Intelligent office building with perfect corporate identity
When the attitude of a company is reflected in its premises, the identification of the employees increases. In addition to the appropriate space, size, and programming of a building, it is important to build an emotional bond. This results from an individually tailored interior design that is made up of materials, color schemes, furnishings, and digital services. The new ANH Hausbesitz office in “The Terrace” is a highly modern office building on the Spree in Berlin and shows how a corporate identity can be perfectly anchored spatially. What's more: digital technology and AI not only make the building extremely efficient to operate, but building control via an app also makes the users’ everyday work easier.
“The Terrace” is a contemporary, high-quality eight-story office building with underground parking located on the banks of the Spree in Berlin’s Charlottenburg district. The ANH Hausbesitz office on the second floor combines a spectacular color and design concept with versatile common areas and smart services. Spacious outdoor areas and an interplay between materials, colors, and reflections make the working environment a lively place that changes surprisingly depending on the light, season, and perspective.
Drees & Sommer developed a user-centric design concept in close cooperation with ANH. The aim was to promote and establish the New Work culture in the company with the working environment. The challenge was to identify the needs and requirements of the employees and design an efficient and attractive working environment based on this. Drees & Sommer therefore opted for a user-centric design that focuses on the users.
In addition to designing ergonomic workstations and inviting common areas, there are also quiet and relaxation areas. In order to promote communication and cooperation between employees, the common areas were expanded to create informal areas for spontaneous meetings. The result is a working environment that increases the motivation, happiness, and productivity of the employees, which ultimately contributes to the long-term success of the company. Precisely detailed inlay walls serve as a central design element for zoning the various rooms. Materials with different textures and appearances as well as different color schemes give them a high degree of variety.
In addition to the special design, the building stands out for its sophisticated digitalization concept, which won the SmartScore “Platinum” award with a maximum score. The entire building can be smartly and digital controlled using the company’s own app. This includes the elevator doors, all room reservations, heating, lighting, and sun protection. It is supplemented by the latest security standards and a comprehensive cybersecurity concept.
The background is that “The Terrace” collects data centrally. The collected data can be used to derive detailed usage profiles of buildings and facilities in real time. This “brain” acts as artificial intelligence (AI) and connects the facilities, systems, and data of the building to each other. It thereby specifically optimizes the processes in building operation. This means the systems do not work as isolated solutions; instead, they create added value for users and operators by networking with each other. For example, this means the owners can analyze and use the collected data to drive the building to the optimal operating point. This can lead to significant energy savings overall. This is not only good for the environment, but also entails substantial cost advantages in the face of rising energy prices.
Drees & Sommer supported ANH from the “Digital Ready Check” through the definition and implementation of the digitalization modules to successful certification. The design of the new ANH Office has also attracted international attention: the renowned Callwey Verlag selected it among the 50 Best Workspaces 2023. It also received a special mention within the “Excellent Architecture – Interior Architecture” for the excellent design quality at the German Design Award 2023 and was awarded the iF Design Award 2023.
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