ARCHELLO YOUR CONNECTION WITH ARCHITECTURE

“People spend most of their time at work. So I’m convinced that new office concepts have to differ greatly from what we are already familiar with.
To achieve this, I have placed the individual at the focus of my planning. My goal of giving people a work environment where they feel at home is based on the popular “home office” situation. This gave rise to the “office home”, designed to stimulate people’s senses and meet their needs.
The result is an absolutely positive attitude to work and motivation on the part of the staff. Work becomes an -integral part of life and is fun.
I can achieve this with modest means. To stimulate the senses and increase the staff’s motivation, communication and creativity, there is the company-specific spatial concept, which provides for many different, optional types of work – and then there is appropriate, supportive and flexible lighting, and the selective use of materials and colour.”

Statement Caroline Strazzabosco, architect


Following the method “practice what you preach”, new approaches are taking shape within the organisation as well. The design of its new head office in Munich achieved a more dynamic reorganisation of the total office space. No team member has a permanent workstation; each can select an available place every morning. This promotes more openness, team spirit and flexibility.
States project manager Caroline Strazzabosco: “We are providers of innovative office concepts in a fast-moving world, so we always have to be flexible in responding to our clients. This is something we also want to experience ourselves through our own work within our organisation. And apart from anything else, our office is meant to be a prime showpiece for clients.”
Of course, in such a complex work environment the lighting solution faces a particular challenge and must be capable of meeting the various demands. Zumtobel has found a solution in close co-operation with DEGW which puts the individual at the focus of operations, while optimally solving the issue of energy efficiency via daylight-based control. The reception area is lit by 2Light downlights, which cast fascinating silhouettes onto the white built-in cupboards. Starflex optical fibres have been integrated into the display cabinets. The result: light without heat.
The trump card is held by the installed Luxmate Emotion -lighting management system: the electric drawers can be closed from a control panel, so staff members have the possibility of safekeeping their documents. Continuous-row recessed Slotlights without frames demonstrate that light can be generated without elaborate or expensive luminaires. Unobtrusively integrated into the ceiling as a light ribbon, they meet the various lighting requirements via the Luxmate lighting -management system. Light Field clusters have been installed in the task areas to meet all the demands of modern-day -computer workstations. So-called focus boxes are available for concentrated work. Illumination is a combination of lighting coves and accents cast by 2light miniature downlights, providing functional light while enhancing the subtle atmosphere of the office.

Text : Kerstin Schitthelm