Up for a post-pandemic office refresh, the Romanian 8x8 branch reached out to us for an intervention in their Cluj Napoca HQ. Located in the Office Building, the space lies at the heart of the city’s bustling IT centre.
“The more we can enrich our environment [...], the more primed we’ll be to do excellent work”
Annie Murphy Paul, author of ‘The Extended Mind - Thinking Outside the Brain’
When laying out the plan for the development of their offices, the client was clear in their intention for this to be a long-term project, and trusted us to ease the transition of their space from a traditional office to one adapted to the current context.
The original layout of the 8x8 office keeps in touch with the traditional, agile style. Our goal was to intervene punctually and find the sweet spot for a transformation from classic corporate design into something more creative.
Keeping in mind the needs of the client, and the idea of a gradual transition, we figured that the natural first step of this process was adding a Meeting Point. Creating this break between two focused-work areas allowed us to play with the dynamics of the space and establish new flows,
Our main focus was directed into seamlessly integrating this area into the workspace, and allowing it to become a natural part of employees’ habits and patterns. In order to transform this particular area into an open and collaborative space, we went for a sequence of radial elements. This set of seating areas adds a dynamic dimension to the room, switching up the rhythm and creating interest in this brightly lit corner of the office.
We kept to muted pinks and reds, a palette which complements the client’s trademark colours and gives the office an understated, serene look. The furnishings in dark wood and metal highlight these colours, while keeping the overall atmosphere balanced and peaceful. Providing a gentle barrier between this common area and its surroundings allowed them to coexist in harmony, without cancelling each other out. With its visual connections and more dynamic character, this Meeting Point lives on the spectrum of formality, letting people interact with varying degrees of it and adapting to the client’s needs on any given occasion.
