DoubleSlash – A Place Where “Us” Matters

The Software Innovationszentrum (SIZ) in Friedrichshafen is a prime example of what the workplace of the future can offer when social factors such as teamwork, community and identity determine the game plan for interior design. Creating a workplace of this type is a demonstration of an employer’s appreciation of its staff, and at the SIZ it happened very early on, because the employees were invited to participate in creating it. This approach is user-centric from start to finish, which is what makes it so extraordinary. We conducted a visions workshop and a brand analysis as the starting point for the interior design concept. The staff’s wishes and ideas were gathered and incorporated into it. The building boasts an impressive central feature: an atrium flooded with natural light. It is an open marketplace, buzzing with activity and information exchange. Over 120 plants have been used to zone the area and provide a healthy and comfortable atmosphere. The workplace has plenty of room for the entire staff. And in the event of childcare being unavailable at short notice, there is a suitably furnished room where employees can look after their young children and work at the same time – one more way in which doubleSlash shows how much it values its employees. The SIZ has a special well-being area especially for its employees and equipped with exercise facilities, a gaming corner and a disturbance-free relaxation room. The new doubleSlash home accommodates sports, leisure and relaxation but also the need to be connected with nature: large outdoor areas, including a rooftop patio complete with cinema and outdoor kitchen, tempt people into the open air for their lunch break, brainstorming session or get-together, with the result that the work-relaxation balance can be maintained at a variety of levels, not only spatially but also in terms of content. The doubleSlash Software Innovationszentrum at Lake Constance is so much more than just a workplace. It is a place where the idea of “us” matters a lot; a place where appreciation and identity have found a perfectly designed home.