Freudenberg Technology Innovation inaugurates “space miracle” in Building 32: starting point for further multispace concepts. The comments from the opening guests on the afternoon of December 2 range from inviting to simply brilliant. A “wow” is on the lips of many who enter the “Raumwunder” - the name of the new office concept from Freudenberg Technology Innovation (FTI) - for the first time. “I would love to work here.”
This sentence can also be heard over and over again in the babble of voices at the official opening of the completely redesigned office space on the second floor of Building 32. From now on, these 260 square meters are the new home, the “home base”, of FTI's Process Technologies division.
There are no narrow corridors and small offices in the “space miracle”. Different workspaces are spread across the area like islands. Large and small meeting tables as meeting points for project teams; desks arranged individually in niches or in groups; soundproofed booths for meetings and individual booths for longer telephone calls and online meetings; office chairs on wheels, armchairs and lounge furniture for agile working; swivel seating with integrated tables as a place of retreat; a seating area covered like a small house that can accommodate up to four people for short meetings.
The technical term for this new working environment is multispace. The individual modules are highly adaptable and offer space for focused individual work as well as agile teamwork. The work café is also open for social interaction. Visually, the FTI's “space miracle” is more reminiscent of a living room and feel-good room at home than a conventional open-plan office. The furnishings pick up on elements of Freudenberg's corporate design in terms of color and design. One example: the meter-long, sinusoidally curved ceiling light in the middle of the room, in line with the company logo. Enjoying creative work in this atmosphere is easy to imagine.
A good investment
“Creating a working environment that enables innovation, that makes Freudenberg stronger. This is money well spent,” said Dr. Frank Heislitz, Member of the Board of Management of the Freudenberg Group, at the official handover of the keys. In keeping with its innovative character, an industrial robot took over.
In the “space miracle”, the 16 Process Technologies employees no longer have personal desks. Instead, they each use the workspace that they find most suitable for their current task and that best suits their individual way of working. If required, the space temporarily offers around twice as many people room for innovative work. Why?
Cooperative exchange with other FTI departments and other Freudenberg business units is encouraged. Getting out of old ways of thinking, out of the silo mentality of individual departments and divisions - that is what is wanted here.
“We also want to create a working environment for interdisciplinary work across departments,” said project sponsor Dr. Christopher Klatt. Dr. Niko Reuß, Head of Freudenberg Technology Innovation, emphasized: “Innovations require cross cooperation. ”This requires adequate premises. He announced that the new FTI flagship will serve as a starting point and blueprint for further “space wonders”. Project manager Uwe Fleck explained: “We want to learn in this space. The process technology team will be the first to 'play' with this space and then pass on this learning experience.”
Incidentally, good teamwork was also required for the conversion in just six months, especially as the entire electrical infrastructure had to be renewed - to bring the media and communication technology up to date, among other things.