Forward-looking Working Environments
WorkSmartRDI, Activity Based Working on the Roche Campus
User-oriented and sustainable: We implemented a bespoke ABW concept on Roche’s corporate Rotkreuz Campus. From acoustically optimized focus rooms for concentrated working to collaborative zones with flexible furniture, employees across the campus are now benefitting from a consistent spatial quality that encourages higher satisfaction and productivity.
From standard office to cultural corporate hub
Activity Based Working (ABW) requires an optimal environment for effective office work and, hence, an architectural concept for flexibility and diversity. We cooperated closely with our client, the Swiss pharmaceuticals specialists Roche Diagnostics International AG, on the development of a forward-looking ABW concept for the Roche Campus at Rotkreuz/Zug that was closely tailored in line with the company’s existing structures and future requirements. The creation of uniform workplace conditions with high-quality infrastructure and a modern, harmonious appearance and the implementation of measures for reducing energy demand were among the key concerns of Roche.
Sustainability and saving resources
The strategic decision not to make major interventions unless these were unavoidable underlines the sustainable approach of revitalization. The remodeling of the spaces took into account their spatial qualities and functions and the diverse activities and desires of the employees. We worked with Roche to define a standard furniture catalog for the entire campus. This not only laid the foundations for a uniform image, but also ensured the flexibility that would enable the furniture to move between the buildings in the event of future repurposing.
The selection of furniture and materials concentrated on durability, the possibility of recycling, and the use of recycled materials. Presence detectors and LED lights were added where these were lacking in order to automatically adapt the electricity and ventilation supply in such spaces in line with the human load. All permanent workplaces now benefit from direct daylight, which promotes the wellbeing of employees while reducing the need for artificial sources of light.
Since 2023, we have noticed that employees are happy to come to work again because this enables them to feel part of a larger whole and to share ideas with their colleagues. This has necessitated the creation of office environments that are both attractive and flexible.
Philipp Zluga
Architekt, Lead Project Manager in Innsbruck
The right workspace for each activity
In laying out the offices, we paid special attention to the functional and use-oriented organization of each working zone. Now, the individual buildings and stories form a harmonious whole with a consistently high quality, attractive design, and varied mix of working zones. For example, we took up Roche’s idea of using the elements that we had earlier designed for – and which had proved very successful at – its facility in Basel. In order to permit employees to work undisturbed, each individual workplace has access to special focus rooms. These areas are acoustically optimized and offer the peace and quiet required for working on tasks that demand a lot of concentration. Areas for collaborative working and creative processes are equipped with large tables, flexible furniture, and comfortable lounge interiors.
