As lined out in our article about resimerical design , designing office spaces that incorporate flexible and comfortable areas, materials with varying, soft textures, and soft, warm lighting, has a proven positive effect on the happiness, productivity, and general wellbeing of employees. The right design can evoke a sense of warmth and comfort, while overall being branded and in line with the brand’s positioning.
Melchers China has done a tremendous job in upgrading their Beijing offices, which had last been renovated over two decades ago, to provide this sense of comfort and wellbeing to its employees. The current office is bright and flooded with daylight, feels more spacious, and offers a number of areas and corners with varied seating for informal work and recharge. It is quite the transformation when compared with the prior office design and facing challenges that seemed quite daunting at the time: A low ceiling that was only 2.2 meters high in certain areas, air-conditioning ducts and fire safety equipment that was installed throughout the space at a very low level, and a number columns all made the office feel tight and too cramped. This impression was further increased by most of the natural lighting being blocked off by private offices and the large number of desks placed in the open office area. Employees had only their assigned desks to work at and use two formal meeting rooms. There were no communal spaces or informal work areas.
The Melchers Beijing Office Before Renovation
This makes it clear why everyone was motivated and got excited when Melchers decided to completely re-design and renovate the Beijing office. The whole team was involved during the analysis, design strategy and the various design stages. A detailed survey was conducted face to face with most of the employees in order to understand the requirements, needs, preferences and ideas of every individual. The defined objectives included:
- Creation of a design with a lasting design language viable for the next 10 years
- Maximization of light and better use of space for current needs
- Optimization of workflows and communication ways
- Replacement of furniture and development of a modern feel in line with the company’s desired image and new global Corporate Identity
- Functional, flexible, and easy-to-be-maintained areas
- Area with high tables to enable employees to work standing
- More informal work spaces that allow people to shift around and work from different places
- A relaxing, comfortable pantry space, ideally located beside the windows, where employees can take a break from work
And this is the result. The first thing employees and visitors experience is the new Melchers entrance space. The entrance area feels brighter, more spacious, and welcoming. While offering a strong branded look, what makes this space feel so open and welcoming is the fact that the area opens up towards the inside of the offices and maintains a certain level of lightness and transparency.
The spacious, bright, and welcoming branded entrance of the Melchers Beijing office
In Melchers spirit, the office was inaugurated in style with a ribbon cutting ceremony and welcome back celebration for the employees in January 2022. The reopening ceremony was blessed by the good fortune of the first snowfall of the year. A Chinese idiom says瑞雪兆丰年, which literally means “A timely snow promises a good harvest” and reflects wealth and prosperity. The team was very excited about this and saw it as a good sign for the future development of the company.
Since then, the team has been excited to work from the different zones provided – and experience a new level of freedom, inspiration, and engagement during work hours. In addition, the team feels that interdepartmental collaboration and workflow efficiency have increased. ”It was important to use the office design to promote unplanned encounters and exchanges. Because that is where the magic happens. The pantry, common areas and open spaces have sparked interdepartmental spontaneous exchanges and increased communication” , says the Managing Director of Melchers in Beijing, Mike Hofmann.
Opening of the Melchers Beijing office with a ribbon cutting ceremony in early 2022
Back to the adjustment of the space. The feeling of lightness could be incorporated throughout the office by opening up the ceiling and moving all non-essential equipment to areas close to the walls. Communal spaces and the open office area are now located along the windows to maximize daylight and wellbeing. This also makes sense economically considering that views of nature from office windows are proven to lead to higher job satisfaction and stress reduction.
Employees can now also work in a dedicated area with high tables or in a lounge zone with sofas in front of the windows. Wooden furniture and plants make the space feel cozier and healthier. Relaxation areas and informal workspaces are important as changes in location stimulate concentration and creativity and increase the overall feeling of wellbeing.
Screens, high cabinets, and plants create privacy in the open office
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorpeResearch shows that humans can only achieve deep concentration for four hours in total and need to take breaks and recharge to be able to concentrate again. With the pantry now being located alongside the windows and featuring a view towards the South with trees, this has become another prime space to relax and restore energy. The soft-furnished benches in the blue niche are usually the first seating space that is occupied during lunch breaks.r mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
The pantry is flooded with warm daylight
Employees are a company’s most important asset. Well-designed offices need to make employees feel good and inspire them. In addition, a well-designed office helps build a powerful, authentic employer brand. By providing an environment that fosters mental and physical health, Melchers is not only creating a motivated and highly productive team but is also leading the path by thinking sustainably and building a strong work culture with clear values.
Maximization of space and natural light in offices creates a sense of wellbeing
To learn more about employee wellbeing in office spaces, read our previous articles on resimerical design , and office design .
