Workplace psychology and office design - a creative nexus

By Ar. Vinita Wagh

Photography: Philip Kottlorz; courtesy the designers

Read Time: 2 mins

Roman Klis Design HQ (inset)l-r: Peter Ippolito & Gunter Fleitz ©Ronny Schönebaum

Setting a precedent for expressive workspaces, Ippolito Fleitz Group curates the Roman Klis Design HQ to be the ‘Maldives of Design’.

Its location in the provincial town of Herrenberg in Southwest Germany is a power move that steps away from the big city scene – one that most creative brands shy away from. Designed in collaboration with Porsche Consulting, the office unifies the agency’s brand identity with behavioural science and smart solutions to create a ‘locus of desire’.

Guiding the spatial design is the organisational structure of the company, while its ethos draws inspiration from its founding member – his spirit, creativity and performance – characteristics that lead to a successful brand. The design builds on the relevance of a thinking space that fosters productivity, leveraging the workings of the human psyche through the strategy of ‘nudging’ – psychology influencing employee behaviour and interactions.

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2100 greenhouse plants improve mood, lowers stress levels, boost creativity and enhance performance. The green interior betters air quality and overall well-being, while diminishing noise levels, increasing humidity by 26% and decreasing employee sick days by 50%. 

The designers aim to transform the building without modifying the existing structure. Populating the grey metal ceiling-scape with additional, supplementary coloured strips creates spatial depth and improves mental balance. Blue adds calmness, promotes creativity and white brings openness and lightness to the space. Neutrals promote concentration while pale pink amplifies the happy sentiment to increase empathy amongst employees. Soft shapes and round tables set against a tropical wallpaper make this space an exotic oasis. 

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Changing work culture demands more space for communication and information exchange - appropriated within to create a sense of cohesion and belonging. An impressive vestibule jazzes up the space and the café on the upper floor provides a refreshing, interactive atmosphere.

Overall, a workspace that triggers immediate buzz owing to the positive mood that radiates from all its spaces, the Roman Klis Design HQ is a place of ‘agile working’, where performance and passion intersect and interconnect.

Fact File:

Client: Roman Klis Design GmbH

Designers: Ippolito Fleitz Group

Partners:

Apartment 91 (Textile design)

G.K.R Germany GmbH (Greenery)

Pfarré lighting design (Lighting Design)

Team: Arsen Aliverdiiev, Timo Flott, Christelle Foulon, Fynn Freyschmidt, Roger Gasperlin, 

Tilla Goldberg, Lena Grzib, Jonathan Hernandez, Christian Kirschenmann, Axel Knapp, Ju-Mi Lee, Tim Lessmann, Mario Rodriguez and Charlotte Scheben

Location: Herrenberg, Kalkofenstr, Germany