From treehouse offices to co-living initiatives, we spotlight a selection of interior projects designed to nurture human connection.
7 min read
Known for its bold, integrated approach and keen focus on sustainability, studio partner Thomas van Leeuwen describes D/DOCK as a team of ‘design incubators’. The Amsterdam-based collective place great value on creating meaningful community through spatial design, and its latest initiative is no different: completing a new blended concept in the Amsterdam-Zuidoost district, the studio has breathed new life into a much-loved city landmark. Zandkasteel, first conceived in 1986 as a vast office building and receiving heritage status in 2017, is now home to a collection of mixed-use professional, residential and hospitality spaces, each bestowed with a welcoming, semi-public character.
As well as core principles of biophilia and soft, undulating shapes, D/DOCK also followed the guiding concept of an ‘internal city’ during the redevelopment, incorporating spaces inspired by the city’s streets, squares and parks. A large corridor on the first-floor acts as the main artery of the building, connecting office and coworking spaces, meeting rooms and hospitality venues as well as inviting residents from the 263 apartments above, for a seamless blend of private and public spaces. The in-house auditorium is an excellent example of the building’s dynamic culture: available for office tenants to host meetings or presentations, the space becomes a community cinema by night, while central atriums used for coworking double as music venues for local artists.
In late 2023, Booking.com’s much-anticipated HQ arrived in Amsterdam, bringing all 6,500 of the travel tech giant’s employees together in the same building for the first time in more than a decade. And at over 65,000 sq m, this state-of-the-art, neck- craning campus is no mean feat. Located on the historic waterfront at Oosterdokseiland (or Eastern Dock Island), the impressive new structure reflects the industrial nature of the harbour, with a detailed glass façade reflecting the surrounding water and generous sky. Contrasting with the imposing nature of the architecture, inside the interior design is warm and lively – the building broken down to a human scale through an abundance of natural materials, diverse zoning and layers of greenery.
Architects UNStudio and lead interior designers HofmanDujardin, collaborated with ten different international practices, on the concept of ‘Booking Home’ – the project encompassing workplace and F&B offerings, and with the aim of creating an environment that considers the physical and mental health of Booking.com’s employees. Throughout the building breakout workspaces are divided into 28 themes based on holiday destinations: employees can step away from their desks to collaborate in New York City, brainstorm in Panama, or have a coffee break in the Amazon, allowing for the traditional workspaces on each floor to remain relatively quiet for more focused work. Along with the breakout zones, dynamic ‘connector’ spaces on each floor also offer important respite from computer screens and support collaboration.
Joining the ranks of the family owned HassianGruppe in 2018, German soft drink brand Bionade has been awarded a new office space with a unique selling point: a coveted spot in the leafy treeline of Bad Vilbel, Hessen. The vision of multidisciplinary design studio Ippolito Fleitz Group, glass-walled walkways lead through neighbouring trees to the central building within, clad with a copper façade complementing the muted, organic palette of the woods. Inside, The Treehouse is home to a contemporary, open-plan office with flexible configurations baked in, offering a collaborative, colourful workspace that takes cues from the surrounding landscape.
A bar stocked with Bionade products offers staff and visitors a warm welcome to the main ground-floor entrance, while those venturing further inside will be greeted with versatile, zoned landscapes for lectures, meetings or coworking. In pursuit of flexibility and agile working, an open, stepped seating area can be used for spontaneous meetings, as well social events and company-wide townhall meetings. A central meeting island can also be closed off behind a semi-opaque curtain for moments that require more privacy or independent focus. The ‘Innovation Pavilion’ on the top floor encompasses a large meeting room with mobile partitions and non-static furnishings, while a verdant roof terrace offers staff a calm oasis to spend breaks or corporate events with unobstructed views of the surrounding treetops.
Designed by architects HTA, Enclave is a new 50 storey BTR (Build To Rent) residence in Croydon that claims to be the tallest volumetric modular residential building in Europe. Aligning with this impressive height was the client’s ambition for the residence to deliver the next generation of communal living: the amenity offering spans over 24,000 sq ft across 6 floors, providing an extensive offering for 815 apartments. Inside, the material palette from interior designers Tigg+Coll is inspired by the architectural heritage of Croydon. Tied together by a strong mid-century feel, each level is given its own distinct identity, creating a series of homely and comfortable spaces that people want to inhabit.
In such a large building it was important too Tigg+Coll that a sense of home was created from the minute residents and guests entered the building. By splitting the amenity across six floors the amenity areas were broken down into characterised floors, giving them their own specific identity and purpose – and helping to humanise the scale to a much more individual domestic experience. “As with all our residential projects of this nature we always consider how people want to occupy and exist in these spaces sometimes together, sometimes alongside each other and sometimes alone,” says Tigg+Coll‘s Rachel Coll. “We also consider adjacencies, how these activities overlap, physically and/or visually, creating natural touch points between residents and interaction and familiarity to create communities.”
DesignLSM has embarked on a project a little further afield, in Toronto, Canada – delivering the F&B proposition and interior design concept for TABLE Fare + Social, a vibrant food hall at CIBC SQUARE, the new global headquarters for the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC). At 46-stories high, the brand-new mix-used development comprises two towers which were designed and built with a predominant focus around sustainability and wellbeing – the fourth level is connected by a publicly accessible park, presenting the distinctive F&B offering to both employees and the local community.
To create a sense of connectivity throughout the venue, the team devised a layout that eliminated walls and instead established several fluid zones where people can pause, engage and enjoy time with one another. Flexibility was an important factor – creating spaces for everyone – whether that be casual business meetings, quiet lunches, after work drinks or weekend get togethers, also ensuring the space successfully transitions through the day and seasons. Refined and modern, the design harmonises with the contemporary architecture. The large metal framed arches bring a level of intimacy to the high ceilings, providing a framework for the F&B kiosks to be positioned within, as well as creating visual connections through the space.
When approaching the refresh of its UK headquarters, CBRE wanted a workspace that was “as much about the total employee experience as the space itself”. This was the design rationale for the redevelopment and extension of Henrietta House; the office building that the company had occupied since 2011. The atmosphere, noted by interior designers MoreySmith as incorporating “elements of a luxurious private members club”, is created through a combination of classic material choices and modern furnishings. A variety of different workspace options across five floors include meeting, breakout, collaboration areas and quiet zones, allowing employees to choose how they wish to work in line with hybrid and agile working practices. Facilities to increase employee collaboration are provided in the form of talent training spaces, an innovation studio, tech bar, presentation facilities and pitching suite.
Where old meets new within the two-storey retail-style front elevation – highlighted by glazed bricks that connect the inside and outside – two light-filled atria maximise daylight to the new interior that creates central space for encouraged collaboration and social interaction. This also hosts a client lounge at the ground-floor entrance, embellished with a ceramic sculpture suspended above the stairwell created by Fernando Casasempere from 2,000 pieces of hand-moulded porcelain – one for each of CBRE’s employees.
Formerly a Pye Electronics building and telephone exchange, the Parkhall Business Centre provides a creative hub environment for over 150 small businesses and manufacturers in Dulwich – currently home to a range of companies, from coffee roasters and jewellery makers to artisan food startups and tech recruiters. Owned by flexible office provider Workspace, Park Hall tenants are encouraged to customise their individual studio and workshop spaces – from redecorating to installing tea points and even combining office spaces – allowing them to tailor their environment to suit their specific needs and fuel the growth of their businesses. Breakout spaces and communal zones support cross-sector collaboration and chance meetings, including a café that’s open to the building’s occupants and wider community.
Designed by Frost Architects, the open plan breakout space and tea point forms the centrepiece of the refurbishment, where a blend of heritage and modern design nods to the building’s past. Original Art Deco flooring and exposed brick walls act as a canvas for more contemporary industrial elements like pendant lighting, leather seating and black steel furniture and booths. High-ceilings, white-washed walls and plenty of greenery lift the darker components and add another layer of privacy within the open space.
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