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Architects: toi toi toi creative studio
- Year: 2022
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Photographs:Koy + Winkel Fotografie
Text description provided by the architects. toi toi toi creative studio (T3) researches, designs, and delivers feel-good spaces. This ethos was applied to the 8,215 sq.m interior for Berlin's software company Contentful. The imminent return of employees after the corona pandemic required rethinking the work environment. T3's vision was to design human-centric, agile spaces of a new standard. At the outset, a design committee was established with representatives from each Contentful department, enabling employees to participate fully in the transformation. The result is a space with human interaction at its core. 'Contentfulers' start their day with end-of trip-facilities such as underground-bike parking, showers, a fitness room, and custom-designed smart lockers situated throughout the interior. For a bit of fun, individually programmed speakers in the custom-designed gender-neutral washrooms make every trip to the loo a different musical experience.
The workplace houses a variety of adaptable spaces for both social interaction and productivity. An open-concept cafeteria and event space provides diversity, along with flexible meeting rooms varying in size, design, and layout. A large outdoor terrace with employee gardens brings continuity to the organic interiors, integrating plant life at every level. To help you find your way, T3 co-designed and developed a fully customized wayfinding system. Navigating the five floors required innovations like custom 3D icons highlighting tea kitchens, washrooms, lockers, meeting rooms, and collaboration zones. The workplace supports neurodiversity and inclusivity with multidirectional dimmable lighting, automated sunshades, phone booths, ergonomic height-adjustable workstations, and Zoom interactive screens in all team rooms. Quiet to loud zones, and the application of acoustic treatments, help balance functionality with open and closed workspaces.
Other features for well-being entail custom-designed chromotherapy nap pods, prayer/ meditation rooms (including a dedicated ablution room), a library, and a music-making station for creativity. A child-friendly zone with an adjacent private room for feeding and changing also provides retreat time for parents. Foremost, the project emphasizes economic conscientiousness by supporting local suppliers, craftspeople, and startups committed to sustainable practices. The cafe flooring is a biopolymer with recycled fish nets from the North Sea. The acoustic ceiling spray in the workshop is made from recycled denim—cradle-to-cradle certified. Selected fabrics are made from renewable raw materials, or recycled post-consumer polyester and acoustic wall panels are sourced from 100% recycled plastic bottles. Furniture and lighting from the previous Contentful workplace are repurposed; weaved seamlessly into the new environment. Embraced by its returning community, Contentful is ultimately a success story; designed to be flexible, easy to explore, and adaptable to the way people want to work.
