Creative spaces
How we work; where we work; workplace habits; the future of work — these are topics that workplace designers are constantly re-evaluating and trying to predict.
Didi Lenz is leading Bene’s mission to pinpoint how we will work in the future and what we’ll need to be most effective
One such office workspace ‘ futurist’/architect, Didi Lenz, from Austria-based office furniture and concepts company Bene, is currently totally absorbed with trying to pinpoint how we will work in the next decade.
Recently his firm curated a special exhibition – ‘ The Bene Kaleidoscope – Creating Visions’, where the company initiated a dialogue with architects on the subject of the working environments of tomorrow.
Now on a global tour to meet and discuss his concept and predictions with architects and interior designers, the architect was in Dubai recently to meet members of the UAE design community to continue and further extend the dialogue.
Talking to identity in their regional office in d3, Lenz reflected on the trends of the recent past – the move from little individual cubicles to open-plan offices and on to the Google-inspired playful spaces where people seek out their own personal spaces and can feel most inspired.
“Going forward, our research shows that there is a need to bring colleagues back together again – to bring them into brainstorming areas, where they gather to collaborate on a project in a space uniquely configured for that project, after which the space can be remodelled by moving the furniture layout for the next group’s use,” he says.
“We believe that there is a move towards creating designated project spaces within most types of organisations – from corporate banks to SMEs.
“[These will be] Dynamic spaces, often supported with technology in order to maximise discourse between team members.”
Their award-winning Pixel and Studio by Bene collections, as well as its Idea Wall, are the forerunners to the concept.
Pixel was developed to meet the growing demand for workspaces that foster creative processes, and features boxes that can be put together to make various different pieces of furniture such as tables, storage units or seats.
Studio by Bene is a system for anyone who works and thinks design and whose professional and private lives are closely interconnected. The minimalist High Table is perfect for informal meetings or when used as an individual standing desk space.
The team is keen to take their Idea Wall concept – at the core of which is a powerful multimedia surface; an interactive digital wall – to the next level. The company wants to create workspaces that are driven by more technology, to allow team members from all over the world to interact via special high-tech screens, enabling long-distance collaboration, thus pushing the boundaries and adaptation of technology in the meeting room.
“The office of the future is certainly a place for collaborative work and communication bound by shared culture and experience, supported by excellent products,” says Michael Fried, Bene’s Executive Board Member.
Fried explains that the new collections are more than just functional and innovative in terms of design – they also offer clients flexibility while keeping furniture to an essential minimum.
Later this year the pioneering and design-conscious company is scheduled to reveal its new concept, conceived for creative projects, first in Europe and later in other parts of the world.
“We recognise and accept that work habits are very much rooted in local and regional cultures and so we are now investigating which countries are ready to accept our new concept first. We don’t want to force our ideas on markets that are less likely to be responsible to a new approach to work,” Fried says.
“Each one of us has a unique preference as to how and where they work; some people like solitude, others the buzz of a café or co-working spaces, and others a more traditional approach where the hierarchy is clearly defined…”
The face of the workspace has undergone some dramatic changes over the past 50 years. The growing popularity of coworking spaces and the renting of hot desks has had a significant impact on the industry.
“There is no shortage of good affordable design these days. But we see an opportunity to create and market creative spaces designed to generate and encourage the flow of new ideas and the exploration of new projects…”
At a time when so many firms are having to re-assess their activities due to forces such as digitalisation, the new Bene approach seems to be right on cue...