Issue 24

Crowdworking: The space and dreams of the new way of working.

Pets@work: My colleague with the cold snout.

Who is Who: Atelier Heiss.

Visiting the Sky-Campus in West London. What space does innovation need?...... 4 Crowdworking: The space and dreams of the new way of working ...... 7 How sitting next to the right person can increase productivity ...... 10 Reference story – new TÜV AUSTRIA campus ������������������������������������������12 Useful things for everyday office life ...... 15 An introduction with Fit@Work ...... 16 the “bow-wow effect”! Who is Who: Christian Heiss ...... 18 Visiting the Sky-Campus in West London...... 20 The technical possibilities that the digital age offers What's on your desk, Markus Spatzier?...... 23 are always fascinating. Everyone could theoretically do Pets@work: My colleague with the cold snout ����������������������������������������24 their office job from anywhere on earth – video confer- ences and emails etc. all make this possible. Is this the Showroom...... 26 end of the good old office? However, the US IT giant IBM is bringing thousands of its employees working from home back into the office! The reason: creativity and innovation thrive much more in the togetherness of communal spaces than in solitude at home. In a special interview, knowledge and innovation architect Carina Trapl from theLivingCore tells us how intrinsi- cally spaces, thoughts and knowledge are linked. Also in this issue of contact we will be looking at the theme New Work, culminating in a hotly debated cover story: “The space and dreams of the new way of working”. The story includes an exciting analysis of the new ways of working, coworking and crowdworking. Continu- ing on, you can take a deep breathe with fitness tips for desk workers, find out why our cold-nosed colleagues can cause a real “bow-wow effect” within the company and how sitting next to the right person can increase productivity. We then take a look at the desk of a truly unique fashion designer and visit the Sky campus in West London, where we discover a heaven on earth.

Enjoy!

Markus Wiesner

Publisher: Wiesner-Hager Möbel GmbH, Linzer Straße 22, A-4950 Altheim, T +43/(0)7723/460-0, [email protected], www.wiesner-hager.com; Design/Editing: Wiesner-Hager, plenos creative; Layout: plenos creative; guest author: Wojciech Czaja; typing and printing errors reserved; 04/2017. Office Concepts

How would you describe theLivingCore?

Trapl: We call ourselves knowledge and innovation architects and thus compare ourselves to architects. Before architects build a new house, they try to find out how people would like to live in this house. The What space does house should reflect their needs. When working with organisations, we go one step further. We don’t limit ourselves to the physical space. Instead, we first analyse how the organisation aims to “function” in the future innovation need? to be successful. Then we design spaces that help the organisation to shape their future.

For Carina Trapl from the Vienna-based knowledge and innovation architects, theLivingCore, one thing How is your team put together?

is for certain: thinking and work processes and spaces are intrinsically linked and can stimulate or Trapl: We are a very inter-disciplinary team with a curb innovation within the company. We met up with her to get her views on working environments. background in landscaping, IT, general management and cognitive science as well as innovation research, fashion and product design.

And yourself?

Trapl: I’m originally an interpreter, translator and Organisational and communication coach and I am currently studying cultural space cognitive science at Vienna University. I am particu- Social space The lived company larly interested in which (communicative) environ- How we interact culture, routines and ments promote the development of new knowledge. with each other, the processes. social togetherness. How much influence do you think a space can have?

Trapl: It can be summed up in one sentence: “Every- thing that we design in turn designs us back”. That Knowledge space means: what I produce does not exist independently How can we gain from myself. By using a space, the space does some- (new) knowledge? thing to me. By changing the world, we change Architectural Enabling What assumptions ourselves. And vice versa. Therefore, it's important space is it based on? How that I am aware of why I am creating spaces as the The space itself, does the organisation space can have repercussions – being either a help or a the building treat the knowledge hindrance. itself. process? Spaces What is the main concern for your customers? © theLivingCore Trapl: Our customers would like a new office or they would like to become more innovative. Both of these fields often come hand-in-hand and our customers realise that they actually need both. Innovation tends Technological & not to favour airless spaces. It needs an environment virtual space that enables innovation. The design of virtual collaboration plat- Cognitive & What does an environment that promotes innovation Carina Trapl forms, IT-support for emotional space look like? Knowledge and innova- work processes. Thoughts and emotions tion architect Trapl: That mostly depends on the company. And, which interact with theLivingCore, Vienna importantly, we call it an environment because most each other.

4 contact contact 5 © theLivingCore Office Concepts Office Concepts

people automatically think of four walls when talking Desk sharing and the clean desk policy are controversial about a space. Innovation environments, however, do trends in the world of office space planning at the mo- not start and end with the physical space. It’s all about ment. What are your thoughts? “enabling spaces” [Figure on page 4]! Architecture plays a huge role in these spaces but just as important Trapl: I’m more critical of these trends as they are The space and dreams are the social, organisational, cultural, virtual, cogni- often just cosmetic and not customised and adapted tive and emotional dimensions. It is mainly about to the organisation. An example: a rigid clean desk integrating these spaces into one whole space and policy prevents, for example, creative work as, for keeping them in “good tension”. This is different for this, we need visual and haptic “mind anchors”. If the of the new way of every company. office is too clean, this hinders the creative process as we almost always have to begin our thoughts “from How do you bring these buzz words to scratch”. What’s more is, the office is a life? place of identity. If personal items are working. prohibited at the work place, you lose an Trapl: The first step is to analyse the The element of identity. And what employer organisation in all of these dimensions office of the would want that? and define, for a future perspective, future is a The term “New Work” was coined 33 years ago. But what has become of it today? The range of new how it should function in all of these What does the office of the future look like in ways of working stretches from coworking to crowdworking – and both ends of the spectrum are polar dimensions. your eyes? place of opposites. A topical analysis. What does this kind of process look like in identity Trapl: I think the “founding myth” of practice? in a diverse coworking spaces already contains the idea of the office of the future: identity Trapl: In the analysis phase, we initially and creative in diversity and creative meetings. The run interviews with relevant stake hold- meeting. reason: when I think about it, why I go to It’s not the work that makes people unhappy, it’s the “New Work has been around for a while” writes Wolf ers following one of our own developed an office, even when I’m not obliged to do lies that we are told about it”, writes the German Lotter in an article for the German economy maga- ©GettyImages methods. We also conduct ethno- so, to be on-site at 8 a.m., it mostly comes work psychologist and coach, Volker Kitz in his new zine, brand eins. The current March issue dedicates graphic observations. Of course, we also down to interpersonal reasons – to meet book “Feierabend!” [Home Time!] (the exclamation almost 100 pages to the key issue of New Work. “We look at the company strategy and the requirements of somebody, exchange ideas, work on a project together can be understood as shouting). “Work exists in our are looking for a meaning, a culture, a setting for a future space. From that we then develop a strategic – it’s always down to a collaborative creation process. minds as an idea, an ideal. The reality of the work something that has already become a reality. This is “core process model” which serves as a blueprint for all Therefore I'd say that the office is becoming more of day does not live up to our expectation. It disap- characteristic of our time – and it also explains the following measures (organisational measures, spatial a meeting place. It's actually about something really points us, and we suffer”. In Germany alone, explains unease and many contradictions that occur between measures etc.). The core process model in concrete poetic. Kitz, 30 million people suffer from a lack of passion the work and the way in which it is organised and spaces is implemented together with architects and at work and feel frustrated as a result. It we look at how it is done! “With the New Work term”, accord- with the close involvement of employees. And one last question: in this issue we’re also looking at Austria, the number lies in the region of two to three ing to Lotter, it is “less about utopias and visions and crowdworking. What do you think? Can crowdworking million employees. more about a rational analysis”. To what extent do you take on the work of architects? stimulate a company's innovative capacity? To combat this rife dissatisfaction with the work Trapl: We define “space typologies” which aim to Trapl: Actually it’s precisely the opposite. Crowd- day, which, despite all expectations, is anything but a Around 21 percent more new digital jobs. support the core process, that is the future way of workers usually provide the creative input such as modern phenomenon, Austrian-American phi- It can be summed up with figures: jobs which are working, of the company. Depending on the customer design or text. If a company is reliant on crowdwork- losopher Frithjof Bergmann came up with the term built on routine and repetitive processes instead of we can also take on layout plans, material selection ing then that means that it doesn’t possess this know- “New Work”. According to this, New Work is about on knowledge and originality are on the Red List, etc. but this phase mostly involves an intensive and how. If I only work with creative minds on a case-by- fun and fulfilment, it’s about identifying with the according to a study by the Mannheim Centre for creative collaboration with architects working on the case basis, there is the danger that I cannot anchor role, the participation in decision processes and, last European Economic Research. Around 10 percent project. Our role is to ensure that the architecture innovation into the company in the long-term. But I but not least, it’s about a pleasant work atmosphere. of job profiles have disappeared completely from the corresponds to the future organisational model. We do think that it would be interesting for companies to Bergmann’s definition originated in 1984. This date market in recent years during the course of digitalisa- also lead the communication and change process with create spaces for the purpose of bringing these people is also to be marked with an exclamation point, as tion and computerisation. Equally, however, thanks the employees. in-house. it shows just how long we have been obsessing over to new technology, around 21 percent more new the visions and utopias of a New Working world. jobs have been created.

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“Our current expectation of productive work is as text compilation, graphic design and logo/slogan industry, health, research and IT sectors. The party and adapting them to Salzburg. One example: “Co- derived mainly from industrial work”, explains Graz- pitches. even includes a few start-up companies. working and Baby” for young working mothers. This based social and systems scientist, Manfred Füllsack includes networking opportunities, start-up parties from the Institute for System, Innovation and The most successful worldwide – and due to its low The former Hat Factory in San Francisco had yet and free sparring partnering in the lunch break. As Sustainability Research (ISIS) at the University of wages also the most commonly criticised – crowd- more luck with international publicity – three years part of a free lunchtime pizza and cola party, cowork- Graz. “Beneath this lies the extremely narrow concept work provider is Amazon Mechanical Turk. Around later. Brad Neuberg, digital nomad, was tired of work- ers receive in-depth feedback on the latest design or of primarily manual work performed by men within half a million people worldwide earn small amounts ing in a coffee shop and decided to share the high of- business concepts from all workers present. an industrial production setting.” by completing crowdwork. Providers used in Austria fice leasing costs with other like-minded freelancers. include Clickworker, Crowd Guru, crowdsite, With the advantages of an intellectual exchange clear “I’m not too bothered about furniture”, admits Sigl. Today, it is different. New Work has turned the work- Streetspotr, Testbirds, jovoto, twago, upwork and to be seen and the newly branded name “coworking”, “Coworking Salzburg is equipped with Ikea and vin- ing population on its head little by little over the last 99designs. There is still little information available the New Work idea began on the road to global suc- tage furniture as what is important with coworking is 33 years and has now reached a point at which classic on the number of active crowdworkers in Austria. cess. The rest can be found on Wikipedia. the community.” Bernhard Kern, CEO of Roomware office work has completely yielded to a wide range of However, they all have one thing in common: due Consulting GmbH doesn’t quite see it the same way. various employment possibilities. This reaches from to the poor working conditions they have long been “In just ten years coworking has completely changed “Coworking is linked to collaboration and commu- underpaid, exploitative individual work from home referred to as “digital out working culture”, nication, and furniture is not only important for this, to a communal system in which everyone’s work is day labourers” and says Romy Sigl, it plays a central role”, says Kern. “Whether we are supported and taken on by the collective group. It is “digital pieceworkers”. founder and direc- talking about coworking spaces or about coworking Ahoy Berlin (ahoyberlin.com) astonishing how phonetically similar yet profoundly “It's not the crowd- tor of Coworking in terms of cooperation and collaboration within a is one of the best-known offices contradictory both ends of the work market spectrum workers but rather the Salzburg, founded company, the most important thing is abandoning for coworking. Another office is are. Crowdworking on the one side, coworking on the platforms that need in 2012. “Today it is the idea of hierarchy and establishing an equal infra- found in São Paulo, Brazil. other. to be transparent – possible for anyone structure.” Kern believes that innovative and versatile using criteria such as with a computer, ac- furniture is a part of that. Risks and side effects payment, payment cess to the internet, a practice or realistic as- good education and a “With crowdworking, jobs are assigned to a more or Transition into New Work made easy signments” says author good helping of self- less defined amount of people via a web-based plat- Current demand for open space solutions and Benner. “Our aim is to confidence, to found form. These people can be individuals, institutions coworking areas is sky-rocketing, the Roomware boss programme and estab- a company. And you or companies” explains Christiane Benner, publisher explains. “The trend has already reached the big and lish a corresponding don’t even need your of the 2014 book “Crowdwork. Back to the Future”. small cities across Austria. And in my opinion, thanks reputation system on own space to do so “Complex jobs are often split into smaller partial to their openness, flexibility and easy adaptability, the platform”. anymore. You can jobs before being advertised. In doing so, the effort these new office solutions are not just suitable for share a space with oth- required for completing the job and costs can both be coworking. They can also be used for scrum, design- Mother of Co- ers.” The coworking reduced”. Crowdworking, according to sociologists, is thinking and sociocratic company management in the working space in the Techno-Z a chance for employees as well as companies – for ex- future. Communication in the work place is timeless.” On the other end of technology centre is ample, it provides easy access to work for people who Nowadays, even small villages think about establish- the New Work scale – 360m2 and has space don’t thrive in the regular work market. Christiane ing co-working spaces in their main squares, to make worth recommending for 35 employees. This also warns: “crowdworking also has its risks such as it easy for their citizens to understand the concept of for this topic is the can be rented with a low income, insufficient health and safety protection, New Work. Then there is the Tabakfabrik Linz, an blog newworkblog.de 10-day subscription inadequate social protection and no limitations to the old tobacco factory which is currently mastering a – are collective work- for 210 euros and wo rk ”. change process into Austria’s biggest creative indus- ing models such as ©ahoyberlin.com / Beda Mulzer (bedamat.com) allows you not only to tries and start-up centre. A while ago, the Tabakfabrik collaboration or cow- enjoy a community, According to crowdworking expert for the Vienna organised a competition with the title "Die zündende orking. In contrast to but it also allows you Chamber of Labour (AK), Sylvia Kuba, crowdwork- Idee" (A spark of genius). This way, they wanted to the predominantly isolated crowdwork from home, to profit from an exchange of know-how and an inter- ers often don’t know for whom they are working find ideas and concepts which answer the question of coworking is all about a community working culture. disciplinary network. Average occupancy is around as the entity assigning the job is often anonymous. what has to be done in order for technical and indus- The first coworking space in history was founded in 80 percent. “Payment is usually below the official minimum wage. trial progress not to harm, but to benefit mankind. 2002 in Vienna (!). The screw factory in the Leo- In addition, you have to spend a quarter of your time The recently crowned winner of the contest receives poldstadt district of Vienna, which refers to itself A prime example for Sigl, who considers herself as a alone just to search for jobs. Earning a living doing a rent-free think-tank office in the tobacco factory as the “Mother of Coworking”, offers work spaces “pioneer for New Work”, was the Betahaus cowork- this is not easy”. In a study on the living and working as a prize – for life! The invitation to New-Work with infrastructure and a diverse opportunities for ing space in Berlin, which already operates branches quality of crowdworkers, the AK discovered that the could not have been expressed in a more active and exchanges between one another. Today, the former in Hamburg, Lisbon and Sofia. Sigl has been – and most common crowd-jobs were simple office work, optimistic way. production site is used by 40 individual companies continues to be – on the way to determining the lat- clickwork, IT services and work in creative fields such and small/medium-sized businesses from the creative est trends in Germany, Portugal, Lebanon and Egypt, Wojciech Czaja

8 contact contact 9 Social Trends The seat to my right is free...

How sitting next to the right person can increase productivity. -

The Qualitative. Problem: Work-resisters. Works carefully but slowly, getting high-quality A fourth “shady type of worker” included unmoti- Today’s employee is super flexible and will do their work wherever there is space to do so. Who results. They are quick to consult their supervisors for vated employees who are difficult to manage and who he/she sits next to is completely irrelevant. This is, in short, the philosophy behind desk sharing. any discrepancies. often avoid work. The transfer effect can also come into play here and this bad attitude can rub off onto However, is this really the case? The Generalist. other employees. It’s important to identify these work- An all-rounder of productivity and quality. resisters and eliminate them from the team. To maximise potential, they should be placed next to colleagues with opposite qualities, according to This is the question asked byCornerstone onDemand, three types of workers include: the study – productive next to qualitative. This is A study overview. the leading provider for talent management software, explained by the “spill-over effect” or “transfer effect”: The study was carried out byCornerstone onDemand* as they began a study together with Harvard Business The Productive. This states that opposites complement each other and together with the researchers at Harvard Business School which was dedicated to this topic for over two Works quickly and gets fast results – albeit with limi thus can balance out each of their weaknesses. Gen- School. The aim was to answer the question to what years. From this they quickly discovered the three ted quality. They try to “somehow” settle problems eralists, however, are most productive next to other extent a strategic seating arrangement influences types of workers. The study showed that there is a clear and difficulties themselves without feedback from the generalists. If a company manages to find the ideal employee productivity. Over a period of more than link between the conscious arrangement of these types supervisors. seating arrangement, productivity can be increased by two years, 2,000 employees in both European and of workers and the productivity of the employees. The 13 percent and efficiency by 17 percent. According to American companies were observed and analysed. study findings, for a company with 2,000 employees that equates to around one million US dollars. In order for this to come into effect, the seating arrange- ment must be kept for the long-term. Qualitative

Work-resister Productive Generalist

Productive mand is a worldwide leading provider of cloud-based software for recruitment, learning, management and employee networking within the company. the within networking learning, employee and software recruitment, of cloud-based for management provider leading is a worldwide mand Source: https://www.cornerstoneondemand.com/company/news/press-releases/new-study-shows-who-sits-where-work-can-impact-employee-performance-and-company *Cornerstone onDe *Cornerstone Source: https://www.cornerstoneondemand.com/company/news/press-releases/new-study-shows-who-sits-where-work-can-impact-employee-performance-and-company

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©Foto: Shutterstock Reference story Undertaking future. Pfefferer: At the TÜV AUSTRIA campus office The new TÜV AUSTRIA campus creates added site the customer benefit of “one request, one contact value for employees, customers and partners. partner, one address” is put into practice. The entire company spectrum of services together with the cor- responding expert knowledge is now all combined under one roof. That means shorter routes, more com- munication and an even better execution of project tasks. “Everything in one place” has never been more The beginning of the year saw 300 TÜV AUSTRIA employees true for our customers.

get a new office, training and meeting complex in the south How did you go about implementing the open space? of Vienna: the TÜV AUSTRIA campus in Brunn am Gebirge. The What were the challenges? new building stretches over more than 7,300 square metres Pfefferer: Team-building and the resulting positive with six floors. The layout for each floor has been purposefully effects for our employees, and of course for our cust- built with an open design with exchanges and dialogue being omers and partners too, only work when you create a suitable work environment. That was the challenge; the focus. developing a building that is precisely tailored to the needs of more than 300 employees and at least 12,000 course participants per year.

How do you navigate the acoustics and climate/tempera- ture in the open space?

Pfefferer: The TÜV AUSTRIA campus is not only The new building brings together four Vienna just a few weeks we can see what is the most important impressive because of its architecture, but also because branches into one central office, seminar and meeting and that is that we grow more as a team. Teamwork of its sustainability. Light sources in the building come space. This strategic decision was a part of an extensive and the consequent opportunities are now better in the form of intelligent LED solutions with modern organisation project with the aim of optimising and perceived than before. light control. Thermal energy is provided by an EVN further developing customer processes. biomass plant in the neighbouring Mödling and Gun- How did you approach the project? What preparations tramsdorf. Ventilation, heating and air-conditioning As TÜV AUSTRIA project manager, Stefan Pfefferer were necessary? are controlled zone-by-zone and are regulated via watched over both the company organisation develop- room temperature sensors. The ceiling heights for all ment process for the past two years as well as the Pfefferer: The new site was the result of an floors provide additional ventilation. Absorbers on the planning and completion of the new building. We organisation development process in which the walls, in the meeting zones and directly in the work met with him to talk about the new building and his TÜV AUSTRIA group was completely reorganised. area (as well as a closed middle zone for each individu- experiences. The opening of the TÜV AUSTRIA campus at the al floor) provide the necessary peace and quiet. beginning of 2017 marked the successful end of the It’s been two months in the new building. Have you set- company’s “change process”. Is there any kind of “etiquette manual” for the open space tled in? What were your first experiences? office? Which aspects of New Work can be found at TÜV Pfefferer: We have really settled in – better than we AUSTRIA? Pfefferer: Consideration and cooperation were an initially expected during the early stages. Already after active part of our everyday work, even in the past.

12 contact contact 13 Referenzstory Trendwatching

New ways for teamwork: wireless presentations! Office Whether it’s a whiteboard, video or audio conference, with Cisco Spark Board any team can present to one another without any wires. All you need is fingers and Nevertheless, we put together a small rulebook for a sophisticated culinary experience and an attractive essentials. the Cisco Spark App and you can connect any device constructive teamwork at the TÜV AUSTRIA outside area. you want, turning video conferences into a collective campus. This should serve us as a guide for a healthy and efficient presentation experience. © Cisco cohabitation under one roof. In retrospect, what were the biggest challenges and lessons learnt from the projects? What are the biggest It’s great that there are always ideas that make hard life Were employees involved in the project? If yes, how? successes? in the office that little bit easier. Here are three ideas Pfefferer: Our own campus user group Pfefferer: In a company of such a great we found for you. Rating: highly recommendable! of TÜV AUSTRIA employees from scale as ours, there are naturally many dif- all company divisions, together with ferent interests and various requirements us as project managers, contributed via for the everyday work day. Therefore, it numerous meetings right up until the was necessary to translate the merging of completion of the building, ensuring that skills within our company group into an employees and customers could enjoy active daily practice, pretty much from and feel comfortable in a constructive scratch. To do so we didn’t just need work environment. The result are attrac- the necessary know-how and a strong tive, contemporary work places, well-lit, partnership with planners, constructors air-conditioned spaces, sufficient parking and external consultants, but we also spaces in the multi-storey car park, Stefan Pfefferer needed unwavering enthusiasm from Project manager at e-filling stations, our own TÜV AUS- the ground breaking, right up until the TÜV AUSTRIA TRIA shuttle service and modern train- opening of the TÜV AUSTRIA campus. ing and presentation rooms. There is now And we succeeded. In the planning and also a canteen, working cafés, a large roof construction phase, we naturally learned terrace and a green area with a pond. all sorts of things. We will, of course, benefit from this knowledge and wealth of experience for our new con- Spark is an app that can be used on smartphones, notebooks, PCs, etc. without the need for the board. What kind of room structures are there in the building? struction project for the Vienna and Upper Austria Where are meetings and discussions held? test centre.

Pfefferer: Each floor space was designed to be as Thick air in the office? open as possible as to allow teamwork and the merg- Those days are over! ing of skills more than ever before. Meetings and dis- Wiesner-Hager If we believe studies by the World cussions take place in various large rooms. The entire project scope Health Organisation (WHO), the air 5th floor is the discussion level and it’s also a meeting between our four walls is 10 to 30x point for our customers. On the individual floors, more polluted than outside. This can we have creative zones equipped with acoustically The ground-floor reception area was

© Philips have a negative effect on health and effective lounge furniture which allows for spontane- equipped with paro_2 swivel chairs with SpareDesk, the wellbeing – and not just for people ous encounters between colleagues or a simple retreat high backrests and neck supports. © www.sparedesk.com workspace finder. with allergies. If we think about how from your own work place. Where are the best workspaces hid- many hours we spend in the office, The canteen was furnished with around den around the world? it makes sense to address the issue of The TÜV AUSTRIA Academy is also integrated into 100 cafeteria seats and around 30 bar stools SpareDesk is a platform for free- air filtration. It is worth striving for the new building. How have the academy rooms been from the nooi product line. lancers, students, hobbyists and an office without allergens, smoke, designed? In the office rooms, meeting spaces and companies for finding the best fine particles, gases, smells, bacteria Find cool coworking working cafés we used 350 paro_2 swivel crowdworking spots in over 40 cities and viruses. Important message from Pfefferer: The same goes for our seminar guests as spaces at the push of chairs and 130 paro_2 cantilever chairs. across the globe. Whoever you are, Wiesner-Hager: Yes to air filters for our employees. They should feel comfortable here a button. Philips VitaShield IPS SpareDesk shows you the way to but please always use them with air whilst gaining knowledge or an additional qualifica- filters the air in no time. For the meeting spaces on the top floor, 20 the perfect space for you to live the humidifiers! tion. We manage this with spaciously laid out and ayo conference chairs and 12 pulse confe- digital nomad’s dream with creativity, state-of-the-art seminar rooms, rest and break areas, rence chairs were selected. efficiency and inspiration.

14 contact contact 15 Office Life 3 exercises for the office. Ideally you should do 6,000 to 10,000 steps per day. This can easily be measured with the help of pedo- Simple exercises in the office to do from time to time, meters (e.g. as a smartphone app). created by “health coach” Mag. Michael Mayrhofer Fit@Work (www.personal-fitness.at) 2. Qualitative work places Back-shoulder-power Position yourself with your The furniture – from ergonomically designed office back behind your chair. chairs to flexible height-adjustable desks for work Stretch your arms behind ©Shutterstock both sitting down and standing up – can play a big you with your shoulders the role in a healthier work place. width of your backrest apart. Make sure to keep your feet hips-length apart and lower your knees (squat). Your head and back stay upright. Stay in this position for 30 to 45 seconds, continuing to take Tips for an deep breaths. active work day

Flank stretches Sit upright on your office chair with your feet hips- Take the stairs instead of the lift! length apart on the ground. Form a right angle with your Dynamic sitting: change your sitting posture left thigh and lower leg with regularly! your right leg stretched out. Use height-adjustable stand/sit work places as Put both your arms above often as possible! your head, grab your left wrist “Sitting is the new smoking”, the widely quoted claim from author Dr James Levine (Head of the with your right hand and lean Standing desks and standing tables also help. both arms to the side of the stretched out leg. Breathe Obesity Solutions Project at the Arizona State University’s Mayo Clinic) sounds like a catch line from slowly and evenly, changing sides after 30 to 45 sec- the tabloid media but it is, in fact, very close to reality. Stand or walk whilst having meetings, reading onds. Make sure when stretching that you don’t slouch post and speaking on the phone! and avoid rotating your body. Don’t deal with all internal matters via email or phone, go over and settle it in person!

Use breaks as movement breaks! Tension equalisation It is clear that nicotine and alcohol is poison for the are caused by postural and musculoskeletal problems. Stretch one arm above your body, but sitting can have just as negative an effect on Overstraining of the spine, tension, pain, and in many If possible, bike to work! head and the other down- our health. The problem is that office workers primar- cases even irreparable damage. wards. Fold back the palms ily sit for on average over nine hours a day. Set your office chair and desk correctly (see of your hand as if you were The good news is that you can avoid all of this. The the ergonomics video below). pushing something up/down The bad news is that our bodies are not built to sit for key to being healthier in the office lies in the combina- – this forms a tension chain, long periods. The body was built to move. Unfortu- tion of two main factors: the spine must stay straight. nately, diverse studies also show that this does not go Maintain this position once without having negative consequences. One example: 1. Your conduct in the office or twice for 30 to 45 seconds. according to a study by the Work Foundation (on You have to move! And believe us, there are plenty Finally, release the tension, lower your arms and behalf of the EU), almost half of the yearly sick days of opportunities to move around, even whilst sitting. switch sides.

16 contact contact 17 Who is Who

How would you describe your working style? What can be done on the site, where is the light, how company. This also includes a trend that puts everyone are the views. I find the building owners particularly from supervisors to employees all on the same level – The site Heiss: We try not to jump on the latest fashion and interesting though. What are their quirks, what are this can also be for psychological reasons. short-term trends. Architecture is more long-term and their wishes? A building never just stands around the required quality should also be long-term. And soullessly – it is put into operation and used, and it is What role does the office as a location play in this mobile that’s what we look for. We start from scratch with also closely linked to the building owner. These people age for you? every project because, essentially, all we have to fall are usually very inspiring and you can learn a lot from and the back on is our experience. That is the main challenge. them. Heiss: Working from home is a nice “add-on”, but I still prefer working here in the office during the day. How do you work? How do you go about projects? How difficult is it to balance the wishes of the building And I require my employees to do the same because owner with your ideas? we have to constantly coordinate with one another. Of building Heiss: We have 25 employees and are very team- course, it’s great that I can read my emails wherever I oriented. Our three main pillars are offices, homes and Heiss: In my eyes, architecture is a certain type of am but I am still a friend of a structured work comm- hotels – these are the core competences around which service. We have to fulfil certain functions but with unity and direct communication. I don’t find the idea we work. We work in these three areas so that we difference being that there is also an aesthetic and ar- of working solely from home very desirable. Even the have more creative freedom. The teams are always put chitectural requirement. There is something like a mu- mental separation between your own four walls and owner. together with the project in mind. At the start, I am tual veto: the building owner can say what he doesn’t the office is important, not to mention social isolation heavily involved in every project to make sure want just as I can say what absolutely won’t work. This is a huge risk. the design is up-and-running. has never lead to conflict, though. Founded in 1997, Atelier Heiss has made a How do you see the office as a factor for What is your favourite project? motivation? name for itself in the architecture sector. Top How do you start a creative process? customers such as McDonald’s Europe, ÖBB Heiss: I have about twenty favourite Heiss: I am not convinced that architec- Heiss: For me there are projects. It’s like children, you can never ture is the be all and end all for people’s [Austrian National Rail], Kempinski Residence always two sources of pick a favourite [laughter]. happiness and satisfaction, but a beautiful or Schindler Lifts have all already put their trust inspiration: the site building can certainly can go a long way. and the building What projects are you working on at the Good architecture ensures clarity and

in the architecture firm’s abilities. Founder Chris- © Kassner owner/con- moment? transparency, for example. At Schindler tian Heiss took some time out of his day and in- struction Lifts we constructed a new building vited us to his studio in central Vienna. He told job. Heiss: At the moment we are working directly next to the current headquarters on an amazing office building – the new meaning employees can see on a daily us all about his approach to working and gave building for the headquarters of the Swiss Christian Heiss basis how the building has grown – it’s us his insights into modern office architecture. company Schindler Lifts. In the office Founder of the architecture extremely motivating. sector we are also working on the interior firm, Atelier Heiss for a large tax consultancy with around In this issue we are presenting the new 10,000 m2. We’re also building a hotel in TÜV AUSTRIA construction project. As Split and two residential buildings have already been the architect, you provided the building designs. How completed in the 2nd and 3rd districts. did you approach the project?

We are sensing more and more willingness to change Heiss: For us it was very exciting to set out the path from companies in the field of office design—probably for the construction to follow. What was special about © Foto Kassner © Foto thanks to models such as Google, Microsoft etc. How do the project was that we were able to create a forecourt you handle this topic? Do you also sense change? by pushing the structure back and putting a slight bend in the building. By creating this forecourt, we were able Heiss: Massively. Open space is more important than to create an interesting, two-storied entrance layout. ever. My most recent project was almost exclusively I also think it is important that the academy is now New TÜV AUST- open space planning. Generally, this type of space established at the headquarters. It motivates academy RIA building allows for more openness in communication and it guests and employees, and creates a special dynamic. Campus in Brunn consciously creates communication zones within the You can be very proud to have a building like that. am Gebirge.

18 contact contact 19 Offices worldwide ©Shutterstock Where are the check-in counters? Where are the secu- firm planned the project together with Amanda Levete rity screenings? Where are the many, many departure Architects (AL_A) and the internationally active in- gates? If you didn’t know any better, upon entering the terior designer, HASSELL. “Here is where everything Heaven on earth. building you would think you had just stepped into comes together, this is where the central, informal a modern, Scandinavian-inspired airport and then, communication that is so important for everyday to your horror, you would realise you had left your office life takes place. We designed the open space so suitcase at home. This association is not too far from that there are several redundant ways of getting from The new headquarters of the British broadcaster, Sky, is characterised by its light and the truth. Everything here truly does revolve around A to B. This way people can choose many different the idea of a light and airy, heaven-like atmosphere. paths and encounter a different person every time.” airy atmosphere. This is all down to the use of colours and materials and the redundant The location in question is the recently completed excess of work places as well the celestial variety of ways to get from A to B. Visiting the “Sky Central” office building on the Sky-Campus in West London. Sky campus is Osterley, West London. Stairs over lift Here is where British broadcaster, Sky, The unusual organisation is not just for sends out news and sport news from all You communication purposes. It was the cli- over the world across the globe. “We could say ent’s particular wish to promote walkways really wanted a place that was inspiring and, despite having to have them due to and energising for both colleagues and that everything construction regulations, consciously visitors”, says Andrew Jackson, con- in this building neglect the use of lifts by cleverly hiding struction and project manager at Sky. them. According to McKiernan, most “The staircases, ramps and platforms revolves employees have embraced the invitation that lead up to the central, well-lit around the to casual muscle training. The daily steps, atrium make both the site and its effect as they are called at Sky, contribute to an on work performance and employee staircases, integrated promotion of health and sports, communication unique.” The 160 metre ramps and which in the UK has become significantly central, adventurously jagged atrium more important in recent years, McKiernan strip stretches throughout the entire platforms. explains. building, across the numerous work and meeting platforms resembling street Slimming down is not only the motto of canyons. the people, but it can also be seen reflected in the architecture. “Many, many years ago”, explains McKiernan, “Sky began as a broadcaster in a type of The “Sky Central” building is truly gigantic with 3,500 warehouse. We wanted to cleverly, yet all whilst main- employees, representing the heart of the 13 hectare taining a high-quality, reflect this ascetic architecture large Sky campus. With a net floor surface area of here. Everything in this building is logical, slimmed 38,000 square metres, the office building would need down and highly functional. It is the people and the around 30 classic high-rise stories in central London, Jackson calculated. “However, here the entire space arrangement fits on just three storeys without any hierarchal barriers.” The arrangement is light and airy thanks to the open and transparent design of the open areas and sees plenty of daylight thanks to more than 400 skylights. “Basically, you could say that everything in this building revolves around the staircases, ramps and platforms”, explains Wayne McKierman, director of PLP Architecture. The London-based architecture ©Hufton+Crow

©Hufton+Crow 20 contact contact 21 Offices worldwide What’s on your desk?

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pictures that bring the colour and the life anyway.” and several mid-zones for collective working, whereas 02 Wett Richard ©Günter The primary skeletal structure is made from steel, the the classic work places are concentrated along the 08 ceiling tiles are concrete and the roof is supposedly panoramic glass façade. In addition there are 30,000 07 the largest connected wooden roof construction in (!) plants spread across the entire building. Europe. Bonus: due to the efficient design, despite its 05 size, the building could be completed in 18 months. 01 03 More work places than needed 04 “Sky had very clear visions for the quality of work 18 small neighbourhoods places and was a very competent project partner”, There is nothing unusual about these sobering num- explains Roocke. “This also involved a part of the bers nowadays. However, there is hardly a corner in building being designed as shared desk space with a this building that goes unused, that doesn’t invite you clean desk policy, meaning significantly more work to pause and watch the lively, bustling places are available than actually neces- community. There are benches, lounge sary. This is not something that, as a plan- This second-hand piece from the sixties was originally from chairs and seating steps everywhere, all ner, you see every day.” The meaning and 01 the Innsbruck Chamber of Commerce. A high-ranking boss decorated with soft cushions in the cor- purpose of this strategy is to achieve the used to sit here. Now I’m able to make do with the walnut porate orange, magenta and blue colours. Communication light and airy atmosphere that could be veneer. What’s most exciting is the panoramic and contact associated with heaven on earth. Or, as Can’t be without my Apple computer. This is where my view into the glass newsroom which is Neil Usher, head of the work place at Sky, 02 prints come to life. used to report the latest international between people explains: “Here we have created a work What’s on your desk, political events every hour. “Commu- is a central space which encourages employees to do Bust with necklace: this is where I present my jewellery 03 nication and contact between people their best, highest-quality work of their Markus Spatzier? collection. is a central quality of this project, right quality of career.” A heavenly job? That is for the The gold crown with a black candle was actually supposed down to the smallest details”, says Felicity employees to decide. However, one thing 04 this project, to be a Christmas decoration. This makeshift solution is Roocke, CEO of interior designer HAS- right down to is for sure: the Sky Central building has still used today. SELL. “This involved splitting our 3’500 recently been awarded the “BREEAM The Tirolese fashion designer, Markus Spatzier has a weakness for all things Less is more? I don’t think so. More is more! That includes employees into 18 smaller neighbour- the smallest Excellent” certificate for its sustainable gothic. This is reflected in his fashion: The clothes from the Herzblut 05 hoods. This is how we divided the whole architecture and flexible, socially inspired factory – the label created by the skilled tailor in 2010 – are masterfully a handmade tea light, a small pretend sewing machine, a details. glass dome and a large cast-iron black angel. community into clearer, village-like work place design. on display, once used at the Vienna Opera Ball and now decked out with structures.” Each neighbourhood unit black lace, exuberant Baroque decoration and a somewhat morbid pomp. That is a hand-carved wardrobe that I found at an antique 06 has around 200 employees and includes Wojciech Czaja dealer’s. a small kitchen, lounge, break rooms He designed most of the items and prints himself. You can even find some The tailor’s dummy is an original baroque bust with ba- 07 elements of his current collection on display at his work place in his bou- roque waist. I found this one in a shop in Hall in Tirol. tique in a centuries-old house in the Schwaz town square. We visited the 28-year old fashionista at his studio to ask what all of the crowns, neck- Black bride and white bride. White bridal gowns are 08 laces and black angels on his desk meant. So much is clear: it’s all about common. But we get more and more women asking us for atmospheres and stories. black wedding gowns.

©Foto: Hufton+Crow This was originally a classic, electrified chandelier. I didn’t 09 Wojciech Czaja visiting Markus Spatzier like it so I decided to swap out the crystal chandeliers for candles.

The photo wallpaper is a picture of an old art-nouveau 10 style factory hall in France. I’m fascinated by this view. It also says something about my interest in craftsmanship and tradition.

22 contact contact 23 ©Foto: HASSELL Cocksedge Mark Social Trends

The colleague Dogs ensure relaxation. Anxiety and allergies. It is scientifically proven that even being close to a As well as the potential health problems, such as dog alone is enough to release the hormone oxytocin allergies to animal hair, we must remember that some with the cold in the brain. Oxytocin is more commonly referred to colleagues can simply have a fear of dogs. as the cuddle hormone. No wonder then that it has a positive effect on the well-being and reduces stress Hard facts: legal issues. snout?! levels. This ensures a relaxed atmosphere in the office It is important to know that no one is simply allowed and a pleasant work climate. to just bring a dog into the office, except when talk- ing about blind dogs. The decision lies with the em- Why more and more Dogs make us more productive ployer. There’s no time for walkies during the work and healthier. day. Dog owners are responsible for damages caused companies are getting dogs. As opposed to lazing around at our desk by the dog and are obliged to clean any or taking just a few steps to the canteen, Dogs mess made by the dog immediately. dogs force us to stand up and move regu- increase The employer has a duty of care for larly – often accompanied by other col- employees. This means that people who leagues. An adequate number of breaks, productivity are allergic or people who are scared of especially whilst getting some fresh air, and make us dogs must be protected. So much for increases productivity and makes us the legal situation. Of course, we can’t He’s quite “dogged” this new guy. And he smells fitter, more awake, and strengthens the fitter, more ignore animal protection either, which from time to time, especially when it’s wet outside. immune system. awake, and states that dogs should not be kept in He gets his hair everywhere, too. manufacturing areas and must not be strengthen the exposed to loud noises, damp or poison- immune system. ous substances.

So does Mr Woof get the job? More and more companies are allow- Smell and noise. ing dogs to be brought into work, and But anyway, it’s still cute when he looks up so in- The novelty of our four-legged colleagues for good reason. Office animals have a nocently from under your colleagues desk Of course, soon wears off for many employers when positive effect on the work climate and we’re talking about the new office dogs, which are you arrive in the office to the typical productivity. But whether Mr Woof is dividing opinions throughout the working world. smell of “wet dog”. The smell of dog welcome in your company depends on Besides flexible working models and the classic salary food is also not everyone’s cup of tea. the employer as well as the employees. issue, it is the possibility of bringing your own dog Too much barking is also considered as Allergies and anxiety are KO criteria into work that is proving crucial in the battle for the being disruptive – especially when on the that make it impossible to integrate a best workforce. This is because members of genera- phone or when concentrating. dog into the office. It also completely tion Y and Z have quite literally “gone to the dogs”, depends on the company culture and so to speak, and even long-serving employees cannot Stress for the dog. the individual situation at the work be without their four-legged favourites. That’s why With all of the pros and cons for people, place. we decided to take a closer look at the topic “Dogs at we mustn’t forget the well-being of the If all the conditions are met and eve- Work”, putting together the pros and cons for you and dog. Not every breed and every nature is ryone involved agrees, then nothing explaining the legal issues. suitable as an office dog. The dog should stands in Mr Woof ’s way. One thing is be relaxed around people. Otherwise it can cause the for certain, though: the better I get to know my col- Before we start, basic condition for cohabitation with dog chronic anxiety or stress and in the worst case leagues, the more I prefer my dog ;-) dogs in the office is that the dog is healthy, vaccinated scenario, can even lead to biting. and insured. It is also just as important that the dog has a good nature and is ok with people and other dogs.

24 contact contact 25 Showroom

Showroom skill system table for flexible communication. Theskill system table joins two tables tops with just one frame. You can ar- range unique table formations with just a few moves and completely without Our product innovation gives you the chance to play around a little the use of tools. A great selection of formats allows you to discover comple- tely new layout options. Theskill system table’s strength lies in its extensive bit. As a kid you used to play with building blocks, now you can play table configurations. If needed, the elements can even be used as individual with the skill system table! It can be arranged into different table tables. formations completely without the use of tools to fit every need. Do you like creative designs? The cage cupboard system is truly a cage full of ideas. Unique materials, surfaces and colours inspire individual creations.

cage. A cage full of ideas. A cabinet system that inspires thanks to its style and authentic mix of materials. cage can be perfectly used as storage space and zoning. A frame made from square pipes redefines space and comes in an unexpected form. Open and closed modules, horizontal and vertical cubes and a selection of unusual materials make for a mixed bag of possibilities. The design is based on a clear grid. Using cage can be great for creating organising structures within a space. A corner bracket allows for a natural connection between The one-click-function principle: By loosening the lo- two elements. cking device in the top supports, the frame underneath can be dislodged and clicked back into the desired The use of various materials, surfaces and colours position. The frames are completely adjustable and can also gives planners and architects more freedom be used as a connecting element between two table tops to play around. Used as storage space, cage helps of on their own, or as a flush mount border at the end to arrange and organise, all whilst serving as of the table. a room divider and visual cover. While the 1st and 2nd document file level (FL) are practically used, the 3rd FL gives you a space full of possibi- lities. The third level can offer perspective and transparency. This section serves as a storage and presentation surface and can be completed with a tablet and magazine stand.

26 contact contact 27 yuno The smart alternative to the folding table.

Stacking without folding!

“Stacking without folding” – yuno retains all the benefits of a folding table and avoids its weaknesses. wiesner-hager.com