What functions should an office space perform in a world transitioning to a hybrid work model? How should it be adapted to employees? Ofisovnia studio's latest project seeks to answer these questions.
The latest realization of the Ofisovnia studio located in Katowice was made for Eurofins GSC IT Poland - a company belonging to the international Eurofins group, which deals with laboratory research. The work space was primarily intended to respond to the changes in work culture caused by the COVID-19 pandemic , as well as to create the atmosphere of a friendly place. Nearly 120 people are expected to work in the office.
One of several conference rooms
© Ofisovnia
The new Eurofins GSC IT office is a combination of business elegance and a cozy, warm interior, stimulating the exchange of ideas, creativity and cooperation in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. The office breaks down the boundaries between formal and informal business meetings, offering employees and visitors a flexible work environment ideal for interaction, focused work, as well as relaxation. It is also a reflection of the company's identity and culture, which is characterized by openness, knowledge exchange and a large number of spontaneous meetings. Katarzyna Lubera-Zelazko, co-CEO of Ofisovni, explains the office concept.
interior
The designers tried to refer to the lounge and mid-century modern style - the interior is supposed to evoke emotions associated with a restaurant or café, a place where we meet with friends. The office consists of thirteen rooms for project teams, four conference rooms, focus rooms, two kitchens and a coworking area.
smaller kitchen
© Ofisovnia
The dominant feature of the reception area is the exposed plumbing, giving the interior an industrial feel. The space was filled with tall, green plants. The furnishings, kept in light, beige colors, correspond with the rest of the interior elements.
reception
© Ofisovnia
Thecenter of the office is a multifunctional coworking area, connected to a dining room and kitchen. The space is also intended to be a place for meetings and corporate events. The floor is laid with panels in a chevron pattern. The dominant color scheme in the room is bottle green, which can be found on the walls, ceiling and kitchen. Decorations with herons located on one of the walls were kept in a similar color scheme. Green plants were placed above the kitchen island.
coworking area
© Ofisovnia
An important element of the office was to create a flexible space that facilitates working conditions. The coworking space provides employees with the opportunity to choose where to carry out their tasks in the place that suits them best. It is also equipped with ergonomic furniture, such as desks with electric height adjustment, allowing for sit-stand work.
coworking room
© Ofisovnia
ecological functionality
When designing the office space, Ofisovnia studio decided to make it in a way that would be least disruptive to the environment. Existing elements such as walls, doors and ceilings were adapted. Conventional lighting was replaced with LED lighting throughout the office, and all household appliances used in the kitchens are energy-efficient. Drinking water dispensers were also placed in the office, allowing the reduction of plastic.
corridor
© Ofisovnia
When selecting a location for the new office, we analyzed several office spaces under consideration for the new development together with Eurofins, which has responsible environmental policies coded in its DNA. Taking into account the possibility of reusing existing arrangements and furnishings (both directly, as well as in terms of how they could be modified and adapted to our initial concept), we selected the space that best fit the objectives of the new project. Creating a space plan that took into account the previously defined goals of the organization and the needs of individual groups of employees (such as the way of moving around the company, the specifics of the work of a particular department, etc.), we tried to maximize the potential of the existing space. As a result of the design process carried out in this way, we created an office design in which as much as 70% of the layout left behind by the previous tenant remained intact, which significantly contributed to the reduction of waste already at the first stage of the investment. - explains architect Tomasz Zelazko.
conference room
© Ofisovnia
climate
The Katowice office of Eurofins GSC IT Poland, designed by Ofisovnia studio, is characterized primarily by an attempt to approach the office space as a place that creates the atmosphere of a social gathering. References to lounge style and mid-century modern create the impression of a friendly space - especially in the coworking room, where the decor dominated by bottle green is calming. The result is a work-friendly place that is completely different from the classic office image.
