Drees & Sommer is consolidating its expertise in new work environments – from conception to implementation – at its New Work Hub in Munich. Following remodeling in April 2021, the company’s own regional office is also ready  for the future of work.

A team of Drees & Sommer specialists for New Work – User-Centric  Consulting & Design – got down to work in December 2019. Their mission was to give the New Work Hub a home base by creating an attractive future-proof  work environment for their 250-odd colleagues at the Munich regional office.  It also served as a further pilot project to trial the design guidelines for Drees & Sommer offices, following completion in 2018 of the award-winning DS HUB in Dreso City in Stuttgart.

‘Every user needs a small town.’ That’s the principle on which the experts base the workplace concept when redesigning office space. Like in a town, a range of people with different qualifications and identities come together for mutual  inspiration and to learn from each other. And, just as in a real town, relationships should develop naturally. Ensuring comprehensive networking of people and places requires the strategic planning of neighboring communities and skillful design of traffic routes. The focus is on mixed use and promoting diversity.

If you walk around the ‘town’ at Geisenhauser Strasse 17, you will discover  areas with different designs. The approach focuses above all on the added value of shared spaces – common areas for collaboration and communication –  with a market square and numerous conference and meeting rooms. But there are also places for concentrated work, such as the library and a range of  different focus rooms – plus the Pocket Park, the kiosks, the studio, and the  garage. These can all be booked for different functions depending on the time of day – and serve to promote team spirit.

The overall concept thrives on the interplay of strong contrasts and the choice of workplaces. That’s why the connecting areas between the rooms are not simply corridors, but also accommodate such features as the material library, lockers, and communication areas.

Day-to-day work is simplified by digital tools and technologies. Rooms can be booked by app, and the utilization of workplaces can be digitally tracked  and evaluated. The lighting is equipped with sensor beacons and each zone can be individually controlled.

Every module defined in the Drees & Sommer Office Design Guideline has been realized at least once in the Bavarian regional office. Throughout the four construction stages, experts for New Work were supported by colleagues from Construction Management, Engineering, and IT, making the remodeling a true One Company project.