon Rodia. As an architectural historian I was interested in the reasons for the differences so that, as an architect, I could avoid the difficulties that befell Hundertwasser. Was there some defining moment that led you to make the switch into practice? One of the most revered places associated with the ancient Japanese belief in the primeval power of Nature, where it is

‘I have no great desire to build a treehouse in the upper branches of a tree. I want to build treehouses that are entirely man-made from top to bottom.’ Fujimori's Teahouse "Takasugi-an“, that he built on his own property in 2004.

possible to feel this force vividly and in its full intensity is the Great Shrine of Suwa, under the stewardship of the Moriya family. High priest Moriya sought out my advice when they were planning to create a building to house the documents and artefacts of the religion. I was born and grew up in the region in which the shrine can be found so understand their beliefs and know the custodians of the shrine personally. So I found out quickly for myself that the approach of contemporary architecture was entirely incompatible with their belief systems and decided that I needed to seize the opportunity with both hands for myself. One of the primary objectives of your personal manifesto is that your work should not resemble any other by a modern architect. But are there role models whose work has influenced you? As a student I read Le Corbusier’s ‘vers une architecture’ in the original French and was much taken with it. The same goes for the writings of the famous Japanese architect Arata Isozaki. But I was not enthused by the actual buildings of either of them. The buildings that charmed me most were those by Claude Nicolas Ledoux and Sei'ichi Shira. Internationally you are perhaps best known for your tea houses. They contrast with the gigantism of much 20th and 21st Century architecture. Where do you see the shortcomings of modern building design? ▸▸

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TERUNOBU FUJIMORI Terunobu Fujimori was born on the 21 November 1946 in Chino, in the

The architecture of the 20th Century followed a single theme all around the world. Historicism was frowned upon, and buildings reflected technological and scientific mindsets in every facet of their design. For the 21st Century, there has yet to emerge such an overarching theme. Each architect follows his or her own path. I personally found the sight of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao particularly painful. In principle, I have no intention to create a counterpoint to such contemporary monumentalism. But this sort of building design is usually only of satisfaction to the architect alone, leaving the person viewing the building unmoved. At the very least, people should enjoy the experience of viewing or using one of my buildings.

Japanese provnce of Nagano. During his studies he worked exclusively on modern architecture and its visions of the future city before he became a practicing architect in 1991. He now lives in Tokyo and also lectures in

You describe quality of life in the following manner: ‘people need a small park, a communal space to meet and take a day off in the open air. They need to talk with their neighbours and let their children play freely’. How does

this vision relate to your tea houses and their confined spaces? When people meet in a small space, talk to each other and spend a certain amount of time together, they learn to trust each other. Friendships form in the steam from boiling water and a shared drink of tea. The situation is reminiscent of one in which children have fun sharing a narrow hiding space that they have found in order to play and hide from their parents. But because we have a tendency to feel constrained in such small spaces, we need a pretty big window to keep a broad perspective. Your work is primarily involved with the creation of tea houses, homes and museums. How do you see the future of the workplace? How is it that you are yet to express an opinion? I would readily accept the challenge if an offer were to arrive to design a large headquarters building. Some details I

architecture at the university of industrial science there.

The disconnect between the Earth and his buildings is a consistent feature of his work. During an exhibition of his work in his home village of Chino, Fujimori along with local and children built a flying clay boat which was suspended in the air attached to lateral pillars.

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His work is also defined by traditional and, to modern eyes, unconventional working practices. In the Yakusugi house (2007) for example, he used cedar wood that was charcoaled in a complex process on the basis that this was a more sustainable approach.

would prefer to pass over to my partner, however. My architectural language is perfectly suited to large construction projects, because it conveys a powerful impression. As other modern architects do, you work with reinforced concrete and steel, but then also combining them with natural materials. You call this process ‘wrapping science up in Nature’. Is this form of blending not a compromise if you are trying to project an image of pure, natural architecture? I love building design that is purely rooted in Nature, such as the homes of Africa’s indigenous peoples or Japanese buildings made from wood, paper, soil and grass. From this kind of construction, you can learn an awful lot. But it would be wrong

to create buildings which rot away because they are solely made from natural materials. The quality of industrial building materials, which are the result of the science and technology of the 20th Century are invariably excellent. I recommend the look and feel of such materials but they are also cold and impersonal. So I sought a solution that allowed me to wrap science and technology with warm and soft natural materials. For me, this is the only way to reconcile the modern with the natural from an architectural standpoint. A pure belief in nature that rejects science does not interest me in the slightest. You try with your buildings to use resources from the immediate surroundings, applying them using regional crafts and processes. Wouldn’t

it be simpler to stick with tried and tested construction methods. Why do you try, time after time, to adapt to the local conditions of your construction sites? A structure isn’t the same as a car. Because it is built in a specific location, each one is unique. It gives me a great deal of pleasure to use local materials and techniques alongside local artisans, who work with me on the selection of materials and the determination of form and construction. I love these methods, which are like a passion for the hunt. Without them my work would be unthinkable. You are regarded as the world’s only surrealist architect. When Le Corbusier once asked his contemporary Salvador ▸▸

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‘I now attach great importance to the fusion of my buildings with the Earth, as if the building has sprung up from it. But on the other hand, I am also fascinated by buildings that seem to float in space.’ This Utopian vision is apparent in his works such as the Irisen tea house in Taiwan.

The historic museum of the Moriya order of priests was the first commissioned work by Terunobu Fujimori as a practicing architect. Even at this early stage he believed he was ‘uncovering science in nature’. This meant using modern materials such as reinforced concrete but in conjunction with traditional building materials.

Dali what the architecture of the future would be like, he answered it would be ‘soft and hairy’. Is such a vision obvious in your own architecture? Whether or not my architecture might be called surrealist or not is not for me to say. I appreciate the surrealist work of de Chirico (one of the artists of the pittura metafisica movement that presaged surrealism) and Yves Tanguy, but not so much that of Dali. However I have sympathy with his idea of a soft and hairy architecture. Incidentally my favourite European artist is Pieter Brueghel the Elder. Last month I visited Antwerp to see his painting Dull Gret. I was totally overwhelmed. So I have now seen most of the Brueghel paintings in the world.

Your colleague Toyo Ito describes your work as architecture that is not rooted in this world, but comes from somewhere else and has just landed softly where it falls. The idea that your buildings are disconnected from the ground is evident in many cases. What is your attraction for work that is not grounded in this way? When my first work – the historical museum for the Moriya order of priests, was complete it stood in unplanted ground and that looked to me as if it were not connected to the Earth itself. It looked like a model with the dimensions of the original, and I was horrified. At that moment I realised that my building was cut-off from the ground, a purely artificial object.

When Toyo Ito then made this remark with reference to the Akino-Fuko Museum, I felt as if he had seen through me. As a result, I became full of wonder at his apparent perceptiveness. Since then I now attach great importance to the fusion of my buildings with the Earth, as if the building has sprung up from it. On the other hand, I am also fascinated by buildings that seem to float in space. So I turn to both the Heavens and the Earth but why I follow such a bipolar approach I really have no idea. Ultimately, you have so far failed to fully decouple your architecture from the ground. One might conclude that you are constantly striving for Utopian ideals that guarantee only ▸▸

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The naming of his buildings often betrays his mischievous side. About the floating tea house ‘Bo-Chabune’ Fujimori explains that ‘the name of the ship actually means the boat in which you forgot the tea’. This refers to the fact that if the wind is up, the boat must be constantly rowed if it is not to run aground. So there’s no time for tea.’

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MORE READING Terunobu Fujimori A comprehensive study of the works of one of the world's most unique and widely respected modern architects. Publisher: Hatje Cantz ISBN-10: 377573323X

failure. For example, you once said that the idea of a ‘green architecture’ in which plants and building would come together as a single object was an idea that you had never successfully implemented.

ISBN-13: 978-3775733236

That would probably only be true for a structure that would look as if it grows out of the ground yet floats above it at the same time, even if you might say that this is - naturally - a self-contradicting idea. But it can succeed for a few brief moments at a time. An old friend told me that the tea house I built on five bamboo struts in Irisentei in Taiwan worked in exactly that way one rainy day. The scene had a dreamlike quality and he continued to gaze at it constantly for a full two hours. In photos from the construction phase of the projects on which you work, it sometimes can appear as if you are going out of your way to encourage get-togethers and other communal happenings with contractors to encourage the exchange of ideas. Do you adopt these kinds of local suggestions into your finished buildings? In my buildings, everything is planned in complete detail well in advance, before a spade enters the ground. So you can’t take into account any ideas from contractors at that late stage. The on-site

staff are involved in the process of building, not design. You have always dealt with and been fasinated by the future of cities and urban planning. For example, in 2007, you created a city map for Tokyo to show how you thought it might look in the year 2107, after a cataclysmic rise in sea levels floods the entire city. How do you feel about that vision now, following the tsunami of 2011, which made your thoughts seem almost prophetic?

perspective, nothing really surpasses the work Archigram carried out on the future of the city in the 1960s. Their approach greatly influenced me in my studies then and shapes my thoughts now. But someday, maybe I’ll do something better than that.

The fact that a vision of the future came true was scary for me. However, from my

Mr. Fujimori, thank you for the interview ◆

Up and away Vodafone Campus in Düsseldorf Vodafone Village in Milan

CASE STUDYâ&#x20AC;&#x2030; UP AND AWAY No 9/14

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B y Jo a c h im G o e t z

At first glance, it almost looks as if the main objective of the new headquarters buildings of Vodafone in Germany and Italy was to find a way of creating as high a mobile phone mast as possible. But that clearly was not the ultimate vision. Rather the buildings embodied ambitious architectural principles, delivered LEED certified green facilities and key interior design ideas based on the criteria of an Office 2.5.

The bespoke, height-adjustable invitation bench system creates a unique solution. Employees can choose whether to work while sitting on the barstool model from the open mind range or while standing. A footrail offers even more choice of posture.

he first thing you notice about the two complexes in Düsseldorf and Milan is their sheer height. The distinctive tower at the Vodafone campus in Düsseldorf has an elliptical floor plate and, at fully 75 metres high, is a highly visible landmark on the left bank of the Rhine. The architecture of the Vodafone Village in Milan is more extroverted, partly because of its construction, and because it's markedly more monumental. In both cases, the telecoms firm was able to work closely with the property developers who own the sites to create clusters of buildings closely aligned with Vodafone’s objectives in return for taking a decades-long lease on the facilities.

City within a city Both complexes are built on brownfield sites on the outskirts of a major municipality and so have fantastic transport links. In the case of Düsseldorf, the location is the former site of the Gatzweiler brewery, in Milan a development opportunity on the Via Lorenteggio. In both locations the architects have created a green plaza surrounded by the main buildings. The range of building heights ensures an architectonically living design. The focal point of the entire Düsseldorf campus is a triangular space. This is flanked on all sides by buildings ranging

in height from seven to nine storeys along with a nineteen storey high-rise. Horizontally articulated facades clad with perforated aluminium exterior shading elements lend the cluster of buildings a homogeneous, cohesive look, which means that each building within the development is able to integrate aesthetically as well as functionally with those that surround it as part of an intelligent design. In the Lombardy complex, the architects self-evidently had in mind a vision of a small city with a distinctly historic atmosphere, albeit constructed from modern materials. And, once again, the cluster of buildings sits around an inviting central space.

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VODAFONE CAMPUS DÜSSELDORF Tower floor plan

❶ Open plan offices ❷ Training and development zone ❸ Core area with lifts and side rooms ❹ Central area with side rooms ❺ Break-out space ❻ Meeting space ❼ Supplementary space on 4th floor

PROJECT INFORMATION Architects:

HPP Architekten, Düsseldorf 0m

20 m

Handover:

December 2012 Floor space:

Approx. 26,000 m2 Site size:

Approx. 86,000 m2 Construction cost:

Approx. 300m Euro

Site map

❶ Tower ❷ Office space ❸ Parkland and green space ❹ Kindergarten ❺ Expressway

Employees:

Approx 5.000 Certification:

LEED Gold, (pending) Office furniture from Sedus:

• Workstations: temptation c and temptation twin with electric

20 m

heigh adjustment • temptation high desk • invitation bench, height adjustable, bespoke • grand slam tambour units • Mobile pedestals • mooia acoustic panels

Kindergarten provides a vital worklife balance The work-life balance of employees was an important consideration for the project and is supported on both developments with a comprehensive range of support services and facilities. The 2,800 employees in Milan enjoy the provision of a kindergarten as well as other facilities that help to meet their needs for a better balance between their personal and professional lives. Meanwhile in Düsseldorf, Vodafone employees can use the on-site gym free of charge. A crèche helps to bring families, parents, and the business together under

one roof. A range of shops, a hairdresser and dry cleaners as well as a health centre and a selection of restaurants complete the picture of a town within a town. The ethical credentials of both projects are also evident in the green spaces, fountains and intelligent irrigations systems that contribute to the overall feel-good factor for the employees who work on-site. The planted flat roofs improve the microclimate as both the air and the rain water that flows slowly from them are cleansed. The surface act as a thermal insulator, improving the climate inside the building. The rainwater that flows away from the roofs is collected, cleaned and used to water the gardens. ▸▸

• black dot task chairs • open mind bar stools

Vodafone's distinctive shade of red was reproduced as an important part of the furniture specification. The padded seats of the pedestals encourage people to sit so that ad hoc conversations and meetings can take place.

PROJECT LEADER'S STATEMENT

What was the main reason for the construction of the Vodafone headquarters?

VODAFONE CAMPUS, DÜSSELDORF

We wanted to achieve the best possible synergies across the whole of the local Vodafone business.

Hendrik Grempe, Head of Property Management at Vodafone Germany

What is the Vodafone philosophy as it relates to architecture, design and corporate identity? Architecture is an important element in our corporate identity. As one of the most modern buildings of its kind in Europe, the new campus has global resonance. The Vodafone Way is understood and lived out each day by the people on site.

What do you ask of the workplace? And which ideas were discussed and implemented? On the Vodafone Campus it is essential that we live within ‘the office of the future’ and see it as the true expression of our corporate culture. The workplaces are bright, open and, of course, must satisfy each and every one of our functional needs. Communication amongst employees is essential to us.

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The acoustic panels from the mooia range can be printed with a wide range of motifs. They are specified for every room in Düsseldorf to absorb unwanted noise.

What game-changing ideas and techniques were applied to the project?

Which particular considerations led you to choose Sedus furniture for the installation?

It would be difficult to explain them all here, but those that were of

Sedus is a very good quality brand name, whose products fit our

most important related to the environmental performance of the

needs exceptionally well. Having said that and as you would expect,

facility. Other notable ideas include the large digital walls that are

we also looked at other offers in detail and compared the total Sedus

the first thing you see when you enter Vodafone Towers and which

package with the offering from other firms in the marketplace. There

can be used to project images, videos and other media on a wide

are obviously a number of other very good suppliers in the market, but

range of themes. Employees are free to book rooms using Outlook

ultimately the quality of the furniture, especially the chairs, as well as

on any device, and are shown which rooms are free with a simple

the great value for money made the decision to choose Sedus an easy

indicator that shows green for rooms that are free and red for already

one, ultimately.

booked. The lifts in the towers no longer have buttons for different lighting systems know when people are in a room and gauge how

What will you take away personally from the project?

much illumination is needed based on ambient light levels. And this

There’s no doubt this was a once in a lifetime project for me, and so

is particularly exciting; in the kitchens we have taps that dispense

that meant a great deal of hard work. But it’s also been great fun and

chilled still or sparkling water. Because this is plumbed in, there is no

I’ve enjoyed it enormously.

floors, the choice is made before people enter the lift. ‘Intelligent’

need for people to ‘schlep’ water tanks around and is great for the environment.

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VODAFONE VILLAGE MILAN Floor plan

PROJECT INFORMATION

❶ Open plan offices ❷ Training and development space ❸ Break-out space ❹ Drop-in space ❺ Meeting space ❻ Building core including lifts, adjoining rooms

Architects:

Gantes und Morisi (PRP architettura), Milan Interior architecture:

Studio Dante O. Benini & Partners / Architects, Milan Handover:

Spring 2012 Floor space:

Approx. 63,000 m2 Total area:

Approx. 67,000 m2 Office space:

31,000 m2

An exemplary floor plan. The space efficient and slightly curved elements of the building flow into each other.

Construction cost:

Approx. 300m. Euro Employees:

Approx. 2.800 Certification:

Milan's Green Building Concept

LEED Gold, pending Other spaces including Photovoltaic Garden:

800 m2 Auditorium/Vodafone Theatre:

380 seats Training centre:

9 halls Sedus Office furniture:

• temptation c • temptation four • Mobile pedestals • grand slam tambour units • relations bench system • netwin task seating • open up, silent rush, netwin meeting chairs • no limits conference tables

One of the key aims for the building was that it should be designed to LEED gold certification standard, the world's most comprehensive building environmental accreditation system. So the building has a dual-skin facade made in Milan and also gives the exterior its unique look. The outer skin is made from clear glass to allow staff a view outdoors and flood the interior with natural light, while also controlling glare and temperature in the interior thanks to its electronically controlled blinds and dual ventilation system. During the Winter months, this helps the building take advantage of the Sun’s position in the sky and reduce heating costs while in the Summer it has the opposite effect reducing the need for other cooling mechanisms. For the closed parts of the exterior walls, a special self-cleaning photocatalytic

concrete material was used. The material absorbs pollutants from the air during the day and temporarily holds on to them. Then the next rainfall washes them away, harmlessly. The material is reminiscent of that used in old Italian cities, with the exception that the aggressive dust that settled into the porous local stone from which they were made would gradually destroy them over time. The sustainability of the Milan headquarters is also evident in its use of warm or cooled water as part of the sophisticated and intelligent airconditioning system for the building, depending on local weather conditions. The same is true for the use of a photovoltaic garden to provide the electricity that lights the building and provides power for, amongst other things, the pumps that are uses to irrigate the landscaped areas. The buildings themselves are constantly monitored by 60,000 integrated sensors. ▸▸

The cafeteria offers a daily choice of international cuisine within its architecturally refined interior.

What was the thinking behind the construction of the Vodafone Village? With the central campus, we wanted to see an increase in productivity and a

PROJECT LEADER'S STATEMENT

reduction in costs through the more efficient use of space. It also allows us to

VODAFONE VILLAGE, MILAN

work more flexibly and in better ways and reduces our carbon emissions.

Gianbattista Pezzoni, Head of Property Management, Vodafone Italia

Is there a global corporate design standard for Vodafone? If so, how is this manifested in Milan? Vodafone Group is active in about 50 countries. There are guidelines for space standards as well as the look and feel of space but which also take into account local conventions and workplace standards. In our case, some of the key criteria when creating the look and feel necessary to promote the Vodafone DNA included clarity of form, contrast and balance as well as the use of complementary colours. It was important that we used red in a responsible way. The furniture is characterised by the clear resolution of its design as well as its flexibility and ergonomic performance. It supports interaction and fosters collaboration. The global standards for Vodafone in terms of architecture and design were created at the same time as we were developing headquarters projects in Germany and Italy. We find the Vodafone brand strategy guide that is used for ad campaigns, packaging design and so on particularly useful and inspiring.

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Reconfigurable meeting rooms in MIlan using no limits meeting tables and open up meeting chairs.

What demands do Vodafone place on the architecture and workplaces?

What considerations led you to choose Sedus as your office furniture partner?

Although Vodafone has strict corporate guidelines with regard to the

We opted for Sedus as a global partner after a ten month procurement

way space is used and workplace typology, the space standards vary

process. We wanted well-designed products at a competitive price

depending on locations, the space available and the work being done.

from a vendor that understood our needs in terms of project times,

In office buildings, we work to ten square metres per workstation. Areas

efficiency and service and could guarantee to meet them both locally

for shared use are allocated 12 square metres per position based on

and globally.

a utilisation of 120 percent, customer service agents have 8 square

The solutions offered also needed to offer a completely fresh take on

metres. The open plan offices have been carefully specified with low

our business and help us to use design to improve the performance of

furniture to facilitate visual and acoustic openness.

employees.

There are very few cellular offices and in terms of space standards, no

Sedus offered products that met the needs of Vodafoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s national

difference between what is provided for employees, executives and

businesses in every way and so contributed to the overall success

senior managers.

of Vodafone by creating offices that had a consistent appearance regardless of the country in which they are located.

What is Vodafoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s design philosophy?

Certainly the furniture installation for the Vodafone Village was

Our design language is based on an understanding and expression of

seamless and we ecnountered no disruption in terms of meeting our

our brand and cultural values. This begins with the choice of location

objectives and timesacles. The Sedus team in Italy were always one

and property and then also includes elements such as furniture and

step ahead of any potential problems.

fit-out. Our corporate identity from the point of view of customers is warm, personal and optimistic.

The narrow floorplates of the building ensure the interior is flooded with natural light. Clusters of three workstations incorporate temptation c desking and netwin task seating.

Energetic thinking in Düsseldorf Things are different in Düsseldorf, not least because the buildings lie significantly further North. The buildings here are heated and lit using district heating and a biogas cogeneration plant. A process of absorption is used to cool the building during the Summer. During the Winter, floor convectors emit heat. At the heart of the system is an intelligent control that determines the needs of the interior for cooling, heating and ventilation. Even so, the building also allows people the ability to control the environment by allowing them to open windows.

The challenge for all employees For most staff, the open spaces of the office were unfamiliar. They had previously been

spread out over a number of locations. So it was essential that employees were actively involved in the developments of both locations. The firm held briefings, workshops and canvassed views on a regular basis to gain valuable feedback and encourage them to engage with the developments. In Milan this lead to the introduction of telephone kiosks, quiet work spaces, rooftop oases and a canteen that offers staff a variety of international cuisine on a daily basis. In Düsseldorf, pilots were introduced at a very early stage which allowed 50 people at a time to directly test the new ideas. Not only did this help them to appreciate the open space concepts and desk sharing but also introduce the thinking behind digital filing, archiving and other systems. Such revolutionary thinking invariably catalyses a change in the way people behave. The openness of the space has

fostered more communication and transparency while, at the same time, focussing more on the individual and helping them to be more aware of the people with whom they work. The 5,000 employees based in Düsseldorf were prepared for the change with the help of a film, workshops on how to behave in an open office and a guide to relocation. For those heading up a project of this nature, lack of preparation is as undesirable as a lack of aftercare. So the subject of the next staff survey is to gauge any weaknesses with the move so that they can be eliminated ◆

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News, Tips & Trends A colourful mix of news and ideas on the theme of this issue The digital pen The ‘Smartpen’ from Livescribe transcribes whatever you write or draw on a surface and sends it wirelessly into the Cloud. So blackboard diagrams and sketches can be saved quickly and easily and retrieved at a later time on a laptop, tablet or smartphone. It’s not just an innovation for those who hanker for the days of pen and paper. It even includes a built-in microphone so that conferences and conversations can be recorded in high quality audio.

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Foldable cycle helmet Many recreational cyclists continue to have a problem with the idea of wearing a protective helmet. Not only do they object to it on aesthetic grounds, they find them cumbersome, especially when they don’t think they’re needed. One possible solution has been offered by the designer Michael Rose who has created a helmet that can be folded so saves on space. When fully folded up, it is about as thick as a standard book so can be carried in a small bag. When exactly this might find its way onto the market was not clear at the time of going to press.

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The luxury E-Bike It’s no surprise that an Italian designer would never be satisfied with a purely functional design when asked to design an e-bike. The Cykno E-Bike has been conceptualised by the motorcycle engineer Bruno Greppi and creatively designed by Luca Scopei. The bike weighgs 26 kg and runs on either a 250 or 500 watt motor with a combined range of 60 kilometres.

However the technical characteristics of the bike play second fiddle to the elegant retro aesthetic of the bike, because it’s not very often that you see such a well defined combination of ecological awareness and extravagance in a single object.

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Fair Smartphone Green light sources As ever, the best way to bring nature into the office environment is with plants. But we are no longer limited to the old choices of potted plants, hanging baskets and plant walls. Even lighting designers are experimenting with new ways to combine light sources with planting. Not only does this affect the way we perceive space, which leads to a more dynamic and creative working environment, plants can help to energise the interior, improve the interior climate and underpins each of the benefits so closely associated with a Place 2.5..

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Crumpled city maps It might seem impossible to restore a city map to its original condition once it’s been crumpled. Well, maybe with paper but that’s why designers at Palomar have developed these thin, untearable and waterproof maps, which can be refolded easily after use. This simple idea has the potential to save a lot of time and frayed nerves, so you can get on with the simple task of visiting the places you’d like to. The map is kept in a small bag, so there’s no chance you’ll mistake it for a handkerchief and throw it away in the nearest bin. The Crumpled City cards are available for all the world’s major cities including Moscow, Oslo, Berlin Rome, New York, Sydney and Tokyo.

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As an alternative to the giants that dominate the phone market and their production methods, the Fair Phone Project is launching its own smartphone model onto the market. According to the firm, it has to be manufactured under fair and sustainable conditions but must offer a competitive level of technical performance that are at least able to keep with the market leaders. Equipped with the Android 4.2 operating system and an 8 megapixel camera, the Fair Phone combines cutting edge performance with ethical values. In addition, two SIM cards can be used on the phone at the same time, making it ideal for use as a combined home and business phone. A sure sign that modern communication technology need not be incompatible with ethical considerations.

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The future of work

Yongsan International Business District: The architectural vision for the expansion of the city of Seoul offers a perfect example of the intertwining of business, residential and recreational areas.

More freedom, increasing complexity – but who is accountable? B y Mi c h a e l Ma y e r

We encounter the transformation of work in our information age on a daily basis, either in our own lives or those of other people. Technology companies are invariably at the forefront of these changes, often adopting new and sometimes bewildering working practices. So where exactly are we heading?

ecause it is no longer possible to draw clear distinctions between work and the rest of our lives, we can begin by taking a general look at what the future holds. Google CEO Eric Schmidt and his co-author Jared Cohen, a former advisor to Hilary Clinton and founder of the Google Ideas think tank, shared their thoughts on how we will work and live in their book ‘The New Digital Age’. In their view, the first incontrovertible fact about this new world is that it will be almost fully digitalised. It is a world of driverless cars, automated wardrobes, robots we control with our thoughts, virtual versions of ourselves we can use to visit other places, smart drugs and nanobots in our bodies that help to guard us against illness. Even the wars of the future will be waged by robots and drones. Terrorism will take

place increasingly in the virtual world, for example with hacker attacks on the controls of aircraft. The famous American physicist Michio Kaku is primarily known to the general public thanks to his contributions about theoretical physics to popular scientific journals. In one of his latest works, Physics of the Future, three hundred leading researchers from fields as diverse as artificial intelligence, space travel, medicine, biology, share their vision of the world one hundred years from now. So, the computer scientist Gerald Sussman offers his belief that he might be part of the last generation that has to die. In fact, scientists may be able to control the aging process as early as 2050. Defective genes will be repaired and the lives of cells extended. Sick and damaged organs will be replaced by healthy, cultivated tissue.

The researcher Anthony Atala at Wake Forest University has already succeeded in growing human ears, fingers, urethras and heart valves in the laboratory. Genetic engineering can even help to solve the problems of providing nutrition to the world’s people, for example with the creation of vertical farms in the form of skyscrapers. According to Columbia University in New York, just 150 of these structures could feed the whole metropolitan area. Nuclear fusion, solar energy, magnetism, nanotechnology, 3D holography, selfreplicating computers, intelligent materials; all signs that when it comes to mankind’s future prosperity and wellbeing, there are no limits in the face of extensive globalisation and scientific discovery. That, at least is the promise laid out in Michio Kaku’s vision. But what will be the impact of this new world order on the workplace itself?

Jobs and prosperity for all How exactly everybody could enjoy unprecedented levels of prosperity is the subject of Gallup CEO Jim Clifton’s book ‘The Coming Jobs War’. The answer is through work, of course. Fortunately, the Gallup study that underpins the book ▸▸

* The illustrations in this feature were kindly provided by Danish architectural firm BIG.

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How will we live inbetween buildings? Transparency, perspective, openness and a multifaceted idea of how things integarte, as shown by the example of the Danish Technical University.

proves that what most people want is a good job and a great place to work. Clifton argues that global competitiveness will depend upon the ability of firms to provide people with such workplaces. Those countries and organisations who fail to address such demands will see the disruption of their societies. Clifton estimates that the current working age population of the world is around five billion out of a total of seven billion human beings. But not all of these people have jobs and so create wealth. So he concludes, in theory, we need to create around two billion new jobs if we are to achieve our goals. Other commentators, such as the futurist Ayad Al-Ani of the

Hertie School of Governance in Berlin see the future of work in terms of a digital meritocracy, in which the ‘crowd’, a huge body of creative people use virtual platforms to provide the world with a range of goods and services. The number of people in permanent, fixed employment is already shrinking dramatically. A study commissioned by the Cloud and network provider Citrix highlights similar points. For the majority of office workers, the future is characterised by greater mobility. It is a future in which they will work more and more from home as well as coffee shops, airports and other public spaces. This is certainly an attractive proposition for a

company like Citrix so it may be worth reminding ourselves that in the past we have seen visions of the future such as the paperless office come to nothing.'

A sociological and economic perspective When it comes to the future of work, there are two ways of looking at things, either from an economic or sociological perspective. Researchers at the Frankfurt based Zukunftsinstitut (Future Institute) believe work will no longer be well defined, but as something we must form for ourselves. In their recent study ‘Work:Design. Shaping the Future of Work’

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LOOP City – like a Roman aqueduct reproduced in the suburbs of Copenhagen, the hub of a complex rail network. As well as the transport infrastructure, the area is home to work spaces, parks, shops and restaurants, all fully integrated in a practical and cohesive way. An ideal environment for students and office workers alike.

they state, ‘changes in the way we work disrupts in many ways the traditional structures to which we have grown accustomed. Former opposites become one, what were once distinct spheres combine and define the most significant social trend towards individualisation. This happens because the complexity that arises from these combinations is only made possible by a much greater degree of individualisation. One of the defining characteristics of this new era will be the proliferation of Third Place working, in these spaces we go to recharge our batteries. According to the Zukunftsinstitut these space will be a prerequisite for the

functioning of a generation of knowledge workers. This gives added credence to the forecasts of Citrix Systems. But it also begs the question of whether this will be an issue only for the elite minority that constitute Third Place workers in the developed world or whether it will be equally applicable for the greater mass of workers everywhere. The authors of the Zukunftsinstitut have few doubts that we will see a continuation of the movement away from traditional forms of work with long lasting and strong links between employer and employee in favour of more short term, portfolio careers. The typical, universal employee we once knew so well now has very

different and complex expectation from their career. ‘What this means is that to have ‘made it’ for those people who deem it important to carve out a well-defined career in a company and have an impressive sounding title on the business card they present to others as well as all the trappings of success and power such as a luxury car or an imposing office, all of these things stand in stark contrast to the most important values of knowledge workers; to work on interesting projects, work alongside creative and engaging people, to have the time to spend with friends and family and to make time for training and learning even at the height of their careers.’ ▸▸

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FURTHER READING Jim Clifton: The Coming Jobs War, Gallup Press ISBN-10: 1595620559 Jim Clifton draws on 75 years of Gallup studies and his own perspective as the company's chairman and CEO, Jim Clifton explains why jobs are the new global currency for leaders. More than peace or money or any other good, the business, government, military, city, and village leaders who can create good jobs will own the future.

Embedded in nature: ideas for planning the ESS, the interdisciplinary European Centre for neutron research. Scientists at Lund in Sweden have integrated workplaces into an agricultural environment including a visitor centre and recreational facilities. They believe the surroundings will attract staff from all over the world

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Design of the Astana National Library: a cultural meeting point and inspiring workplace with views over the landscape of Kazakhstan. The public spaces of the library are accessible to all who want to research or work or be inspired by talking to others.

New forms of leadership

One thing that is common to all forms of career is that when hierarchies dissolve, new forms of open networks develop to fill their place, consisting of a new balance between leadership and personal responsibility, but which lack welldefined decision making powers and demarcation of roles. The authors of the Zukunftsinstitut report address this conundrum head on and see the solution consisting of a new form of leadership in which new, resilient structures form to create new relationships and patterns of communication based around a combination of both hierarchical and networked structures. The principle of leadership is now far less about how to create formalised structures than it was in the past. Things are different now. This is the subject of research by the Swiss Institute for Business Administration (SIB). In its report ‘The Future of Leadership’, the authors claim that although we have lost fixed and clear ideas about when and where we work, we needn’t see this as a management problem, but as part of the solution. In the end, they conclude that ‘...leadership is not and never has been something that can be delegated and improperly handled management

will continue to have devastating consequences for corporate culture in the 21st Century’. Those who speak up on behalf of the Human Capital movement – the phrase human capital was named as the word of the year in Germany in 2004 – see the employee as the key to unlock organisational success. The publishers of the book ‘Human Capital Leadership’, Martina Dürndorfer and Peter Friedrichs focus on a transformational process in which businesses on the cusp of the knowledge and service economies, must face a world which is switching from the physical to the abstract as a source of competitive advantage and future capital gains. The management of human capital lies at the heart of how such enterprises will succeed. ‘If you want others to follow you on this path, you must be prepared to assume the mantle of leadership. If companies and their executives expect employees to be engaged and accountable in a common cause, they must take the lead. In fact, they must view human capital in its literal sense, leading in a way the competition does not.’ Perhaps such thoughts mark a return to the work of the American economists Schultz and Becker who first shaped the idea of human capital in the 1960s. Maybe it all hangs together with the idea from

Gallup CEO Jim Clifton that the current battle that organisations must fight is to provide the best places to work on a global scale. Ultimately, the human capital movement is about how best to develop and motivate people, so that in turn they can improve their value to and productivity of the organisation. So how will the future of work look? As things stand, it’s hard to say for sure and we shouldn't be too surprised to come to an open ended conclusion. Our recent experiences should have taught us that unforeseeable events can change the world dramatically and permanently. So we should always remain excited about whatever tomorrow may bring. ◆

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Communicating in virtual space Telepresence systems and their impact on the modern working environment

For employees working internationally, the most commonly used communications technologies can be frustrating and inadequate ways with which to interact with colleagues. The biggest problem is that the personal contact and sharing of materials they need to work properly together is not delivered effectively. But thanks to a new telepresence project being driven by researchers at the Bauhaus University in Weimar, that may all soon be a thing of the past. We spoke to Prof. Dr. Bernd Fröhlich and his team about their new vision of a communication system that seems to have emerged from the pages of science fiction novel but is about to become a reality. In t e r v i e w c o n d u c t e d b y J u l i a n T rö n d l e

Although video telephony still plays a somewhat secondary role in our personal lives, in the world of work videoconferencing is well-established and widespread around the entire planet. Even in this sphere, attempts have been made to replace this form of communication with something that offers a more direct and immediate solution. Telepresence systems give people the opportunity to control a rudimentary human-like robot to simulate their presence physically as well as technologically. However, while researchers around the world are looking to develop humanequivalent robots, the Bauhaus University team is exploring an entirely different vision. Their 3D telepresence system captures participants using multiple depth cameras holistically and in real time, sending this as a life size three-

dimensional avatar to anywhere in the world. The resulting user group can then meet, move and communicate in a virtual environment, even interacting with physical objects in the real world. In Weimar we spoke with Dr Bernd Fröhlich and his research team the graduate students Stephan Beck, Alexander Kulik, Andre Kunert, about the possibilities of this remarkable communications system and its potential impact on the future of work. Professor, most experiments in recent years have relied on the use of teleoperation to simulate human presence. What is unique and visionary about your new 3D system? Fröhlich: With our telepresence system, we are trying to work with and transfer a

representation of the whole of the person. We would like to bring as many people as possible to work together in virtual space. This could mean, for example, that a building design could be presented to a group and discussed as if everybody were in a room with one another. For us the work is primarily about communication and collaborative work. With telerobotics, the focus is completely different, because that is primarily not about communication but about the use of a robot in a dangerous situation or something like that. In principle, it is a form of remote control, in which a robot is controlled by emulating the actions or commands of a human somewhere else. What do you see as the biggest advantages of this form of communication in comparison to traditional and existing tools such as the telephone, videoconferencing or Skype? Fröhlich: In our telepresence system, we capture a person in 3D then project them as a three dimensional avatar to another location. All gestures are visible to the users on the other side of the system which also allows virtual objects to be explored by pointing at them. The revolutionary characteristic of our 3D telepresence system is that it actually places you in a virtual world, which can be

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The Place 2.5 editorial team communicates as 3D avatars with two members of the virtual reality research team at Bauhaus University.

explored and with which you can interact and which allows you to discuss things in real time, including digitised objects. Which industries will benefit most from the technology? Fröhlich: That’s not an easy question to address. Who needs telepresence? In the field of architecture, many firms have teams of people dispersed over the whole globe. I also believe that it would be important for the oil and gas industry because it too relies on experts who might be anywhere in the world at a given time. Telepresence would allow them to discuss models of underground ▸▸

3D glasses are designed to callibrate the images from the screen so that each person in a meeting has exactly the same perspective on what they are seeing.

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PROF. DR. BERND FRÖHLICH Prof. Dr. Bernd Fröhlich works as Professor of Systems of Virtual Reality at the Bauhaus-University Weimar. In 1982 he began his studies in the field of computer science at the Technical University of Braunschweig, before his academic career saw him take up positions in Kaiserslautern, Venezuela, St. Augustine, Waterloo and Stanford. He has worked at Weimar since 2001. For his work in the field of virtual

oil fields regardless of the physical distances between them. Similarly we can see its potential application for a virtual construction site. We can develop CAD models from building plans which would allow everybody involved in the construction process to discuss them. A drone can be used to fly repeatedly over the actual construction site taking 3D scans of the building. Then both models, meaning the actual building and the plans, can be compared as part of a discussion. The great thing about this process of continuous development for a building site is, it allows people to visualise the construction process as it happens. So if you want to discuss what has happened over a period of, says, 24 hours, then you can compare the model with the current actual state of construction. Then there’s the automobile industry where you have the designers working in the warmth of California while the decision makers and factory are in an entirely different headquarters complex.

reality systems he and his team have been awarded a number of prestigious prizes. Amongst others, they won the "Best Paper Award" at the "IEEE Virtual Reality" conference in Orlando, Florida in 2013.

different locations. But even if everybody is on the same site, the systems offers the same multiple user capability so that groups of people can still share 3D visions of objects and discuss them together. This allows them to discuss sizes, angles and other aspects of a design that might not be possible without the chance to view things from the right perspective. How did the test subjects react to the telepresence system? Fröhlich: Generally very positive indeed. Especially individual perceptions of the multi-user system because it does away completely with spatial distortions. As we learned at the Virtual reality Conference in Florida, interest in the use of telepresence is exceptionally high. But we also know there is still a great deal of room for improvement, especially when it comes to representations of the human body. How long do you think it will be before such a system comes onto the market. Are there any concrete requests from companies who would like to introduce the product?

The input devices of the system make it possible to create CAD models of whole cities, making it easier to view and discuss them. The telepresence system also allows virtual site inspections.

So we can say that this technology is suitable for all those industries in which experts are located at a distance or in

Fröhlich: For the multi-user function, there are already requests to bring the product to market. With regard to the telepresence function, that will probably take between six and ten years before this can realistically replace the classic videoconferencing system because there are still many aspects of personal reconstruction that need to be refined.

A lot of people will have reservations about the technology, maybe even be critical of it, because while the

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subtle the information that can be conveyed. Especially when it comes to teamworking, this information can be essential. When this technology eventually arrives in our everyday working lives, you will wonder how it was ever possible to get your work done without the 3D representations of your colleagues.

By using the colour and depth perception of cameras, people are captured holistically and then rendered as life-size 3-D video avatars and transmitted in real time to the users on the other end of the system.

avatars may look realistic, ultimately you are still dealing with an image of the person rather than the physical presence of a real human being. Can physical proximity ever be replaced? In the long term, do you think the system will alter our sensory perceptions? Fröhlich: I would say categorically that sound and vision will be reconstructed almost perfectly from the human perspective in the very near future. Whereas touch and smell are extremely difficult to integrate. Kunert: Is a 100 percent accurate rendering of a human even desirable in the first place? Without the subtle features of a real human, when you are with an avatar you will perceive it as wrong. You will probably still be able to determine whether you are dealing with a real person or a computer generated image of somebody. I think it would be very scary not to have the ability to tell the difference. Fröhlich: But that’s exactly what we already see in the movies. The viewer can no longer be certain whether a character is real or animated, wither in part or in whole. In the long term that is exactly the quality you can expect with virtual reality. It will create simulations of

people that look real and move realistically around the room. But of course these are not real people and we will have to question constantly what it is that you are seeing. Kulik: On the one hand, there is an understandable desire to create the most realistic avatars you possibly can. But you must ask what exactly it is we would be trying to achieve with such technology? Rather than seeking to replicate people realistically, it’s far more important that we consider how we use them to achieve a certain goal as a way of adding value. Fröhlich: It’s also about what users expect from such systems. How exactly would they like other people to be represented? For specific types of task, for example the commissioning of a piece of architecture, would it be appropriate to represent the head as a sphere with the hands shown as having fingers which act as cylindrical pointers, all floating in the air. Kulik: Overall that would make communication a lot more difficult because all the subtle signifiers we use when communicating such as where we are looking and other forms of body language would all but disappear. The more abstracted the presentation, the less

Kunert: Absolutely! In our experiments there were times when an arm would suddenly project from somebody’s body even when it evidently wasn’t theirs. Or one person literally walks straight through another. Those are deeply unpleasant and disturbing experiences. The security we find in our personal space can be disrupted by these technologies. We will constantly need to explore answers to such challenges. If you follow the logic of virtual reality through to its conclusion, does this not mean that the traditional workplace for knowledge workers will be rendered obsolete? Kulik: I think the idea of the workplace will change fundamentally. The screen will take up an ever greater part of the working environment in the future, because it will be the main enabler of conversations and communications in the ways we have described. However that does not change the fact that this space will still have to offer people chairs, tables, cabinets and so on. We will continue to want and use real things. Fröhlich: People will continue to go to work rather than stay at home. They will want to communicate with other people. But there will also be simple situations where groups of people on different continents will come around a table to talk, and it will be integrated into their everyday working lives. ◆

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To have or have not What is sharing?

B y Jo a c h im G o e t z

Obviously things in the capitalist system are very much on the move. The rediscovery of the idea of sharing has created a new lexicon that includes terms such as ‘shareconomy’ and ‘sharing economy’ and a new economic force has emerged as result. Here we explore the applications that exist to support its key principles, the importance of a changed mindset and the consequences of this trend.

he world’s largest online broker of private rooms is Airbnb, based in Silicon Valley but responsible for some three million overnight stays since 2012. Over the same period, around 500,000 German drivers have travelled using a shared car. And a growing number of DIY enthusiasts no longer buy drills and other equipment when they want to get things done around the house, but borrow them from neighbours or rent them from a website. The sharing market has a huge amount of as yet untapped potential. Airbnb was founded as recently as 2009 but since then the number of overnight stays booked through its website has doubled annually.

Up to just a couple of years ago, the idea of car sharing was seen as the mildly risible concern of eco warriors and do-gooders, yet now there are few manufacturers that do not offer some form of car sharing. The sharing market requires special products, that are both durable and easy for people to use. After all, if you’re offering people a drill for hire, they don’t expect it to pack up or pay through the nose for the privilege. The market has already started to reshape our lives and we have the figures to back up that assertion. According to a recent study by TNS-Emnid, around an eighth of Germans have already used some form of online brokering service for goods and

services. Nearly all (97 percent) of 14 to 29 year olds already consider it perfectly normal to use their network to share knowledge, resources and experiences.

The role of social media The principle driver for this thinking is obviously the Internet. It used to take a great deal of forethought and planning to rent a car at a particular time and place and even then you’d probably end up with something that is the wrong size anyway. Now all you need is a smartphone to access a website. You can check instantly where the nearest available car is parked, its model and a code to get on the move. ▸▸

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SHARING SERVICES AND THEIR POTENTIAL

CAT EG O RY

EXAMPLE

POTENTIAL

a i r b n b. c o m S PACE

HOMES BEDS

c o u c h s u r f i n g. c o m e a s y r o o m m a t e. c o m s p a r e r o o m . c o.u k

OFFICES, PL ACES OF WORK

l i q u i d s p a c e. c o m e p i c o f f i c e s h a r e. c o m . a u s h a r e y o u r o f f i c e. c o m s h a r e m y o f f i c e. c o.u k

STOR AGE, PA R K I N G

Huge commercial potential, because of the limited availability, expense and static nature of space coupled with the underutilisation of many types. A great chance to monetise unused rooms. In the private sector, the sharing of space offers the chance to create networks and, espcially in the case of workplaces and gardens, the opportunity to pool resources, work collaboratively and free up time.

p a r k a t m y h o u s e. c o m parkcirca.com parkingpanda. com s h a r e m y s t o ra g e. c o m

GARDEN

g a r d e n- s h a r e. c o m h y p e r l o c a v o r e.n i n g. c o m sharedear th.com y a rd s h a r e. c o m

c a r2 g o. c o m VEHICLES

CARS

getaround.com m o b i l i t y. c h

c a l l a b i k e- i n t e ra k t i v. d e BIKES

citybike w ien.at m e t r o p o l ra d r u h r. d e s t a d t ra d . h a m b u rg. d e

B OAT S

cr uzin.com sailbox.ch s m a r t b o a t i n g. c o m . a u

Already well established yet still has untapped potential, especially with regrad to smart mobility. Within networks of friends and family, as well as neighbourhoods, a great chance for car sharing to flourish especially as car sharing communities grow in number.

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Shareconomy: tomorrow’s economic powerhouse?

W H AT WO U L D T H E WORLD BE LIKE IF WE SHARED MORE?

1 The world would appear more humanistic and friendly. 2 People would be there for each other and integrate better. 3 People would feel more secure with others. 4 People would only use what they really need. 5 There would be less clutter and less baggage. We would be more free. 6 People would feel less guilty about themselves.

Social media has also helped to raise the profile of sharing websites. Now so much of what we do, such as what we read, listen to, buy, or like is almost by default shared with friends, family and acquaintances with the click of a button. These new behaviours are carrying over from information based assets such as images, music, videos and text into the physical world. The confidence needed for people to share their physical possessions, to overcome the potential for these things to actually go missing or get damaged, can be overcome with greater awareness of individuals on web portals. Over time, this can only increase the uptake of sharing practices, which is in any case something of which we already have some experience, for example with the principles of the cooperative movement of the early 20th Century. At the time of its inception, the idea was to extend the principle of sharing to almost every type of product and service, but ultimately only a few were adopted.

People share instinctively Man is a social being. That includes the most primal and original forms of social exchange. The most fundamental need for food underlies basic morality in every society. Almost as important is hospitality which is based on an ancient form of communication. Didn’t our ancestors once sit around campfires telling tales and sharing information about water sources and the greenest pastures for livestock? It is not self-dependency that has brought us so far as a species. We need to interact with others in order to survive.

We drink in the idea of sharing quite literally along with our mothers’ milk. Within the family, people have shared since time immemorial homes, food, warmth and clothing. Even so, researchers and philosophers still ponder the question of whether selfreliance or collaboration is the key to success. What they all agree on is that, over the long term, the most successful people are those who provide for others and share with them.

Pragmatism rather than 'save the world' idealism The Swiss based think tank the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute (GDI)explored exactly this issue in its study ‘Sharity’. What they found is that our attitudes with regard to the sharing phenomenon are still unformed and still need to be developed. One the one hand we have a straightforward attitude towards sharing with close family members: we just do it. For those outside the family circle, however, much depends on our expectations. The save-the-world idealists of the 1970s are very far removed from 21st Century sharers. The modern Shareconomy is founded on pragmatism.

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SHARING BECAUSE YOU NEED TO BECOMES SHARING BY CONVICTION

BUY SHARE

Y E S T E R DAY

Most of those involved in sharing are young, single urbanites. The live in small but expensive apartments, so don’t enjoy lots of spare cash or the space to store lots of clutter and personal belongings. There is little or no local parking so they are likely to see car ownership as a bit of a burden and would prefer not to have their own vehicle. Because they have access to excellent public transport and see cycling as both healthy and cool, especially if they can own a modified Bianchi. Cars are also a problem on nights out because they do not want to drink and drive. So a car is something to borrow from friends or family or hire from a car-sharing service.

T O DAY

Increasingly, home ownership is also seen as something of a burden too. Not least because the younger generation doesn’t have access to the same sort of finance their parents enjoyed. They constantly have to bear in mind they may soon be changing their job and where they live. Also, long-distance relationships amongst modern nomads are no longer viewed as unusual. They also would like to experience a wide range of jobs and lifestyles. So they need to construct a life of ‘smart simplicity’, and it is so attractive a proposition that it is becoming increasingly popular with older people too.

TOMORROW

What it is possible to hire or borrow, is now increasingly likely to be hired or borrowed. That is not an outward admission of asceticism, but perhaps its opposite. It’s also the case that possibilities now exist that simply didn’t a generation or two ago. And hardly anyone wants the stuff they own to start owning them in a way that restricts their disposable income, activities, ability to experiment and freedom to make choices about their lives. Not when it’s increasingly possible to get the things you need as and when you need them and for very little outlay in a way that allows you to take advantage of their rapidly changing product life cycles. ▸▸

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HYBRID MARKETS: S H A R I N G C O M B I N ES T H E P R I VAT E W I T H T H E S O C I A L

SHWOPPING*

HOME SHARES

SHARING

LIFT

ABILITIES

SHARING

BROKERING

C T

CLOTHING

SCHOOLS FA M I LY H O M E

PUBLIC

F S C I R AL Y B A O C D CE Y S

L A IP N H O S S ER R N W HOTELS

CAR

TRANSPORT

TA X I S

Source: „Sharity“ die Zukunft des Teilens, GDI

HYBRID MARKETS

CLASSICAL MARKETS

* Shwopping is a portmanteau word, a combination of shopping and swapping, originally devised by the aid agency Oxfam in partnership with Marks and Spencer. Customers are encouraged to take old and unwanted clothes to a collection box when buying new clothes whihc are then sold as second hand in Oxfam stores or recycled with the proceeds supporting Oxfam's services around the world.

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Service levels and sophisticated applications What is certain is that the old economy is turning into something else entirely When it comes to standard forms of car sharing, most people use reliable, small, practical and easy to use vehicles, unless they absolutely need to use a prestige car. As a result the manufacturers best able to take advantage of the new market are those with products that are durable, intuitive and easy to maintain. For some products the costs of renewal following intensive use make them unsuited to sharing. It is also possible that the shift towards sharing will see a parallel shift away from emphasis on the individual characteristics of a product towards better service levels. It is essential that access to products is as simple and flexible as possible for customers. The success of companies will depend on how well they address this key point and develop new opportunities in conjunction with business partners and customers. Ideas are in demand. A look at the most successful carsharing programmes shows exactly how this process works. The most financially successful are those most willing to try new things. For example, General Motors works alongside the peer-to-peer service Relay Ride. Similarly, Flightcar has a lucrative arrangement at San Francisco airport which offers a win-win situation for everybody. They offer free car parking if they are allowed to rent it out cheaply to third parties. It’s clearly very profitable indeed.

Is sharing environmentally friendly?

The makers of iconic brands have to wake up to something and they have to wake up to it very soon. Their sales depend on creating things that people desire so much

they will buy them outright. When products are shared, the number of buyers decreases substantially. So sellers need to get across the idea not only that their product is better than others, but that it is worth owning. Products that are comparatively expensive are attractive in the shareconomy, as are things that need a significant degree of maintenance and have to be stored somewhere. Former libraries might therefore find a new lease of by storing and renting out certain everyday devices with exactly those characteristics. Things that the individual cannot afford or does not want to own are ripe for sharing. Amongst such products we might include designer fashion, private lessons, professional instruments, machinery and special vehicles. Even companies are now able to share with one another. Not least because of the machinery in factories everywhere that stands idle for much of the time. There is still widespread doubt that the sharing of products had any role to play in creating a more sustainable world, even though they are self-evidently built to last and be used over and over again. Because if you forgo a car only to travel by plane instead, you aren’t sparing the environment. Sharing does not mean economic inactivity and it may mean more things are shared than would be bought. Some effects of the shareconomy are undeniable. The terms property and possession will acquire subtly different meanings and so lawyers will have a field day. Futurologists take a longer view. Peter Wippermann from Trendbüro Hamburg thinks that alongside traditional commerce we will see the germination of a ‘grassroots economy’. For the retired Harvard Business School academic Shoshanna Zuboff, the sharing economy marks nothing less than the emergence

of a new economic system. She believes that in this third phase of capitalism, it won’t be sellers who have the final say on the market, but their customers.◆

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Zurich / Switzerland One of the main goals of the HUB in Zurich is to facilitate the exchange of ideas and information between co-workers. The flexible workplace is located in the arches of a viaduct and has been designed to do exactly that. The telephone booths enable people to hold private conversations on their mobile phones.

Do co-working spaces, those shared workplaces used by the very smallest and youngest of organisations and individual freelancers, represent the future of office life? Or is the provision of offices for social and collaborative working a merely temporary phenomenon. In many cities, the numbers of co-working spaces are increasing exponentially and appear to meet a genuine need.

Coworking Spaces A phenomenon on the brink

B y Jo a c h im G o e t z

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ork in co-working spaces is currently the preserve of freelancers, the self-employed, road warriors and all those who need an alternative to the home office. Compared to conventional and serviced offices, the shared collaborative areas of co-working vary significantly. The workplace can usually be rented whenever it is needed, often for a very short period of time and at short notice, providing each user with at the very least a task chair, workstation, a fast broadband connection, some (temporary) colleagues and fresh coffee. All the coworker must do is bring their documents, laptop and smartphone, which they might also use in a private telephone room.

Such spaces are not yet common worldwide. In 2013, it is estimated that there were some 2,500 spaces around the world serving around 100,000 people. Developments are focussed primarily on the cities of New York, London and Berlin. In those places, spaces are already being developed to appeal to different market segments of clients. Aesthetically there is a marked difference between the traditional office and a modern co-working space. In the latter, the service provider designs space based on the needs, tastes and budgets of potential customers because these people pay directly for their workspace, whereas in a corporate office, the nature of space is determined by a firm on behalf of its employees.

A break from the old routine A great deal of evidence now points to the fact that co-working spaces will do more than merely supplement the supply of more traditional commercial property. One of the main reasons for that can be found in changes in the way we work and social changes. The deregulation of employment and the growth of project work and outsourcing mean that employees are increasingly expected to work in flexible ways. But then again, according to researchers like Matthias Horx, the growing numbers of young people from Generation Y in the workplace do not want to endure a monotonous corporate routine and instead are looking for more

THE ENTREPRENEURS CHURCH Stockholm / Sweden Since 2012, a former church near Bellevue Park, Stockholm has provided start-up buinesses with their first home. As well as 300 square metres of offices, there are two conference rooms, a phone room, and a small kitchen. The atmospheric interior is also a great venue for pitching to new clients and even holding parties.

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AGORA COLLECTIVE Berlin / Germany The Agora Collective comprises workstations, art studios, a restaurant and provides courses and advice, all under a single roof in the Neukölln district of Berlin. It encourages collaboration between the creative minds that work there

enjoyment and meaning in what they do. Status and money – for this generation of young people at least – play an ever-diminishing role at work, nor do they concern themselves with pensions. They are healthy and do not worry about such things. It is from this particular gene pool that we have witnessed the emergence and evolution of the micro-entrepreneurs, small business men and women who don’t want the nine-to-five job, the permanent position with fixed hours of work. There is no appeal in any of that for the new army of journalists, web designers, graphic artists and software

developers who choose a different, independent path. It’s particularly true of the creative industries that it is now perfectly easy to set up a small business with just a laptop, mobile phone and fast internet connection. The agglomeration of these engines of growth, the self employed forms what is known as the Meconomy. It is the most obvious outward sign that the hurdle for self-employment keeps getting lower and lower. It is precisely for these people that the coworking space provides an ideal place to work. After all, we have no problem when it comes to the sharing of cars and machines

so we must ask ourselves why the workplace should be any different? Responsibility for space and equipment, cleaning, maintenance, repairs and so on is somebody else’s problem. The associated costs are shared, manageable and can be cancelled immediately if necessary.

More social support A co-working space offers other advantages. As well as the ability to book it flexibly, it is the perfect match for the way we now work and offers us the chance to interact and collaborate with others. In most cases, the space ▸▸

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emphasises the offer of mutual support alongside the people with whom it is shared. It allows people to offer a broader range of services to customers and an opportunity to develop projects in partnership with co-workers from different disciplines. Finally, networking is crucial in a knowledge society. That is why so many networking events proliferate in cities around the world every evening. So a chance to share a space with others, can be an absolute godsend for the solitary worker. Research has taught us that

compared to homeworking, the chance to work alongside others reduces the opportunity for an individual to indulge in what experts refer to as selfexploitation, because the opening times of the space ensure there is a prescribed working day. It is less isolated, offers more social support, increases motivation and helps people be more productive. Co-working fosters self-discipline because, after working in a co-working space, people are less likely to return home only to begin work again.

According to research carried out by the website deskmag.com, of 650 co-workers surveyed in 24 countries, 70 percent like their workplace, 85 percent claim to feel motivated by it, 88 are better able to interact with others and just over half take part in collaborative work. Nearly two-thirds (60 percent) of respondents feel they can organise their work better so are better able to relax at home and, perhaps surprisingly, forty percent believe co-working has contributed to an increase in their income levels compared to just 5 percent who have seen a fall.

AGORA TOKYO Tokyo / Japan With an unmistakeable Japanese aesthetic, The Agora Co-working Space in the World Udagawa Building, near to the Bunkamura concert Hall in Tokyo offers freelance workers and small teams ergonomic task chairs and workstations as well as office services..

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BIZDOJO CO.SPACE Auckland / New Zealand First impressions aren't always deceptive. This unconventional loft serves as a think tank for industrial designers, fashion designers, photographers, film makers and artists. The adjoining meeting room can be used for workshops, exhibitions, seminars or presentations.

Corporate benefits Even larger companies can enjoy the benefits of collaborative co-working space. And they can do so for a very wide number of reasons. It offers supplementary workspace for project groups when appropriate space is unavailable at head office or it is need to accommodate freelancers and project workers. It also provides a unique breeding ground for ideas and creative thinking. Often this can also be true for individual workers who take time away

from the office to work in a co-working space. Whole departments can use the space productively for research, development or special projects. For example, Daimler employees worked on the carsharing car2go project in Berlin’s Beta House, one of the world’s best examples of this type of working environment. In the Hamburg Betahaus, Otto Group complete an entire project. Modern human resources strategy appreciates the value of people getting away from the office once in a while in

order to enable a complete rethink. It can also help firms to work with people who they would find attractive as employees but who prefer to work independently rather than take up a permanent position. In such cases, the so-called war for talent becomes an irrelevance. The tourism group TUI proved the value of this by learning from the experience of the Hamburg Betahaus. It opened a 24 person co-working facility in Hanover after a three month consultation. The result, Module 57, is cosy, uncoupled from the main workplace and is open to ▸▸

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networks of freelancers, startups, and project teams from other large organisations.

For mums, poets and frequent flyers The way that service providers offer alternative forms of co-working space aimed at specific groups tells us a lot about the way work and workplaces have changed and continue to change. In New York, for example, there is a co-working space reserved solely for women. In Cologne and Leipzig, daycare centres are attached to other spaces so mums can work freely but be back with their child within minutes.

‘Paragraph’ in New York is reserved exclusively for writers who demand absolute silence. Chatter in the main working spaces is strictly prohibited giving it the air of a library, and eye contact is avoided with the help of partitions. But important discussions are also catered for with the provision of round tables for meetings with publishers, who make free use of the space themselves as they seek to work closely with budding poets to uncover new talent amongst the congregated writers and poets and offer them contracts. The global co-working chain Club office tempts its clientele with something

special. For a slightly higher monthly fee, it offers them the chance to use spaces anywhere in the world, making it an ideal choice for frequent flyers and globetrotters. ‘Edelstall’ in Hanover seeks to establish a symbiotic relationship with its tenants, as do so many of these spaces. Those who use the space are showcased on the website along with their work. Meanwhile ‘The Center’ in Frankfurt includes a constantly expanding library of books and magazines alongside its conference centre, kitchens and 230 sq. m. hangout space giving it the pefect balance of cafe space and working rooms.

BOVEN DE BALIE Amsterdam / Netherlands Boven de Balie offers thirty-four spaces in the heart of Amsterdam. As its name suggests it can be found above the Cafe de Balie. Its most distinctive characteristics are its wooden construction and use of natural light.

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TECHSPACE London / UK Techspace makes full use of this former warehouse with its generously proportioned rooms, meeting spaces and natural light, not to mention its avant garde ambience

The Hub in Zurich, on the other hand, is aimed squarely at startups who work in the field of sustainability. The conditions of entry are strict, and a third of applicants are rejected because they don fit on a personal level, do not add value to the network or are working on projects that have no potential for environmentally friendly problem solving. The flagship project is a competition to develop a business plan which will attract full membership and sponsorship to allow the winning applicant to develop their idea within one year. The way individual spaces work can vary dramatically. But these are the parts of

the building that are least profitable for service providers, with membership fees only covering a portion of their true costs. Conference rooms, events, workshops and entertainment are the things that attract additional revenue. The spaces often exhibit appealing or even striking architecture. In Stockholm one is located in former church. In Zurich, the HUB is sited in the arches of a railway viaduct. The Berlin St Obernholz location is set in an ornate old building with high ceilings and stuccoed ceilings. However, the furniture often leaves much to be desired. The trashy, weatherbeaten look can come across as

contrived. Acoustics can be poor. Even something as basic as ergonomics can be addressed poorly. Many are redolent of an old English gentleman’s club, but a real contemporary Place 2.5 looks somewhat different. ◆

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IDEAS sweetspot lounge furniture No 9/14

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Lounge furniture sweetspot The elegant life at work

B y J u l i a n T rö n d l e

With the introduction of sweetspot, Sedus filled yet another gap in the market, namely striking the right balance between comfort and functionality in the new generation of lounges that are now so common in workplaces. The family of products was designed by Judith Daur and incorporates lounge chairs along with two tables to express a combination of concentrated work and laid-back communication in a relaxed setting.

is easy to rotate in the seat to face the people with whom you are talking. According to Judith Daur, this encourages an open form of discussion because of the interrelation of the freedom of movement and freedom of the mind.

A rich variety

A relaxed space in which to share ideas and information Because it provides a stimulating space in which to share ideas and information and is ideal for a wide range of work settings, sweetspot can be used in many different parts of the workplace to create a meeting space for relaxed and creative collaborative work. The chairs far exceed what you might typicallly consider the usual seating experience in the workplace, setting a new standard of comfort for conference furniture. ‘When you sit for the first time you immediately notice how the chair is both yielding and supportive at the same time,’ explains the designer Judith Daur. The integrated gas lift mechanism and seat foam creates a ‘sweet spot’ to create a soft and

comfortable seat that makes you feel almost weightless. The sleek lines of the base only help to reinforce this feeling. It is its ergonomic comfort that makes sweetspot such a distinctive lounge seat. The collared armrest was originally conceptualised as an evocation of a welcoming gesture and now embodies the laid back and relaxed character of the furniture, which can quickly transform the dreary meeting rooms commonly found in the communal spaces of an office into inspiring meeting areas. But don’t be fooled by the simplicity of its design; sweetspot is no mere break-out chair, because its gently raised and angled seat ensures that you automatically adopt an upright, awake posture. And, because the backrest flows at the same height from the armrests, it

The sweetspot lounge series is almost completely adaptable to the everchanging needs of the business because finishes and colours can be specified independently of each other. For example, the outer part of the seat can be coloured differently to the inner which offers an unusually large choice of finishes to complement any office interior. As well as their functionality, the two seat pads also have an aesthetic role. The split in their surface means they, too, can be specified in different colours, along with complementary coloured stitching to provide engaging colour contrasts. The matching tables with the shared aesthetic of their bases are a great place for laptops and tablets as well as drinks, notebooks and other accessories, ideal for the creation of break-out and drop-in work spaces. ▸▸

Inviting and elegant: the sweetspot Lounge chair with its distinctive collared armrest.

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JUDITH DAUR The designer Since 2012, Judith Daur has worked as a designer at Sedus Stoll AG. She completed her studies as a design graduate at the University of Darmstadt. From there she took up positions in Japan then with Studio Hannes Wettstein and Format Industrial Design before joining Sedus.

In lounges and waiting rooms or any form of flexible working environment, sweetspot creates a relaxed soace that encourages collaborative work.

Functionality and elegance

The new liveability

The great choice of material and colour combinations in the sweetspot range offers complete control for the specifier to create their own look and feel, whether that be for a waiting room or reception area, cafeteria or restaurant, break-out space, conference room or a private meeting or working area. The sweetspot range combines the ergonomics and comfort you would always expect in an office environment with the characteristic elegance of a lifestyle product.

Just as the functioning of the office itself reflects the blurring of the once evident differences between our work and private lives, so too does the sweetspot range introduce a domestic aesthetic to the office. Which rather begs the question of whether those differences existed for a good reason, and whether it is possible to combine those two apparently distinct worlds; and whether ergonomic principles can be overlaid onto the idea of chilled-out space, all according to the principles of Place 2.5. â&#x2014;&#x2020;

Find out more about Sedus sweetspot.

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IDEAS terr itory modular storage Sedus

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In the no-man’s land between communication and concentration The modular storage system terri tory B y J u l i a n T rö n d l e

Because modern office life is so focussed on the need for people to collaborate and communicate and because the design of offices focuses so routinely on those needs, another aspect of our working lives tends to be somewhat overlooked; the need for us to get away from it all to our own space and thoughts and work on our own. That is why Sedus has addressed this space that exists between our need for collaboration and the need to focus.

A flexible work setting. The specification of sweetspot and terri tory mean that changes to the workplace can happen quickly and easily.

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The modular storage system terri tory is designed to create a range of work settings to suit particular needs.

Opennness or enclosure?

Communication and concentration

The private room returns

It is conversations between employees that often drive new creative initiatives that go on to enhance an firm's performance. But what happens when the space to achieve the development of ideas is lacking? A collaborative working environment is only useful insofar as it also offers the choice to step outside it in order to focus and work alone. So the challenge for Sedus and its industrial design team was to create office systems that strike the balance between collaboration and confinement, that give people the chance to create space for themselves but then open up when they need to.

The modular design of the terri tory system offers the individual the freedom to configure it as they wish depending on their needs and preferences, meaning the system also provides additional storage space and provide the backdrop for ad hoc meetings. At the same time, it can also create a private retreat to offer the user some essential fully concentrated and undisturbed work time. The zoning of space in this way is particularly effective because it creates the right balance of concentration and communication and promotes a more relaxed and productive working culture.

The elements of terri tory come in either 400mm or 800mm modules so can be configured in an almost playful way, empowering the user to make their own decisions about the shape of their space. According to Henriette Deking, one of the productâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s designer at Formwelt Industrial Design: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;we often took for inspiration Lego or building blocks which are stacked on horizontal boards. The modules are locked with a special key to a specifically developed connector which works in conjunction with floor services. At the same time, decorative elements, Plexiglas screens, magnetic

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Building up and reconfiguration is as simple as moving the modules by hand in conjunction with the floorplate.

boards and planters can be incorporated into the working environment. The storage wall even allows users to leave gaps in the built-up system which improves lighting levels. All of this helps to confirm the ways that a user has control over the way they work and can define their own personal space which can also be customised with the use of a wide range of materials, finishes and modular elements. The only constraint is the imagination of the user. The flexible reconfiguration of both storage and physical space allows each user to create an immediate working environment that is perfectly suited to their needs as well as the demands of modern office life,

including the need to change on a regular basis.

Ease of use is the key to productivity and wellbeing According to Henriette Deking, what was important in the development of terri tory was that ‘it allowed itself room to breathe’. The natural condition of storage in the office is to be inflexible and static so the lightness, adaptability and ease of use of territory comes as a refreshing alternative, especially in the context of a modern flexible workplace. Whether it is used as a standalone unit or as an intelligent solution in a large working

environment or cellular office, the Red Dot prize winning terri tory system exhibits all of the features need to foster productivity and wellness and make each working day a little more rewarding. ◆ Find out more about Sedus terri tory.

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Mobile forms in the workplace Flexible and easy-to-use space definition

B y D o ro th e a S c h e i d l-Ne n n e m a n n

The trend for ever-greater space densities, driven by increasing property costs is now passing and we will instead focus on the flexible structuring of floorplates and the creation of a range of work settings for different forms of work make acoustic and visual privacy more important than ever before.

ong before we became fully aware of large open plan offices and the BĂźrolandschaft and adopted them as the default design standard for modern workplace, generously proportioned floorplans exhibited the useful characteristics of being both adaptable and multi-functional. Anything architectural in its scale is largely immutable, fixed and impossible to adapt to the different uses asked of modern organisations, so fixed barriers in the workplace can quickly constrain its use. This is just one reason why workplaces as diverse as monastic writing rooms, Hanseatic trading posts and writing pools have adopted large rooms to deal with such inflexibility. As it is in a library, the quiet sharing of space makes it easy for people to work and ensures that the space itself is as flexible as it can be. The desire to create separate rooms was a response to the clatter of typewriters

and then computer keyboards, phones and the general backdrop of noise associated with modern workplaces. Employees became understandably and increasingly agitated with the noise, incessant interruptions, the unabated need to communicate with others and the constant call to join some new project team or other. Meanwhile, life itself had become more nomadic in response to greater access to modern forms of communication and technology, and the backlash against the static work and lifestyle of the past was complete. What was once a Chinese wall has now become something more prosaic; a simple screen or partition. Sedus offers a range of solutions to help define space that are both multi-functional and flexible as well as creating a visually attractive and even playful acoustic solution.

viswall

A linear space divider, viswall is a system offering exceptional acoustic and visual privacy which can also be specified in a polyester finish. Each of the slats can be rotated through 360 degrees so users can choose their own level of privacy. This means they can decide for themselves what level of confidentiality or solitude they need for the task in hand. By moving the floor tiles as needed, spaces can be reconfigured and new zones created to ensure exactly the right balance of privacy and openness. Find out more about Sedus viswall.

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viswing

Transparent and easy to use, the elements of viswing all for simple zoning and the ability change quickly. The threedimensional sail-like structure enhances its visual appeal. The panels are curved and fixed to a base plate and are made from a tensioned fabric membrane on a plastic frame. This gives the systems its attractive moirĂŠ effect. Because viswing is translucent it offers visual privacy without totally blocking out light. Depending on need or preference, the sail can be positioned in either a horizontal or vertical position. Find out more about Sedus viswing.

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acoustic wall

A solid way to create a room within a room or create visual privacy, the acoustic wall system offers understated yet outstanding acoustic performance. Not only that, the panels can be used as works of art because it is possible to high quality print images and motifs on the textile upholstery. The design is as well-resolved as you would expect from Sedus with fastenings that allow the rapid installation and replacement of panels. The sound absorbent core of the screens is perfectly aligned with the frame and a number of elements can be joined together using simple fastenings. Guaranteed to free your ears of the ringing, rattling, chatter and footsteps.

Partitions

Timeless in design, sturdy in construction and flexible in function, Sedus partitions are equally suitable used as room dividers, angled walls or in more complex configurations. And the system is easy to change too. Available in a range of different heights and widths, each element can work as a standalone partition or in configurations of three or four. They can even work in conjunction with workstations, providing a third level of space above the desk for storage and organisational accessories. A selection of feet adds to their multi-functionality. Single screens are even available on casters. The panels can be finished in either upholstered or glazed options.

Find our more about Sedus acoustic wall.

Find out more about Sedus partitions

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MISCELLANY Historical perspective Sedus

No 9/14

Historical perspective The human oriented office with the ‘Contact System’

ven as the 1970s saw a surge of interest in the open plan office, the creative minds at Gesika (which became part of Sedus Stoll Group in 2002) were thinking about how such workplaces could become more user-friendly. The result was a room within a room, the human centred Contact System, which allowed large spaces to be defined and zoned flexibly. The result is a gently fluid aesthetic without angles or edges, everything is softened and curved. The

design also meant its use was not restricted to new buildings, but also to refurbished older offices. Just as it is today, the commercial property market of forty years ago was replete with buildings that were not entirely fit for the needs of contemporary organisations, with at least half of the available floorspace out of step with the most recent technological developments. Then, as now, the most simple and elegant solution was to apply a modular design as a way of integrating

different job functions and working spaces and introducing meeting areas into open plan spaces. Of course, the drivers of change are not the same as they were in the past. Back in the day, the goal was to integrate the ladies from the typing pool into departments. Today we are witnessing the introduction of lounge spaces, breakout areas and meeting rooms to supplement and free up traditional workstations. But the core principles and the need for flexibility have endured. ◆

LIVES The Suntory-Moment No 9/14

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The SuntoryMoment

Yatte Minahare (go for it!) is the maxim that has driven Shinjiro Torii throughout his entire working life.

Whisky from Japan

B y Á l va ro R u i z d e l R e a l

An old Scottish legend tells of a band of Celtic warriors who sheltered in a cave from a storm and began to brew ale. The steam from the fermenting barley condensed on the cave ceiling and dripped back into the kettle. The rough men tried it and were immediately hooked. The shouted its name aloud: uisge-beatha! Water of life! These warriors could never have dreamt that hundreds of years later a young visionary on a remote island in the Far East would one day produce a refined version of that drink that would be described by experts as one of the best whiskies in the world.

he final years of the 19th Century were a time of particular social upheaval in Japan. The country’s modernisation was accelerated by a transition from feudalism and the foreign-influenced reduction in the power afforded the Emperor. Shinjiro Torii was born into a typiacal sort of family in the city of Osaka. At the age of 13 he began work as an apprentice in a store where he learned to mix different types of sake, Japan's national drink. Always curious about new things, as Japanese markets opened up to foreign trade over time he

learned more and more about wines and spirits, developing an astonishing palate and sense of smell that earned him the nickname ‘The Nose of Osaka’. For some very good reasons, Shinjiro became one of those men synonymous with the new era, a modern Japanese man with the drive and desire to explore the wonders of the outside world. When he was just 20, in 1899, he had already been working in the trade for a number of years. It was during this time that he came up with the idea of finding ways of adapting foreign drinks to appeal to

Japanese tastes. Eight years later, in 1907, he began selling his own port, which went on to become hugely popular and successful. That sort of success was never going to be enough for such an entrepreneurial spirit and Shinjiro had big and revolutionary plans. Shortly before the outbreak of the First World War, Shinjiro had decided to store a number of different spirits in old wine barrels then forgotten about them. When he discovered these some years later, his natural curiosity took over and he tried the contents. What he found came as a revelation. He discovered just how important the process of maturation was for the drinks and became fascinated by its science and secrets. It became his life’s work, whatever it took and whatever the odds, to develop the perfect blend of whisky that would appeal to Japanese tastes. ▸▸

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INFORMATION Pioneer of corporate social responsibility Shinjiro Torii (1879-1962) believed that it was important for an organisation to pay something back into its community so, right from the beginning, he invested heavily in social projects. That is why the Suntory business is seen as a pioneer of social and cultural investment. The firm’s has developed its own museum of art which boasts an extensive collection of Japanese art, the Suntory Concert Hall, a whisky museum, old people’s homes, and a range of other initiatives.

Commitment to water As part of its commitment to sustainability, Suntory sets stringent targets for water conservation. This is not purely altruistic as the firm uses water as one of its main raw materials. It does however add extra credibility to its CSR initiatives. The projects involved

The young Shinjiro Torii was obsessed with the blending of whisky from the very beginning.

include educating future generations, to more immediate initiatives such as the conservation of forests and protection of water sources.

Suntory Limited Today Suntory Holdings Ltd is a multi-national business with interests in a range of industries from soft

First steps towards making the dream real

drinks, wines and spirits to flowers. It owns vineyards in France, distilleries in Scotland, a worldwide logistics business for drinks and much more.

However the directors of the company he had founded in Kotobukiya in 1921 were totally opposed to the idea, convinced he was jeopardising the future of the business and so unanimously advised him to jettison the whole idea. Shinjiro, however, was fully committed to the project and nobody was capable of holding him back from turning his vision into reality. He stayed true to his motto Yatte Minahare (Go for it!) and much to the dismay of his advisers, took on the project personally and invested all of the firm’s assets in the

construction of a distillery. The choice of location was key, because the quality of a whisky depends on the water used in its production. After a long search, Shinjiro opted for a particular part of the Yamakazi Valley, which marked the confluence of three rivers on the outskirts of the great imperial city of Kyoto. This place was deemed suitable for both its climate and the abundance of natural water; perfect for the distillation of a superior whisky. The natural springs from the bamboo forest were the decisive factor in the production of a drink that would meet the exacting standards of Shinjiro Torii.

LIVES The Suntory-Moment No 9/14

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The dream turns into a nightmare? In 1924, work on the distillery was complete and production began that December. Despite a slightly discouraging start and several perhaps inevitable mishaps along the way, Shinjiro’s resolve only grew stronger and he decided what he needed to finish the job was an experienced whisky distiller from Scotland itself. Unfortunately he could find nobody matching those requirements willing to take on the job, so he turned to a young man by the name of Masataka Taketsuru who had worked in a Scottish distillery where he had bagged quite a few tricks of the trade. Together, they succeeded in producing Suntory Shirofuda (White Label) in 1929, the first ever true Japanese malt whisky. Shinjiro had achieved what he had always been told was impossible. Even so, the market treated the product with disdain. It seemed as if Shinjiro had backed the wrong horse, but he was not a man to be deterred by such a setback. If the market for Japanese whisky didn’t exist, he would just have to create it. For nearly ten years, the distillery ceased production while the founder devoted himself like a latter day alchemist to the task of creating the perfect drink. And that is exactly what he did in 1937 with the launch of Suntory KAKUBIN (the whisky in the square bottle). Now nothing could stop Suntory and its plans. Yatte Minahare.

and entrepreneurial spirit. This may seem paradoxical but the end of the war propelled Japan into the modern age and established a more open political system and society. The American forces of occupation brought with them a democratic constitution, the Emperor lost his status as a God and the American form of capitalism found a foothold. It was the perfect breeding ground for pioneers like Shinjiro Torii. Bit by bit, innovations were introduced to the market that raised the bar ever higher. In 1950, the company launched Suntory OLD, which James Bond drinks in both the book and movie of You Only Live Twice. In 1955, Suntory opened its first bars, especially developed for the lifestyle of the

Japanese people in major cities such as Tokyo and Osaka. During the 1960s, Shinjiro handed control of the business over to his son, the beer business was strengthened and the firm became the undisputed market leader.

Change and new ideas In 1973, to mark the 50th anniversary of the company and to honour his father, Keizo Saji commissioned the construction of a second distillery to produce single malt whisky ie one that originates from just one distillery. Built amongst the forests of the so-called Japanese Alps, the new distillery is the highest in the world. ▸▸

HOW TO MIX A GREAT ‘MIZUWARI’ (WHISKY AND WATER) Suntory whisky should be drunk as Mizuwari Mixing with water releases the aromas so the full flavour can be appreciated. 1. Fill a glass with ice. 2. Add the required amount of whisky and stir thirteen and a half times.

The great leap forward

3. Top up the ice.

And then the Second World War arrived, supplies dried up and the distillery was forced to halt production once more. With wartime defeat came the overthrow of Japan’s conservative elite, an opportunity like no other for those with an open mind

4. Add twice as much mineral water as whisky, stir two and half times, gently.

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The success of Suntory whisky is down in large measure to the exceptional quality of the water used in its distillation.

Inside the Suntory Hakushu whisky distilley.

LIVES The Suntory-Moment No 9/14

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The distillery was built by Yamazaki on the outskirts of Kyoto. The waters of this place were revered back in the 16th century by one the most important masters of the tea ceremony Senno Rikyu.

In addition, the company became the first to employ foreigners to market its products. The marketing strategy of Suntory demands an article in its own right but here we can focus on just three seminal campaigns including: ‘Let’s drink Torys and go to Hawaii’ which the Japanese people took to their hearts and so contributed greatly to the success of Suntory bars; a campaign with Sammy Davis Jr, one of the most well known in Japanese television history and still easy to find on the Internet; and a series of ads with major Hollywood stars including Sean Connery and Francis

Ford Coppola, whose daughter would later go on to direct Lost in Translation, a film which features a hero who drinks Suntory. All that is left is to conquer the world, and even that is already well under way. Since 2003, whiskies from Suntory have competed for prizes alongside some of the finest and best known in the world. Suntory is seen by whisky lovers as a prestige brand. Of that there can be no doubt. The dream of a visionary man once seen as totally crazy has, over the course of just three generations, come to fruition.

Ninety years ago, Shinjiro Torii could not find a Scottish expert to blend his whisky and his project was on the brink of failure. But he stayed resolute and now the Scots who travel to Japan to see with their own eyes what makes Suntory whisky so successful. Shinjiro would be pleased, at least for a short time. But soon he would set a new goal and start work again. Yatte Minahare! ◆

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SYNOPSIS No 9/14

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Synopsis

IDEAS

Mobile structures in the office

Space dividers that offer flexibility and ease of use Page 58

The trend towards higher space densities is coming to its conclusion and in its place we

Lounge furniture sweetspot

are seeing greater emphasis on the flexible

The elegant life at work

structuring of space and creation of different

Page 52

zones to offer greater acoustic and visual privacy.

The designer Judith Daur has created a family of products that includes lounge chairs and two types of table. sweetspot creates an ambience

News, Tips & Trends

for both private work and laid-back communica-

A colourful mix of ideas and news on the theme of this issue

tion at the same time.

CASE STUDY

Page 26

A selction of stories and inspirational products to help us all make the world fairer, more beautiful and practical. Visionary ideas. that can help to transform our everyday lives.

Historical perspective

The human oriented office with the ‘contact system’

Striking the balance between collaboration and concentration

Up and away

The modular storage system terri tory

Vodafone Campus in Düsseldorf and Vodafone Village in Milan

Page 61

Page 55

Page 16

As long ago as the 1970s, as the open plan office

A broad range of product elements, finishes

Two major new headquarters for the global

started to become the de facto choice for space

and materials creates an extensive choice of

telecoms giant offer a unique architectural

planners, a group of creative thinkers at Gesika

products for contemporary flexible workplaces

vision based around green building techniques

were considering how to make the new environ-

as a way of creating receptions, waiting areas,

and an interior design that exemplifies the

ments more human friendly. The resultant ‘Contact

lounges, break-out spaces, meeting rooms and

implementation of Place 2.5 principles and

System’ offered a modular and flexible solution.

private work rooms.

realises their benefits.

SYNOPSIS No 9/14

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KNOWLEDGE

MINDS

Communication in virtual space

Telepresence systems and their impact on the way we will work tomorrow The fine line between vision and Utopia

Page 34

Prof. Dr. Frรถhlich and his team at the Bauhaus

To have or have not

An interview with the Japanese architect Terunobu Fujimori

What is sharing?

Page 08

development of optical telepresence systems. We

Page 38

Terunobu Fujimori is one of the world's most

look at the implications of technology that will allow

The idea of sharing is becoming something of

unique modern architects. He is critical of his

people to meet in virtual rooms.

an art form. Nowadays we are sharing far more

contemporaries and the circus that surrounds them

than knowledge and experiences with each other

and offers his own alternative vision. In Europe he

but also a wide range of goods and services.

became widely known for his work at the Japanese

This not only saves us money but is great for the

Pavilion of the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2006.

environment and has a number of social benefits.

We talk to him about his work and his vision of

For online sharing platforms, it can also be a very

architecture as a discipline that treads the fine line

profitable way of making money.

between what is practical and what is Utopian.

University in Weimar, Germany are exploring the

LIVES

Co-working Spaces

The future of work

The Suntory moment

A phenomenon on the brink

Whisky from Japan

Page 44

More freedom and more complexity, but what about accountability?

Already springing up all over the world, shared

Seite 28

As the Japanese Empire opened up to the outside

workplaces are transforming the way we

We take for granted the changes that the

world at the end of the 19th Century, it was

perceive office life. Particularly suited to small

information age drives in our daily lives.

subjected to a number of foreign influences.

businesses, freelancers and start-ups who enjoy

Traditional structures are withering or combining

One of them was the love of whisky which has

fixed costs by only using the space they need but

in new ways in response to technological

ultimately led to Suntory Whisky becoming one

also have a chance to share ideas and services

advances. So where is it all taking us and how

of the world's best. We explore the vision of the

by networking with potential partners. We offer

can we maintain control over our own destinies

founder Shinjiro Torii and his commitment to

an international perspective.

as both individuals and organisations?

create one of the world's most succesful distillers.

page 62

INFORMATION AND CONTACTS No 9/14

Sedus

No 9/14 Visions

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The „attention“ table system and „swing up“ task seating Contact details can be found on page 70 or online at www.sedus.com