Quotes

Thanks to its amazing room height and warm and cosy atmosphere, the main entrance foyer creates a spectacular arrival to JED. This is where the journey through JED begins.

We’ve given the space a direction of view. On the ground floor it faces south-east, from the bedroom it faces west towards the sunset. And from the top floor terraces there are views around 180 degrees.

There are strict rules around boundary distance and building volume, which means it’s quite difficult to be creative with buildings in Switzerland. But we were determined to build something that responded to the site rather than just a square box planted on the site.

The diversity of areas available motivates staff to change their location during the day. That stimulates a natural flow of employees and encourages information exchange, along with giving the working day more flexibility and creativity.

From the co-working space, you can look up to see the atrium stretching six floors above. With the offices on each side, the green walls, the colourful cantilevered meeting areas and the mirrored reflections of the floating diamond, the whole space has a very futuristic quality.

Our main challenge was to create a vast space that accommodates all the required functions, and at the same time delivers a pleasant atmosphere where people feel comfortable.

Clients like Google are not looking for designers. They are looking for companies, like us, which are very good at understanding how Google works, what their culture is and how the work environment can drive innovation and productivity. The uniquely customised interior design of Google’s Tel Aviv office is the result of a lot of research and a deep understanding of the users and the company.

Designing a workplace of this size in the middle of a busy city proved to be a real challenge. Distributed across four buildings, all areas – from workspaces to informal coffee points – had to deliver maximum interactivity that can take place in the most natural, effortless way.

It’s OK to be a little crazy with the design approach in the employee hub, coffee point, the break rooms, and even the workspaces. Don’t go for average, you need to create an atmosphere that gives people the opportunity to have a break, recharge and refocus.

At the start of the project, we were not given a specific brief and were explicitly asked not to research the organisation and design of other Google offices. We began our research by conducting an extensive survey. Guided by a psychologist, it extended beyond purely functional aspects and provided information about the Zooglers personality types, values and motivational factors.

This project presented an opportunity for a fundamental transformation. The new concept not only delivers a better circular economy (Kreislaufwirtschaft), but also creates stimulating and exciting work environments for the employees of Swiss government.

Existing knowledge of how physical space can support and enhance learning and cognitive performance has not been reflected, so there’s a lot of catching up to do.