Issue 24

Crowdworking: The space and dreams of the new way of working.

Pets@work:My colleague with the cold snout.

Who is Who: Atelier Heiss.

Visiting the Sky-Campus in West London.

Publisher: Wiesner-Hager Möbel GmbH, Linzer Straße 22, A-4950 Altheim, T +43/(0)7723/460-0, altheim@wiesner-hager.com, www.wiesner-hager.com; Design/Editing: Wiesner-Hager, plenos creative; Layout: plenos creative; guest author: Wojciech Czaja; typing and printing errors reserved; 04/2017.

An introduction withthe “bow-wow effect”!The technical possibilities that the digital age offers are always fascinating. Everyone could theoretically do their office job from anywhere on earth – video confer-ences and emails etc. all make this possible. Is this the end of the good old office? However, the US IT giant IBM is bringing thousands of its employees working from home back into the office! The reason: creativity and innovation thrive much more in the togetherness of communal spaces than in solitude at home. In a special interview, knowledge and innovation architect Carina Trapl from theLivingCore tells us how intrinsi-cally spaces, thoughts and knowledge are linked. Also in this issue of contact we will be looking at the theme New Work, culminating in a hotly debated cover story: “The space and dreams of the new way of working”. The story includes an exciting analysis of the new ways of working, coworking and crowdworking. Continu-ing on, you can take a deep breathe with fitness tips for desk workers, find out why our cold-nosed colleagues can cause a real “bow-wow effect” within the company and how sitting next to the right person can increase productivity. We then take a look at the desk of a truly unique fashion designer and visit the Sky campus in West London, where we discover a heaven on earth.

Enjoy!

Markus Wiesner

What space does innovation need? ............................................................4

Crowdworking: The space and dreams of the new way of working ........... 7

How sitting next to the right person can increase productivity ................ 10

Reference story – new TÜV AUSTRIA campus ..........................................12

Useful things for everyday office life ........................................................15

Fit@Work .................................................................................................16

Who is Who: Christian Heiss ....................................................................18

Visiting the Sky-Campus in West London ..................................................20

What's on your desk, Markus Spatzier? ....................................................23

Pets@work: My colleague with the cold snout ........................................24

Showroom .................................................................................................26

4 contact

For Carina Trapl from the Vienna-based knowledge and innovation architects, theLivingCore, one thing is for certain: thinking and work processes and spaces are intrinsically linked and can stimulate or curb innovation within the company. We met up with her to get her views on working environments.

What space doesinnovation need?

How would you describe theLivingCore?

Trapl: We call ourselves knowledge and innovation architects and thus compare ourselves to architects. Before architects build a new house, they try to find out how people would like to live in this house. The house should reflect their needs. When working with organisations, we go one step further. We don’t limit ourselves to the physical space. Instead, we first analyse how the organisation aims to “function” in the future to be successful. Then we design spaces that help the organisation to shape their future.

How is your team put together?

Trapl: We are a very inter-disciplinary team with a background in landscaping, IT, general management and cognitive science as well as innovation research, fashion and product design.

And yourself ?

Trapl: I’m originally an interpreter, translator and communication coach and I am currently studying cognitive science at Vienna University. I am particu-larly interested in which (communicative) environ-ments promote the development of new knowledge.

How much influence do you think a space can have?

Trapl: It can be summed up in one sentence: “Every-thing that we design in turn designs us back”. That means: what I produce does not exist independently from myself. By using a space, the space does some-thing to me. By changing the world, we change ourselves. And vice versa. Therefore, it's important that I am aware of why I am creating spaces as the space can have repercussions – being either a help or a hindrance.

What is the main concern for your customers?

Trapl: Our customers would like a new office or they would like to become more innovative. Both of these fields often come hand-in-hand and our customers realise that they actually need both. Innovation tends not to favour airless spaces. It needs an environment that enables innovation.

What does an environment that promotes innovation look like?

Trapl: That mostly depends on the company. And, importantly, we call it an environment because most

Architectural space

The space itself, the building

itself.

Social spaceHow we interact

with each other, the social togetherness.

Organisational and cultural spaceThe lived company culture, routines and processes.

Knowledge spaceHow can we gain (new) knowledge? What assumptions is it based on? How does the organisation treat the knowledge process?

Technological & virtual spaceThe design of virtual collaboration plat-forms, IT-support for work processes.

Cognitive &emotional spaceThoughts and emotions which interact witheach other.

Carina TraplKnowledge and innova-

tion architect theLivingCore, Vienna

Enabling Spaces

Office Concepts

© theLivingCore

© theLivingCore

contact 5

6 contact contact 7

people automatically think of four walls when talking about a space. Innovation environments, however, do not start and end with the physical space. It’s all about “enabling spaces” [Figure on page 4]! Architecture plays a huge role in these spaces but just as important are the social, organisational, cultural, virtual, cogni-tive and emotional dimensions. It is mainly about integrating these spaces into one whole space and keeping them in “good tension”. This is different for every company.

How do you bring these buzz words to life?

Trapl: The first step is to analyse the organisation in all of these dimensions and define, for a future perspective, how it should function in all of these dimensions.

What does this kind of process look like in practice?

Trapl: In the analysis phase, we initially run interviews with relevant stake hold-ers following one of our own developed methods. We also conduct ethno-graphic observations. Of course, we also look at the company strategy and the requirements of a future space. From that we then develop a strategic “core process model” which serves as a blueprint for all following measures (organisational measures, spatial measures etc.). The core process model in concrete spaces is implemented together with architects and with the close involvement of employees.

To what extent do you take on the work of architects?

Trapl: We define “space typologies” which aim to support the core process, that is the future way of working, of the company. Depending on the customer we can also take on layout plans, material selection etc. but this phase mostly involves an intensive and creative collaboration with architects working on the project. Our role is to ensure that the architecture corresponds to the future organisational model. We also lead the communication and change process with the employees.

Desk sharing and the clean desk policy are controversial trends in the world of office space planning at the mo-ment. What are your thoughts?

Trapl: I’m more critical of these trends as they are often just cosmetic and not customised and adapted to the organisation. An example: a rigid clean desk policy prevents, for example, creative work as, for this, we need visual and haptic “mind anchors”. If the office is too clean, this hinders the creative process as we almost always have to begin our thoughts “from

scratch”. What’s more is, the office is a place of identity. If personal items are prohibited at the work place, you lose an element of identity. And what employer would want that?

What does the office of the future look like in your eyes?

Trapl: I think the “founding myth” of coworking spaces already contains the idea of the office of the future: identity in diversity and creative meetings. The reason: when I think about it, why I go to an office, even when I’m not obliged to do so, to be on-site at 8 a.m., it mostly comes down to interpersonal reasons – to meet

somebody, exchange ideas, work on a project together – it’s always down to a collaborative creation process. Therefore I'd say that the office is becoming more of a meeting place. It's actually about something really poetic.

And one last question: in this issue we’re also looking at crowdworking. What do you think? Can crowdworking stimulate a company's innovative capacity?

Trapl: Actually it’s precisely the opposite. Crowd-workers usually provide the creative input such as design or text. If a company is reliant on crowdwork-ing then that means that it doesn’t possess this know-how. If I only work with creative minds on a case-by-case basis, there is the danger that I cannot anchor innovation into the company in the long-term. But I do think that it would be interesting for companies to create spaces for the purpose of bringing these people in-house.

Theoffice of thefuture is a

place ofidentity

in a diverse and creative

meeting.

Office Concepts

The term “New Work” was coined 33 years ago. But what has become of it today? The range of new ways of working stretches from coworking to crowdworking – and both ends of the spectrum are polar opposites. A topical analysis.

Office Concepts

It’s not the work that makes people unhappy, it’s the lies that we are told about it”, writes the German work psychologist and coach, Volker Kitz in his new book “Feierabend!” [Home Time!] (the exclamation can be understood as shouting). “Work exists in our minds as an idea, an ideal. The reality of the work day does not live up to our expectation. It disap-points us, and we suffer”. In Germany alone, explains Kitz, 30 million people suffer from a lack of passion at work and feel frustrated as a result. It we look at Austria, the number lies in the region of two to three million employees.

To combat this rife dissatisfaction with the work day, which, despite all expectations, is anything but a modern phenomenon, Austrian-American phi-losopher Frithjof Bergmann came up with the term “New Work”. According to this, New Work is about fun and fulfilment, it’s about identifying with the role, the participation in decision processes and, last but not least, it’s about a pleasant work atmosphere. Bergmann’s definition originated in 1984. This date is also to be marked with an exclamation point, as it shows just how long we have been obsessing over the visions and utopias of a New Working world.

“New Work has been around for a while” writes Wolf Lotter in an article for the German economy maga-zine, brand eins. The current March issue dedicates almost 100 pages to the key issue of New Work. “We are looking for a meaning, a culture, a setting for something that has already become a reality. This is characteristic of our time – and it also explains the unease and many contradictions that occur between the work and the way in which it is organised and how it is done! “With the New Work term”, accord-ing to Lotter, it is “less about utopias and visions and more about a rational analysis”.

Around 21 percent more new digital jobs.It can be summed up with figures: jobs which are built on routine and repetitive processes instead of on knowledge and originality are on the Red List, according to a study by the Mannheim Centre for European Economic Research. Around 10 percent of job profiles have disappeared completely from the market in recent years during the course of digitalisa-tion and computerisation. Equally, however, thanks to new technology, around 21 percent more new jobs have been created.

The space and dreams of the new way of working.

©G

etty

Imag

es

Office Concepts

8 contact

“Our current expectation of productive work is derived mainly from industrial work”, explains Graz-based social and systems scientist, Manfred Füllsack from the Institute for System, Innovation andSustainability Research (ISIS) at the University of Graz. “Beneath this lies the extremely narrow concept of primarily manual work performed by men within an industrial production setting.”

Today, it is different. New Work has turned the work-ing population on its head little by little over the last 33 years and has now reached a point at which classic office work has completely yielded to a wide range of various employment possibilities. This reaches from underpaid, exploitative individual work from home to a communal system in which everyone’s work is supported and taken on by the collective group. It is astonishing how phonetically similar yet profoundly contradictory both ends of the work market spectrum are. Crowdworking on the one side, coworking on the other.

Risks and side effects“With crowdworking, jobs are assigned to a more or less defined amount of people via a web-based plat-form. These people can be individuals, institutions or companies” explains Christiane Benner, publisher of the 2014 book “Crowdwork. Back to the Future”. “Complex jobs are often split into smaller partial jobs before being advertised. In doing so, the effort required for completing the job and costs can both be reduced”. Crowdworking, according to sociologists, is a chance for employees as well as companies – for ex-ample, it provides easy access to work for people who don’t thrive in the regular work market. Christiane also warns: “crowdworking also has its risks such as low income, insufficient health and safety protection, inadequate social protection and no limitations to the work”.

According to crowdworking expert for the Vienna Chamber of Labour (AK), Sylvia Kuba, crowdwork-ers often don’t know for whom they are working as the entity assigning the job is often anonymous. “Payment is usually below the official minimum wage. In addition, you have to spend a quarter of your time alone just to search for jobs. Earning a living doing this is not easy”. In a study on the living and working quality of crowdworkers, the AK discovered that the most common crowd-jobs were simple office work, clickwork, IT services and work in creative fields such

as text compilation, graphic design and logo/slogan pitches.

The most successful worldwide – and due to its low wages also the most commonly criticised – crowd-work provider is Amazon Mechanical Turk. Around half a million people worldwide earn small amounts by completing crowdwork. Providers used in Austria include Clickworker, Crowd Guru, crowdsite, Streetspotr, Testbirds, jovoto, twago, upwork and 99designs. There is still little information available on the number of active crowdworkers in Austria. However, they all have one thing in common: due to the poor working conditions they have long been referred to as “digital day labourers” and “digital pieceworkers”. “It's not the crowd-workers but rather the platforms that need to be transparent – using criteria such as payment, payment practice or realistic as-signments” says author Benner. “Our aim is to programme and estab-lish a corresponding reputation system on the platform”.

Mother of Co-workingOn the other end of the New Work scale – worth recommending for this topic is the blog newworkblog.de – are collective work-ing models such as collaboration or cow-orking. In contrast to the predominantly isolated crowdwork from home, coworking is all about a community working culture. The first coworking space in history was founded in 2002 in Vienna (!). The screw factory in the Leo-poldstadt district of Vienna, which refers to itself as the “Mother of Coworking”, offers work spaces with infrastructure and a diverse opportunities for exchanges between one another. Today, the former production site is used by 40 individual companies and small/medium-sized businesses from the creative

industry, health, research and IT sectors. The party even includes a few start-up companies.

The former Hat Factory in San Francisco had yet more luck with international publicity – three years later. Brad Neuberg, digital nomad, was tired of work-ing in a coffee shop and decided to share the high of-fice leasing costs with other like-minded freelancers. With the advantages of an intellectual exchange clear to be seen and the newly branded name “coworking”, the New Work idea began on the road to global suc-cess. The rest can be found on Wikipedia.

“In just ten years coworking has completely changed out working culture”, says Romy Sigl, founder and direc-tor of Coworking Salzburg, founded in 2012. “Today it is possible for anyone with a computer, ac-cess to the internet, a good education and a good helping of self-confidence, to found a company. And you don’t even need your own space to do so anymore. You can share a space with oth-ers.” The coworking space in the Techno-Z technology centre is 360m2 and has space for 35 employees. This can be rented with a 10-day subscription for 210 euros and allows you not only to enjoy a community, but it also allows you

to profit from an exchange of know-how and an inter-disciplinary network. Average occupancy is around 80 percent.

A prime example for Sigl, who considers herself as a “pioneer for New Work”, was the Betahaus cowork-ing space in Berlin, which already operates branches in Hamburg, Lisbon and Sofia. Sigl has been – and continues to be – on the way to determining the lat-est trends in Germany, Portugal, Lebanon and Egypt,

and adapting them to Salzburg. One example: “Co-working and Baby” for young working mothers. This includes networking opportunities, start-up parties and free sparring partnering in the lunch break. As part of a free lunchtime pizza and cola party, cowork-ers receive in-depth feedback on the latest design or business concepts from all workers present.

“I’m not too bothered about furniture”, admits Sigl. “Coworking Salzburg is equipped with Ikea and vin-tage furniture as what is important with coworking is the community.” Bernhard Kern, CEO of Roomware Consulting GmbH doesn’t quite see it the same way. “Coworking is linked to collaboration and commu-nication, and furniture is not only important for this, it plays a central role”, says Kern. “Whether we are talking about coworking spaces or about coworking in terms of cooperation and collaboration within a company, the most important thing is abandoning the idea of hierarchy and establishing an equal infra-structure.” Kern believes that innovative and versatile furniture is a part of that.

Transition into New Work made easyCurrent demand for open space solutions and coworking areas is sky-rocketing, the Roomware boss explains. “The trend has already reached the big and small cities across Austria. And in my opinion, thanks to their openness, flexibility and easy adaptability, these new office solutions are not just suitable for coworking. They can also be used for scrum, design-thinking and sociocratic company management in the future. Communication in the work place is timeless.”Nowadays, even small villages think about establish-ing co-working spaces in their main squares, to make it easy for their citizens to understand the concept of New Work. Then there is the Tabakfabrik Linz, an old tobacco factory which is currently mastering a change process into Austria’s biggest creative indus-tries and start-up centre. A while ago, the Tabakfabrik organised a competition with the title "Die zündende Idee" (A spark of genius). This way, they wanted to find ideas and concepts which answer the question of what has to be done in order for technical and indus-trial progress not to harm, but to benefit mankind.The recently crowned winner of the contest receives a rent-free think-tank office in the tobacco factory as a prize – for life! The invitation to New-Work could not have been expressed in a more active and optimistic way.

Wojciech Czaja

©ahoyberlin.com / Beda Mulzer (bedamat.com)

Ahoy Berlin (ahoyberlin.com) is one of the best-known offices for coworking. Another office is found in São Paulo, Brazil.

contact 9

Social Trends

contact 1110 contact

This is the question asked by Cornerstone onDemand, the leading provider for talent management software, as they began a study together with Harvard Business School which was dedicated to this topic for over two years. From this they quickly discovered the three types of workers. The study showed that there is a clear link between the conscious arrangement of these types of workers and the productivity of the employees. The

three types of workers include:

The Productive.Works quickly and gets fast results – albeit with limi ted quality. They try to “somehow” settle problems and difficulties themselves without feedback from the supervisors.

The Qualitative.Works carefully but slowly, getting high-quality results. They are quick to consult their supervisors for any discrepancies.

The Generalist.An all-rounder of productivity and quality.To maximise potential, they should be placed next to colleagues with opposite qualities, according to the study – productive next to qualitative. This is explained by the “spill-over effect” or “transfer effect”: This states that opposites complement each other and thus can balance out each of their weaknesses. Gen-eralists, however, are most productive next to other generalists. If a company manages to find the ideal seating arrangement, productivity can be increased by 13 percent and efficiency by 17 percent. According to study findings, for a company with 2,000 employees that equates to around one million US dollars. In order for this to come into effect, the seating arrange-ment must be kept for the long-term.

Problem: Work-resisters.A fourth “shady type of worker” included unmoti-vated employees who are difficult to manage and who often avoid work. The transfer effect can also come into play here and this bad attitude can rub off onto other employees. It’s important to identify these work-resisters and eliminate them from the team.

A study overview.The study was carried out by Cornerstone onDemand* together with the researchers at Harvard Business School. The aim was to answer the question to what extent a strategic seating arrangement influences employee productivity. Over a period of more than two years, 2,000 employees in both European and American companies were observed and analysed.

The seat to my right is free...How sitting next to the right person can increase productivity.

Today’s employee is super flexible and will do their work wherever there is space to do so. Who he/she sits next to is completely irrelevant. This is, in short, the philosophy behind desk sharing. However, is this really the case?

Qualitative

Productive Generalist

Productive

Work-resister

Sour

ce: h

ttps

://w

ww.

corn

erst

oneo

ndem

and.

com

/com

pany

/new

s/pr

ess-r

elea

ses/

new

-stud

y-sh

ows-w

ho-si

ts-w

here

-wor

k-ca

n-im

pact

-em

ploy

ee-p

erfo

rman

ce-a

nd-c

ompa

ny *C

orne

rsto

ne o

nDe-

man

d is

a wor

ldw

ide l

eadi

ng p

rovi

der o

f clo

ud-b

ased

soft

war

e for

recr

uitm

ent,

lear

ning

, man

agem

ent a

nd em

ploy

ee n

etw

orki

ng w

ithin

the c

ompa

ny.

©Foto: Shutterstock

contact 1312 contact

The new building brings together four Vienna branches into one central office, seminar and meeting space. This strategic decision was a part of an extensive organisation project with the aim of optimising and further developing customer processes.

As TÜV AUSTRIA project manager, Stefan Pfefferer watched over both the company organisation develop-ment process for the past two years as well as the planning and completion of the new building. We met with him to talk about the new building and his experiences.

It’s been two months in the new building. Have you set-tled in? What were your first experiences?

Pfefferer: We have really settled in – better than we initially expected during the early stages. Already after

just a few weeks we can see what is the most important and that is that we grow more as a team. Teamwork and the consequent opportunities are now better perceived than before.

How did you approach the project? What preparations were necessary?

Pfefferer: The new site was the result of anorganisation development process in which theTÜV AUSTRIA group was completely reorganised. The opening of the TÜV AUSTRIA campus at the beginning of 2017 marked the successful end of the company’s “change process”.

Which aspects of New Work can be found at TÜV AUSTRIA?

The beginning of the year saw 300 TÜV AUSTRIA employees get a new office, training and meeting complex in the south of Vienna: the TÜV AUSTRIA campus in Brunn am Gebirge. The new building stretches over more than 7,300 square metres with six floors. The layout for each floor has been purposefully built with an open design with exchanges and dialogue being the focus.

Undertaking future.The new TÜV AUSTRIA campus creates added value for employees, customers and partners.

Pfefferer: At the TÜV AUSTRIA campus office site the customer benefit of “one request, one contact partner, one address” is put into practice. The entire company spectrum of services together with the cor-responding expert knowledge is now all combined under one roof. That means shorter routes, more com-munication and an even better execution of project tasks. “Everything in one place” has never been more true for our customers.

How did you go about implementing the open space? What were the challenges?

Pfefferer: Team-building and the resulting positive effects for our employees, and of course for our cust-omers and partners too, only work when you create a suitable work environment. That was the challenge; developing a building that is precisely tailored to the needs of more than 300 employees and at least 12,000 course participants per year.

How do you navigate the acoustics and climate/tempera-ture in the open space?

Pfefferer: The TÜV AUSTRIA campus is not only impressive because of its architecture, but also because of its sustainability. Light sources in the building come in the form of intelligent LED solutions with modern light control. Thermal energy is provided by an EVN biomass plant in the neighbouring Mödling and Gun-tramsdorf. Ventilation, heating and air-conditioning are controlled zone-by-zone and are regulated via room temperature sensors. The ceiling heights for all floors provide additional ventilation. Absorbers on the walls, in the meeting zones and directly in the work area (as well as a closed middle zone for each individu-al floor) provide the necessary peace and quiet.

Is there any kind of “etiquette manual” for the open space office?

Pfefferer: Consideration and cooperation were an active part of our everyday work, even in the past.

Reference story

contact 15

Trendwatching

Officeessentials.

New ways for teamwork:wireless presentations!Whether it’s a whiteboard, video or audio conference, with Cisco Spark Board any team can present to one another without any wires. All you need is fingers and the Cisco Spark App and you can connect any device you want, turning video conferences into a collective and efficient presentation experience.

It’s great that there are always ideas that make hard life in the office that little bit easier. Here are three ideas we found for you. Rating: highly recommendable!

© C

isco

SpareDesk, theworkspace finder.Where are the best workspaces hid-den around the world?SpareDesk is a platform for free-lancers, students, hobbyists and companies for finding the best crowdworking spots in over 40 cities across the globe. Whoever you are, SpareDesk shows you the way to the perfect space for you to live the digital nomad’s dream with creativity, efficiency and inspiration.

Thick air in the office?Those days are over! If we believe studies by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the air between our four walls is 10 to 30x more polluted than outside. This can have a negative effect on health and wellbeing – and not just for people with allergies. If we think about how many hours we spend in the office, it makes sense to address the issue of air filtration. It is worth striving for an office without allergens, smoke, fine particles, gases, smells, bacteria and viruses. Important message from Wiesner-Hager: Yes to air filters but please always use them with air humidifiers!

Referenzstory

14 contact

Philips VitaShield IPS filters the air in no time.

© P

hilip

s

© w

ww.

spar

edes

k.co

m

Find cool coworking spaces at the push of

a button.

Spark is an app that can be used on smartphones, notebooks, PCs, etc. without the need for the board.

Nevertheless, we put together a small rulebook for constructive teamwork at the TÜV AUSTRIA campus. This should serve us as a guide for a healthy cohabitation under one roof.

Were employees involved in the project? If yes, how?

Pfefferer: Our own campus user group of TÜV AUSTRIA employees from all company divisions, together with us as project managers, contributed via numerous meetings right up until the completion of the building, ensuring that employees and customers could enjoy and feel comfortable in a constructive work environment. The result are attrac-tive, contemporary work places, well-lit, air-conditioned spaces, sufficient parking spaces in the multi-storey car park,e-filling stations, our own TÜV AUS-TRIA shuttle service and modern train-ing and presentation rooms. There is now also a canteen, working cafés, a large roof terrace and a green area with a pond.

What kind of room structures are there in the building? Where are meetings and discussions held?

Pfefferer: Each floor space was designed to be as open as possible as to allow teamwork and the merg-ing of skills more than ever before. Meetings and dis-cussions take place in various large rooms. The entire 5th floor is the discussion level and it’s also a meeting point for our customers. On the individual floors, we have creative zones equipped with acoustically effective lounge furniture which allows for spontane-ous encounters between colleagues or a simple retreat from your own work place.

The TÜV AUSTRIA Academy is also integrated into the new building. How have the academy rooms been designed?

Pfefferer: The same goes for our seminar guests as for our employees. They should feel comfortable here whilst gaining knowledge or an additional qualifica-tion. We manage this with spaciously laid out and state-of-the-art seminar rooms, rest and break areas,

a sophisticated culinary experience and an attractive outside area.

In retrospect, what were the biggest challenges and lessons learnt from the projects? What are the biggest successes?

Pfefferer: In a company of such a great scale as ours, there are naturally many dif-ferent interests and various requirements for the everyday work day. Therefore, it was necessary to translate the merging of skills within our company group into an active daily practice, pretty much from scratch. To do so we didn’t just need the necessary know-how and a strong partnership with planners, constructors and external consultants, but we also needed unwavering enthusiasm from the ground breaking, right up until the opening of the TÜV AUSTRIA campus. And we succeeded. In the planning and construction phase, we naturally learned

all sorts of things. We will, of course, benefit from this knowledge and wealth of experience for our new con-struction project for the Vienna and Upper Austria test centre.

Wiesner-Hagerproject scope

The ground-floor reception area wasequipped with paro_2 swivel chairs with high backrests and neck supports.

The canteen was furnished with around100 cafeteria seats and around 30 bar stools from the nooi product line.

In the office rooms, meeting spaces andworking cafés we used 350 paro_2 swivel chairs and 130 paro_2 cantilever chairs.

For the meeting spaces on the top floor, 20ayo conference chairs and 12 pulse confe-rence chairs were selected.

Stefan Pfefferer Project manager at TÜV AUSTRIA

16 contact

Office Life

contact 17

are caused by postural and musculoskeletal problems. Overstraining of the spine, tension, pain, and in many cases even irreparable damage.

The good news is that you can avoid all of this. The key to being healthier in the office lies in the combina-tion of two main factors:

1. Your conduct in the office You have to move! And believe us, there are plenty of opportunities to move around, even whilst sitting.

Ideally you should do 6,000 to 10,000 steps per day. This can easily be measured with the help of pedo-meters (e.g. as a smartphone app).

2. Qualitative work places

The furniture – from ergonomically designed office chairs to flexible height-adjustable desks for work both sitting down and standing up – can play a big role in a healthier work place.

It is clear that nicotine and alcohol is poison for the body, but sitting can have just as negative an effect on our health. The problem is that office workers primar-ily sit for on average over nine hours a day.

The bad news is that our bodies are not built to sit for long periods. The body was built to move. Unfortu-nately, diverse studies also show that this does not go without having negative consequences. One example: according to a study by the Work Foundation (on behalf of the EU), almost half of the yearly sick days

“Sitting is the new smoking”, the widely quoted claim from author Dr James Levine (Head of the Obesity Solutions Project at the Arizona State University’s Mayo Clinic) sounds like a catch line from the tabloid media but it is, in fact, very close to reality.

Fit@Work

Take the stairs instead of the lift!

Dynamic sitting: change your sitting posture regularly!

Use height-adjustable stand/sit work places as often as possible!

Standing desks and standing tables also help.

Stand or walk whilst having meetings, reading post and speaking on the phone!

Don’t deal with all internal matters via email or phone, go over and settle it in person!

Use breaks as movement breaks!

If possible, bike to work!

Set your office chair and desk correctly (seethe ergonomics video below).

Tips for anactive work day

3 exercises for the office.Simple exercises in the office to do from time to time, created by “health coach” Mag. Michael Mayrhofer (www.personal-fitness.at)

Back-shoulder-power Position yourself with your back behind your chair. Stretch your arms behind you with your shoulders the width of your backrest apart. Make sure to keep your feet hips-length apart and lower your knees (squat). Your head and back stay upright. Stay in

this position for 30 to 45 seconds, continuing to take deep breaths.

Flank stretchesSit upright on your office chair with your feet hips-length apart on the ground. Form a right angle with your left thigh and lower leg with your right leg stretched out. Put both your arms above your head, grab your left wrist with your right hand and lean

both arms to the side of the stretched out leg. Breathe slowly and evenly, changing sides after 30 to 45 sec-onds. Make sure when stretching that you don’t slouch and avoid rotating your body.

Tension equalisation Stretch one arm above your head and the other down-wards. Fold back the palms of your hand as if you were pushing something up/down – this forms a tension chain, the spine must stay straight. Maintain this position once or twice for 30 to 45 seconds.

Finally, release the tension, lower your arms and switch sides.

©Sh

utte

rsto

ck

18 contact contact 19

How would you describe your working style?

Heiss: We try not to jump on the latest fashion and short-term trends. Architecture is more long-term and the required quality should also be long-term. And that’s what we look for. We start from scratch with every project because, essentially, all we have to fall back on is our experience. That is the main challenge.

How do you work? How do you go about projects?

Heiss: We have 25 employees and are very team-oriented. Our three main pillars are offices, homes and hotels – these are the core competences around which we work. We work in these three areas so that we have more creative freedom. The teams are always put together with the project in mind. At the start, I am heavily involved in every project to make sure the design is up-and-running.

How do you start a creative process?

Heiss: For me there are always two sources of inspiration: the site and the building owner/con-struction job.

What can be done on the site, where is the light, how are the views. I find the building owners particularly interesting though. What are their quirks, what are their wishes? A building never just stands around soullessly – it is put into operation and used, and it is also closely linked to the building owner. These people are usually very inspiring and you can learn a lot from them.

How difficult is it to balance the wishes of the building owner with your ideas?

Heiss: In my eyes, architecture is a certain type of service. We have to fulfil certain functions but with difference being that there is also an aesthetic and ar-chitectural requirement. There is something like a mu-tual veto: the building owner can say what he doesn’t want just as I can say what absolutely won’t work. This has never lead to conflict, though.

What is your favourite project?

Heiss: I have about twenty favourite projects. It’s like children, you can never pick a favourite [laughter].

What projects are you working on at the moment?

Heiss: At the moment we are working on an amazing office building – the new building for the headquarters of the Swiss company Schindler Lifts. In the office sector we are also working on the interior for a large tax consultancy with around 10,000 m2. We’re also building a hotel in Split and two residential buildings have already been completed in the 2nd and 3rd districts.

We are sensing more and more willingness to change from companies in the field of office design—probably thanks to models such as Google, Microsoft etc. How do you handle this topic? Do you also sense change?

Heiss: Massively. Open space is more important than ever. My most recent project was almost exclusively open space planning. Generally, this type of space allows for more openness in communication and it consciously creates communication zones within the

company. This also includes a trend that puts everyone from supervisors to employees all on the same level – this can also be for psychological reasons.

What role does the office as a location play in this mobile age for you?

Heiss: Working from home is a nice “add-on”, but I still prefer working here in the office during the day. And I require my employees to do the same because we have to constantly coordinate with one another. Of course, it’s great that I can read my emails wherever I am but I am still a friend of a structured work comm-unity and direct communication. I don’t find the idea of working solely from home very desirable. Even the mental separation between your own four walls and the office is important, not to mention social isolation is a huge risk.

How do you see the office as a factor for motivation?

Heiss: I am not convinced that architec-ture is the be all and end all for people’s happiness and satisfaction, but a beautiful building can certainly can go a long way. Good architecture ensures clarity and transparency, for example. At Schindler Lifts we constructed a new building directly next to the current headquarters meaning employees can see on a daily basis how the building has grown – it’s extremely motivating.

In this issue we are presenting the newTÜV AUSTRIA construction project. As

the architect, you provided the building designs. How did you approach the project?

Heiss: For us it was very exciting to set out the path for the construction to follow. What was special about the project was that we were able to create a forecourt by pushing the structure back and putting a slight bend in the building. By creating this forecourt, we were able to create an interesting, two-storied entrance layout. I also think it is important that the academy is now established at the headquarters. It motivates academy guests and employees, and creates a special dynamic. You can be very proud to have a building like that.

The site and the building owner.

Founded in 1997, Atelier Heiss has made a name for itself in the architecture sector. Top customers such as McDonald’s Europe, ÖBB [Austrian National Rail], Kempinski Residence or Schindler Lifts have all already put their trust in the architecture firm’s abilities. Founder Chris-tian Heiss took some time out of his day and in-vited us to his studio in central Vienna. He told us all about his approach to working and gave us his insights into modern office architecture.

Christian HeissFounder of the architecture firm, Atelier Heiss

Who is Who

© F

oto

Kas

sner

New TÜV AUST-RIA building

Campus in Brunn am Gebirge.

© K

assn

er

contact 21

Offices worldwide

20 contact

Where are the check-in counters? Where are the secu-rity screenings? Where are the many, many departure gates? If you didn’t know any better, upon entering the building you would think you had just stepped into a modern, Scandinavian-inspired airport and then, to your horror, you would realise you had left your suitcase at home. This association is not too far from the truth. Everything here truly does revolve around the idea of a light and airy, heaven-like atmosphere. The location in question is the recently completed “Sky Central” office building on the Sky campus is Osterley, West London. Here is where British broadcaster, Sky, sends out news and sport news from all over the world across the globe. “We really wanted a place that was inspiring and energising for both colleagues and visitors”, says Andrew Jackson, con-struction and project manager at Sky. “The staircases, ramps and platforms that lead up to the central, well-lit atrium make both the site and its effect on work performance and employee communication unique.” The 160 metre central, adventurously jagged atrium strip stretches throughout the entire building, across the numerous work and meeting platforms resembling street canyons.

The “Sky Central” building is truly gigantic with 3,500 employees, representing the heart of the 13 hectare large Sky campus. With a net floor surface area of 38,000 square metres, the office building would need around 30 classic high-rise stories in central London, Jackson calculated. “However, here the entire space arrangement fits on just three storeys without any hierarchal barriers.” The arrangement is light and airy thanks to the open and transparent design of the open areas and sees plenty of daylight thanks to more than 400 skylights. “Basically, you could say that everything in this building revolves around the staircases, ramps and platforms”, explains Wayne McKierman, director of PLP Architecture. The London-based architecture

firm planned the project together with Amanda Levete Architects (AL_A) and the internationally active in-terior designer, HASSELL. “Here is where everything comes together, this is where the central, informal communication that is so important for everyday office life takes place. We designed the open space so that there are several redundant ways of getting from A to B. This way people can choose many different paths and encounter a different person every time.”

Stairs over liftThe unusual organisation is not just for communication purposes. It was the cli-ent’s particular wish to promote walkways and, despite having to have them due to construction regulations, consciously neglect the use of lifts by cleverly hiding them. According to McKiernan, most employees have embraced the invitation to casual muscle training. The daily steps, as they are called at Sky, contribute to an integrated promotion of health and sports, which in the UK has become significantly more important in recent years, McKiernan explains.

Slimming down is not only the motto of the people, but it can also be seen reflected

in the architecture. “Many, many years ago”, explains McKiernan, “Sky began as a broadcaster in a type of warehouse. We wanted to cleverly, yet all whilst main-taining a high-quality, reflect this ascetic architecture here. Everything in this building is logical, slimmed down and highly functional. It is the people and the

Heaven on earth.The new headquarters of the British broadcaster, Sky, is characterised by its light and airy atmosphere. This is all down to the use of colours and materials and the redundant excess of work places as well the celestial variety of ways to get from A to B. Visiting the Sky-Campus in West London.

Youcould say

that everything in this building

revolvesaround the staircases, ramps andplatforms.

©Hufton+Crow

©Hufton+Crow

©Sh

utte

rsto

ck

22 contact

pictures that bring the colour and the life anyway.” The primary skeletal structure is made from steel, the ceiling tiles are concrete and the roof is supposedly the largest connected wooden roof construction in Europe. Bonus: due to the efficient design, despite its size, the building could be completed in 18 months.

18 small neighbourhoodsThere is nothing unusual about these sobering num-bers nowadays. However, there is hardly a corner in this building that goes unused, that doesn’t invite you to pause and watch the lively, bustling community. There are benches, lounge chairs and seating steps everywhere, all decorated with soft cushions in the cor-porate orange, magenta and blue colours. What’s most exciting is the panoramic view into the glass newsroom which is used to report the latest international political events every hour. “Commu-nication and contact between people is a central quality of this project, right down to the smallest details”, says Felicity Roocke, CEO of interior designer HAS-SELL. “This involved splitting our 3’500 employees into 18 smaller neighbour-hoods. This is how we divided the whole community into clearer, village-like structures.” Each neighbourhood unit has around 200 employees and includes a small kitchen, lounge, break rooms

Offices worldwide

and several mid-zones for collective working, whereas the classic work places are concentrated along the panoramic glass façade. In addition there are 30,000 (!) plants spread across the entire building.

More work places than needed“Sky had very clear visions for the quality of work places and was a very competent project partner”, explains Roocke. “This also involved a part of the building being designed as shared desk space with a clean desk policy, meaning significantly more work

places are available than actually neces-sary. This is not something that, as a plan-ner, you see every day.” The meaning and purpose of this strategy is to achieve the light and airy atmosphere that could be associated with heaven on earth. Or, as Neil Usher, head of the work place at Sky, explains: “Here we have created a work space which encourages employees to do their best, highest-quality work of their career.” A heavenly job? That is for the employees to decide. However, one thing is for sure: the Sky Central building has recently been awarded the “BREEAM Excellent” certificate for its sustainable architecture and flexible, socially inspired work place design.

Wojciech Czaja

Communication and contact

between peopleis a centralquality of

this project,right down to the smallest

details.

©Fo

to: H

ufto

n+C

row

©Fo

to: H

ASS

ELL

Mar

k C

ocks

edge

©G

ünte

r Ric

hard

Wet

t

01

The Tirolese fashion designer, Markus Spatzier has a weakness for all things gothic. This is reflected in his fashion: The clothes from the Herzblutfactory – the label created by the skilled tailor in 2010 – are masterfully on display, once used at the Vienna Opera Ball and now decked out with black lace, exuberant Baroque decoration and a somewhat morbid pomp.

He designed most of the items and prints himself. You can even find some elements of his current collection on display at his work place in his bou-tique in a centuries-old house in the Schwaz town square. We visited the 28-year old fashionista at his studio to ask what all of the crowns, neck-laces and black angels on his desk meant. So much is clear: it’s all about atmospheres and stories.

Wojciech Czaja visiting Markus Spatzier

What’s on your desk, Markus Spatzier?

This second-hand piece from the sixties was originally from the Innsbruck Chamber of Commerce. A high-ranking boss used to sit here. Now I’m able to make do with the walnut veneer.

Can’t be without my Apple computer. This is where my prints come to life.

Bust with necklace: this is where I present my jewellery collection.

The gold crown with a black candle was actually supposed to be a Christmas decoration. This makeshift solution is still used today.

Less is more? I don’t think so. More is more! That includes a handmade tea light, a small pretend sewing machine, a glass dome and a large cast-iron black angel.

That is a hand-carved wardrobe that I found at an antique dealer’s.

The tailor’s dummy is an original baroque bust with ba-roque waist. I found this one in a shop in Hall in Tirol.

Black bride and white bride. White bridal gowns are common. But we get more and more women asking us for black wedding gowns.

This was originally a classic, electrified chandelier. I didn’t like it so I decided to swap out the crystal chandeliers for candles.

The photo wallpaper is a picture of an old art-nouveau style factory hall in France. I’m fascinated by this view. It also says something about my interest in craftsmanship and tradition.

01

02

03

04

05

06

07

08

09

10

contact 23

What’s on your desk?

02

03

05

06

07

04

08

09

10

Dogs ensure relaxation. It is scientifically proven that even being close to a dog alone is enough to release the hormone oxytocin in the brain. Oxytocin is more commonly referred to as the cuddle hormone. No wonder then that it has a positive effect on the well-being and reduces stress levels. This ensures a relaxed atmosphere in the office and a pleasant work climate.

Dogs make us more productiveand healthier. As opposed to lazing around at our desk or taking just a few steps to the canteen, dogs force us to stand up and move regu-larly – often accompanied by other col-leagues. An adequate number of breaks, especially whilst getting some fresh air, increases productivity and makes us fitter, more awake, and strengthens the immune system.

Smell and noise. The novelty of our four-legged colleagues soon wears off for many employers when you arrive in the office to the typical smell of “wet dog”. The smell of dog food is also not everyone’s cup of tea. Too much barking is also considered as being disruptive – especially when on the phone or when concentrating.

Stress for the dog. With all of the pros and cons for people, we mustn’t forget the well-being of the dog. Not every breed and every nature is suitable as an office dog. The dog should be relaxed around people. Otherwise it can cause the dog chronic anxiety or stress and in the worst case scenario, can even lead to biting.

Anxiety and allergies. As well as the potential health problems, such as allergies to animal hair, we must remember that some colleagues can simply have a fear of dogs.

Hard facts: legal issues. It is important to know that no one is simply allowed to just bring a dog into the office, except when talk-ing about blind dogs. The decision lies with the em-ployer. There’s no time for walkies during the work day. Dog owners are responsible for damages caused

by the dog and are obliged to clean any mess made by the dog immediately. The employer has a duty of care for employees. This means that people who are allergic or people who are scared of dogs must be protected. So much for the legal situation. Of course, we can’t ignore animal protection either, which states that dogs should not be kept in manufacturing areas and must not be exposed to loud noises, damp or poison-ous substances.

So does Mr Woof get the job? More and more companies are allow-ing dogs to be brought into work, and for good reason. Office animals have a positive effect on the work climate and productivity. But whether Mr Woof is welcome in your company depends on the employer as well as the employees. Allergies and anxiety are KO criteria that make it impossible to integrate a dog into the office. It also completely depends on the company culture and the individual situation at the work place.If all the conditions are met and eve-ryone involved agrees, then nothing stands in Mr Woof ’s way. One thing is

for certain, though: the better I get to know my col-leagues, the more I prefer my dog ;-)

Dogsincrease

productivityand make usfitter, more awake, and

strengthen the immune system.

But anyway, it’s still cute when he looks up so in-nocently from under your colleagues desk Of course, we’re talking about the new office dogs, which are dividing opinions throughout the working world. Besides flexible working models and the classic salary issue, it is the possibility of bringing your own dog into work that is proving crucial in the battle for the best workforce. This is because members of genera-tion Y and Z have quite literally “gone to the dogs”, so to speak, and even long-serving employees cannot be without their four-legged favourites. That’s why we decided to take a closer look at the topic “Dogs at Work”, putting together the pros and cons for you and explaining the legal issues.

Before we start, basic condition for cohabitation with dogs in the office is that the dog is healthy, vaccinated and insured. It is also just as important that the dog has a good nature and is ok with people and other dogs.

The colleague with the cold snout?! Why more and morecompanies are getting dogs.

He’s quite “dogged” this new guy. And he smells from time to time, especially when it’s wet outside. He gets his hair everywhere, too.

Social Trends

24 contact contact 25

skill system table for flexible communication. The skill system table joins two tables tops with just one frame. You can ar-range unique table formations with just a few moves and completely without the use of tools. A great selection of formats allows you to discover comple-tely new layout options. The skill system table’s strength lies in its extensive table configurations. If needed, the elements can even be used as individual tables.

The one-click-function principle: By loosening the lo-cking device in the top supports, the frame underneath can be dislodged and clicked back into the desired position. The frames are completely adjustable and can be used as a connecting element between two table tops of on their own, or as a flush mount border at the end of the table.

cage. A cage full of ideas. A cabinet system that inspires thanks to its style and authentic mix of materials. cage can be perfectly used as storage space and zoning. A frame made from square pipes redefines space and comes in an unexpected form. Open and closed modules, horizontal and vertical cubes and a selection of unusual materials make for a mixed bag of possibilities. The design is based on a clear grid. Using cage can be great for creating organising structures within a space. A corner bracket allows for a natural connection between two elements.

The use of various materials, surfaces and colours also gives planners and architects more freedom to play around. Used as storage space, cage helps to arrange and organise, all whilst serving as a room divider and visual cover. While the 1st and 2nd document file level (FL) are practically used, the 3rd FL gives you a space full of possibi-lities. The third level can offer perspective and transparency. This section serves as a storage and presentation surface and can be completed with a tablet and magazine stand.

ShowroomOur product innovation gives you the chance to play around a little

bit. As a kid you used to play with building blocks, now you can play

with the skill system table! It can be arranged into different table

formations completely without the use of tools to fit every need.

Do you like creative designs? The cage cupboard system is truly a

cage full of ideas. Unique materials, surfaces and colours inspire

individual creations.

contact 2726 contact

Showroom

yunoThe smart alternative to the folding table.

“Stacking without folding” – yuno retains all the benefits of a folding table and avoids its weaknesses. wiesner-hager.com

Stacking

withoutfolding!