doubleSlash

A Place Where “Us” Matters

How do you express appreciation in terms of interior design? The Software Innovationszentrum (SIZ) in Friedrichshafen is a perfect example of what the working environment of tomorrow can offer when social components such as teamwork, community and identity determine the design outcome: a place that all employees enjoy being in, open areas for encounters and communication, shared spaces with a convivial atmosphere, and well-being zones for different needs. In fact, appreciation was expressed even before the SIZ became reality, in that the colleagues themselves were involved in the creation of their own workplace. The entire process, from conception to outcome, is user-centric. And that is what makes this project extraordinary. 

Home

One thing was clear for the software development and IT services specialist doubleSlash Net-Business GmbH: their new headquarters at Lake Constance needed to have more than just ergonomic workspaces. They were looking for a new home for their brand. A future-oriented base where everyone would feel at ease. A place where the company values of “together, open, sustainable, enthusiastic” can be sensed in every corner. Where it is fun to work, community is a central aspect, and innovations can emerge that create added value for digital transformation. 

Vision

A vision workshop and a brand analysis provided the starting point for the interior architecture concept. The wishes and the ideas of the employees were also incorporated into it. The goal was to create a place of work in which teamwork and community would be lived every day and form the foundation of the company’s future success. 

Encounter

Innovation is spawned by exchange and encounter. Which is why all the open spaces in the building have been equipped as meeting points and communication spots with a high level of comfort. In the centre of the building, which is also the main place for encounter, is an atrium flooded with natural light. It is a hive of activity and information exchange, making it into a marketplace and area for everyone. People can sit together in the cosy niches or gather for events and talks, for instance at the Meet&Eat. The open structure and high-end technical equipment facilitate digital and hybrid events that can be followed from anywhere within the atrium. More than 120 plants are used here as a zoning element, ensuring a healthy indoor climate and a pleasant atmosphere. 

Work

The workplace is spacious and intended for the entire staff. And in the event of childcare being unavailable at short notice, there is a suitably furnished room where employees’ young children can be entertained during the working day. These are ways in which doubleSlash shows how much the company values its employees. Offices and conference rooms occupy galleries on two upper storeys looking down onto the open atrium. Roomy, open-plan kitchens on these floors have plenty of space for people to get together and talk. 

Balance

When you’re giving your best, you need breaks for regeneration. The SIZ has a special well-being area exclusive to its employees, kitted out with exercise equipment, a gaming zone and a disturbance-free relaxation room. In this zone, raw concrete surfaces combined with large-scale colour gradients on the walls enact a more progressive brand experience than the more tradition-related design of the work areas, making the area stand out markedly from the others in the SIZ. The new doubleSlash home accommodates sports, leisure and relaxation but also the opportunity 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 not only spatially but also in terms of content and at a variety of levels. 

Storytelling

The experience corridor leading to the conference rooms uses images and stories to guide people into the doubleSlash universe. The walls of the corridor depict in 0s and 1s how technology can turn visions of the future into reality and enable orderly solutions to emerge out of the chaos of galaxies. The circulation areas are transformed by colour and atmosphere, content and imagery into more than just a spatial experience: they also serve as contact points for storytelling and brand staging. 

Identity

A navigation concept can be one way to create identity. A signage and room numbering system that features a standard colour scheme can act not only as a reliable guide throughout the building but contribute also, with an individual coordinate system, to the authentic IT identity, which together with the company’s values is expressed in the interior design and plays a significant role in shaping the brand experience. 

There’s no doubt that the doubleSlash Software Innovationszentrum at Lake Constance is more than a workplace. It is a place where “us” really counts and where appreciation and identity have found a creative home. 

Awards

The new work environment created at doubleSlash Net-Business GmbH is a genuine expression of the company’s esteem for its employees. And it has also received high acclaim. Our design approach has been awarded three prizes: In the category “Excellent Architecture – Interior Architecture” of the prestigious German Design Award, our concept received a Special Mention for outstanding quality of design. It was also named one of the 50 Best Workspaces 2023 as part of the Callwey international architecture award. All good things come in threes, and by receiving the iF Design Award for the project from the International Forum Design. The trio is complete. New work and wellbeing go hand in hand with one another. The interaction between these two things is what makes every day at doubleSlash headquarters a whole new experience.