Transformation of the Work Environment

The term digital nomad encompasses a wide range of professions that have recently become extremely widespread and popular. What is most important and attractive to business users is that these professions provide great flexibility in terms of working hours and workspace. Professions such as consultants, social media managers, online fitness trainers, virtual assistants, influencers, etc., necessitate adjustments in terms of reorganizing traditional workspaces.

The architecture that emerges in today’s era must follow these changes, especially regarding interior projects. Work that can be performed from an armchair, bench, office chair, or even a bar stool requires, above all, flexibility, and then comfort in all rooms within individual offices, as well as built-in and modular furniture.

The business strategy of business entities has significantly changed compared to the 1990s and even the 2000s. It is quite common for a company to choose a business space with one half, or even one third, of the required physical workstations when leasing office space, thus optimizing costs, and using physical workstations in multiple shifts, with workers rotating at those workstations on working days, etc. Additionally, companies choose workspaces in larger business complexes due to the location of the company’s headquarters, accompanying amenities, networking, and other benefits.

Such is the case in the Green Gold center where architect Filip Fiolić and his collaborators have realized several projects. This business complex is attractive to such modernly organized business entities, as well as those representing conventional and somewhat classic professions. A modern business interior must be adapted to all these business forms.

The projects Wespa spaces and Wespa business & lounge have been based from the very beginning on these premises. The spaces are maximally flexible and subject to reorganization in a very short time frame, at all levels. This is achieved through open space zones, numerous network connections, and thoughtful positioning of other installations in the space. The essence of such an organization is to create a multifunctional business environment that is also interiorly consistently designed, so that form does not suffer for the sake of function, nor vice versa.

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Wespa Spaces

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Currently, the architect and his team are engaged in reorganizing part of the interior of Wespa spaces in Zavrtnica, and they are also in the process of designing the business interior of the headquarters of a large IT company in Zagreb. This company is undergoing a major reorganization of business processes, which also affects the workspaces. There is a demand for an increase in workspaces and optimization. Teams are connecting and collaborating in larger spaces, thus achieving better and faster communication within individual teams. Equally important are social spaces. A quality space for socialization is a very important requirement in business interior projects, which this architectural collective has been dealing with quite a bit lately. Whether it is a kitchen or lounge area, this space must have sufficient capacity for a larger number of simultaneous users, and the ambiance must be inviting, warm, and adequately lit.

Regarding styles in the arrangement of business interiors, one can really go in various directions; however, it is essential to subordinate that style to the needs of the individual user, i.e., the company, and to satisfy the required number of workstations and other requested amenities in the space. It is also important to incorporate the visual identity of the individual business entity into the design of the interior itself, in such a way that this visual identity is not perceived as a foreign element in the interior, but as its natural enhancement. It is desirable to use as many glass partitions as possible wherever feasible within the space, regardless of the decoration style, as this visually enlarges the space and brings in light.