madeleine monshausen / spatial design •̀ᴗ• office, retail & residential / contemporary work environment development / berlin /  madeleine@spatialdesignberlin.com / +49 172 8686672 / ABOUT

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 Multifunctional community area 0 - storage / meeting

Multifunctional community area 0 - stage / cafeteria 

 Multifunctional community area 0 - meeting / backstage / catering

Multifunctional community area 0 - bar / meeting 

Multifunctional community area 0 - retreat 

 Multifunctional community area 0 - set up examples

During 2020 the mobility service provider FREE NOW relocated its headquarters to a 2002 Hadi Teherani building located directly at Hamburg`s harbour. The company`s Brand Designer Valerie Fell and I developed and implemented the design concept in close collaboration through all stages. The new office provides approximately 500 work stations in open spaces on five floors, a souterrain foyer, a multifunctional event space and two kitchens per level with meet-up counters. It also contains 36 think tanks, 9 meeting rooms for various occasions and a central collaboration space on each floor. Additional special amenities facilitate flexibility in the organisation of the employee`s daily routine. "Care Rooms" allow for parental privacy so workers can bring their children, or for personal hygiene, to enable exercising for example. The "Kids Collaboration" invites children to experience the parents` work life in a mirrored smaller version of a studio-like work area. A three-times reflected light installation blurries the lines of materialization in an ethereal, sacred appearing space- the "Silent Room" for religious or meditative practices (partly on hold).

Agile, remote and virtual work methods within FREE NOW required an emphasis on collaboration, community and exchange in the development of the spaces. The concept centers around a democratic and non-hierarchical infrastructure, self-determination of the teams or individuals in the use of all common spaces and the celebration of diversity. In an effort to counter a monotone environment, we aimed to invite creativity and an active involvement in the formation of the surroundings through dynamic, fluid structures and designs. This is also supported by highlighting the structural, spatial elements themself, rather than added-on design elements- such as patterns. The communal spaces are flexible between all types of get-togethers and cover a wide range of non-work-related needs at the same time- reflecting the company's amicable atmosphere. Believing that broad, direct branding can work against a healthy corporate identification, branding elements are subtle and abstract (with the exception of one designated representation area), developed through a spatial translation of the brand`s design approaches. Exhibition areas to display concrete work results and materialize internal processes in order to invite discussion about such were planned, but are currently paused in execution.

 Think tanks 0-4 - wallpaper images ©  Bossi Baker

Collaboration space 2 

 Glas vinyls made from gravel

Kids collaboration 0 

Collaboration space 2 

Meeting room 3 

 Collaboration space / meeting 1 (partly on hold)

 Collaboration space 1 (partly on hold)

 Meeting / Ping Pong 1

 Collaboration space 1

 Collaboration space 3

 Care room 1

 Collaboration space 3

 Exhibition space - branding neon tube (on hold)

 Exhibition space 0 (on hold)

 Exhibition space 1 (on hold)

 Exhibition space 2 (on hold)

 Exhibition space 3 (on hold)

 Collaboration space 0 (partly on hold)

 Collaboration space 0 mural (on hold)

 Collaboration space 0

^{© all images by Valerie Fell and me}

^{© all Drawings by me}