Onward and upward

Architecture and consulting firm CSMM marks an anniversary in Frankfurt

Frankfurt am Main / Munich, 16 March 2021.
Founded in 2002, the Munich-based architecture and consulting firm CSMM is celebrating the five-year anniversary of its Frankfurt am Main branch. The city sometimes called “Mainhattan” has the only recognisable skyline of office towers in Germany – which include some of CSMM’s ground-breaking projects – and the firm plans to continue to build on this successful track record. Moving onward and upward also means expanding CSMM’s office at Junghofstrasse 24. 

“Opening a Frankfurt branch was a special milestone for us. Not only is this our biggest office to date – Frankfurt, with its creative high-rise projects and more international clientele, is also one of Germany’s most discerning office property markets. Workplace design in Frankfurt is often ahead of its time,” says Malte Tschörtner, Managing Partner at CSMM. This workplace design expert expects the new world of working to face yet another transformation after the pandemic. “The Frankfurt skyline is not only changing on the outside. Some of the most radical transformations are happening on the inside – where state-of-the-art, agile workplace concepts are on the rise to meet the demands of the new world of working. Over the past few years, we have designed new workplaces for several high-profile clients in Frankfurt. The core principle: a happy workforce is a more productive workforce,” says Fouad Brighache, Team Leader at CSMM’s Frankfurt branch. Put simply: the nicer the office, the more motivated the employees will be. 

Tschörtner is convinced that fully functional offices will be even more important post pandemic – and could give companies a competitive edge. “The more the home office becomes part of our everyday working lives, the more vital it is to have safe spaces where employees can meet and exchange ideas when they do come into the office.” The challenge: These spaces have to provide enough room for everyone. And they have to have HVAC systems that meet current and future workplace standards. The office of the future in Frankfurt will have to satisfy at least two additional criteria as well. First, the office should be a place where employees feel a sense of belonging, where they can discover and immerse themselves in the company culture. This is the best way for companies to maintain their distinct identity and retain talent. Second, sustainability will become more of a decisive factor for commercial real estate – and for all of us. The focus will shift to retrofitting the existing building stock and reducing our overall environmental impact. Keep reading for three case studies in state-of-the-art workplace design.