Club Office - modern concepts for the teams of tomorrow
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The office as a place to cooperation
While the entire (work) world had to shift down a gear in the corona pandemic, Vitra was thinking through the next step: what comes after social distancing and home office? The Swiss furniture designer Vitra sees our future in the Club Office. But what at all does this rather general term signify?
It was not until 2020 that our ideas about everyday office life, work-life balance and teamwork changed. New Work has been a household name for a long time; Globalization and digitisation are an integral part of our modern working world; but it was only the pandemic that reshuffled the cards in terms of office culture. Familiar cooperation processes were suddenly no longer possible and had to adapt to completely new conditions.
In the past, the office was automatically the place to meet - space for short, spontaneous meetings as well as for large, cross-departmental meetings - it suddenly became necessary to reduce all contacts to a minimum. Fortunately, modern technologies were already in the starting blocks and the new era of collaboration became a reality in 2020. New work now means: undisturbed work in the home office, freshly cooked lunch during the lunch break, practically no commuting (and certainly no rush hour), but also video calls ... and video calls and video calls.
Despite the many possibilities of digitization, the question of collaboration arose in the home office. More than ever, strategies were needed to communicate with one another and to advance projects together. The Club Office, Vitra's new office concept, is a perfect symbiosis of the practical advantages of the home office and the most important prerequisites for good teamwork.
No more home office? - 5 reasons for the office
On account of the corona pandemic, many companies had to rethink and send their employees to home office. Many employees were happy about the move to a more flexible working environment, and some employers also discovered advantages in the decentralized office concept.
According to a survey of 1200 companies by the Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft (IW), a third are planning to enable their employees to work more from home even after the Corona crisis, for example the career network Xing. And if digital technology enables work without long commutes and high rental costs, why should employees still come to the office?
1. Communication
To quickly confirm something, take a look at the new design together - in the office the exchange information is more direct than by e-mail, telephone or video call.
2. Spontaneity
Sometimes you first have to meet over coffee in the tea kitchen to understand how the challenges in the new project should be approached
3. Support
The new task is bewildering and then this advice-intensive customer keeps calling ... What could be better than an encouraging word from your favourite colleague at the next desk?
4. Motivation
The way from bed to desk in the home office is simply too short to really get going. If possible, it is better to cycle a few kilometres to the office instead. While in the tidy office environment concentration is activated and motivation comes almost by itself.
5. Ergonomics
Comfortable office chair, height-adjustable table, enough space, enough light ... Who has that in his or her home office?
New Work, Coworking, Home Office, Club Office ... or: How do we want to work in the future
Our working world has changed continuously over recent past decades. As a reaction to the challenges of the new, globalized and digitized framework, the term New Work was created. Innovative companies rely on flexibility, freedom and the needs of the individual in their personnel management. In place of rigid hierarchies and control, there is trust and agile work. In order to reduce long distances, to make concentration easier or to equalize working hours in favour of childcare, more and more employees are making use of the home office (temporarily).
On the other hand, many self-employed people who traditionally work at home are looking for the way outside and renting coworking spaces, where they find a community as well as a workplace. Connected cafés, football tables and lounge zones create a relaxed setting for making contact with one another and exchanging ideas with like-minded people.
In 2020, the social distancing paradigm of the corona pandemic turned everything upside down and questioned old patterns. In many areas, a form of remote work has become the new normal.
But do we really want to work alone at home all the time and communicate mainly via video conference? Do we have to rethink New Work? Companies have the opportunity to shape their future working conditions themselves. Vitra's approach to modern work design is the Club Office. In the spatial concept, the modern office functions as a meeting point, as a magnet for employees, as a place where we want to work (together) in a targeted manner.
The new teamwork - the 6 pillars of the Club Office
According to the motto, my team is my club, the “club office” concept is all about social interaction and teamwork. The office is primarily a place of work, but explicitly not a place of control. This is where work is most noticeable, but the focus is on individual needs and the special requirements for successful cooperation. The key question is: How should a room be designed that creates a feeling of home, belonging and identity? And that promotes cooperation and innovation? This results in 6 pillars on which the workspace design is based:
Checklist Teamwork
Collaboration
Where can we work together?
Home
What do we need to feel at ease?
Sense of belonging
How do we become part of the project, the team, the company?
Community
How can we create something together?
Identity
What unites us?
Inspiration
How can we get creative?
The Club Office concept - the office that can do everything
When Vitra designs furniture it is usually integrated into an interior concept; especially in the office area, where designs are designed for specific application situations and, as workspace designs, are often first planned, tested and, so to speak, made ready for series production at Vitra. This is also the case with the Club Office concept, with which Vitra has designed the office as a platform and provides impetus for a very modern form of collaboration.
Vitra is in tune with the times. Because 2020 has impressively proven that not everyone has to be in one place to work together. The exceptional year also showed us how important social interaction and public life are. As a survey by the Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft (IW) shows, 17 percent of the 1200 companies surveyed want to convert their offices as a result of the changed working conditions caused by the Corona crisis and, for example, want to use more space for communication instead of group offices in the future.
In the search for an office landscape that enables the flexible use of public, communal meeting points as well as peace and quiet, the Club Office was created. The new office concept from Vitra is made up of different areas that can be individually designed according to the needs of a company or organization.
PUBLIC
This is where the heart or identity of the company is located. In addition to zones for cross-team and spontaneous activities, external visitors are welcomed in the public area. The interior design should clearly show what defines the company - and convince.
SEMI-PUBLIC
In the semi-public area there should be enough space for common but concentrated work. People meet here for, for example, meetings and workshops.
PRIVATE
As a counterpart to the open areas, the private, closed zones are indispensable. They serve as a retreat, place of concentration or for working on protected projects. The home office can also be used for this.
The club of satisfied employees
From cubicle to desk sharing, office landscapes have taken on new forms over the decades. Just as the world of work changed, so did swivel chairs, desks and entire office concepts. Vitra has not only been equipping companies all over the world with high-quality office furniture for over 50 years, but as a pioneer in interior design has always been driving the conceptual ideas behind it.
The mission behind the Club Office is now dedicated to teamwork, and puts the identity of the company as well as personal requirements for a positive workplace at the centre of the workspace design. Based on the vision of the management and the strategic direction, an office landscape is created that matches the corporate philosophy and can do much more than efficiently organize computer workstations.
Establish your own club - in 4 steps to a Club Office
1. User workshop
Which work processes and workflows require which areas and application zones? An interior design guideline is developed that forms the planning basis for the individual Club Office.
2. Space Types
Which elements belong in which areas? A community table, library and bar are essential for the public area as communicative zones. In the semi-public area, in addition to meeting and workshop rooms, a town hall and workplaces in the garden ensure the upgrade from office to Club Office.
3. Mood board
Which colours and materials best reflect the company's identity? Before furniture is selected, the style of the interior design is first worked out.
4. Furniture
Which furniture is suitable for implementing the club concept? In addition to classic office furniture, sofas and various other high and low seating options should not be missing in a modern office landscape. In addition, special furniture and utensils should be provided for workshops and meetings.
More inspiration?
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The Vitra Club Office as e-paper:
PDF DownloadIndividual furnishing planning with smow
Together with you we would like to design spatial office solutions and planning approaches for your Club Office. In cooperation with our architects and interior designers, we will supervise your project from conception to implementation, so that you can continue to work productively and relaxed in the future. Our smow office project planning department is available from Monday to Friday between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. at 0341 2222 88 66 or via email at project@smow.com.