A place of possibility in Dusseldorf

Munich, 19 July 2022 – CSMM – architecture matters is continuing its recent growth streak. To meet the demands for more flexibility in the workplace, the architecture and consulting firm opened a brand-new Dusseldorf branch office. The CSMM team has created a smart yet stylish design for its 300-square-meter office in the city’s Medienhafen district. The result is a true “place of possibility” designed to inspire staff with its communal areas for collaboration and its retreat spaces for concentration. Thanks to the flexible and variable layout, the design meets growing demands for more agile work practices and creates an optimal work environment. The addition of a desk-sharing scheme allows for more effective use of the office space and more efficient workflows. 
 
CSMM’s newest branch office is located in Dusseldorf’s trendy Medienhafen district, with masterpieces from such architectural luminaries as David Chipperfield, Steven Holl, Joe Coenen or Frank O. Gehry right next door. “The creative potential of the Dusseldorf site was evident from the very start. A lot of former port buildings have been updated for more modern uses. We opted for an existing building that had already been converted, in line with our vision of sustainable architecture,” explains Sven Bietau, Managing Partner at CSMM and responsible for the Dusseldorf office. “Our new offices at the Dusseldorf location showcase our philosophy of workplace design – which envisions office space as a ‘place of possibility’.” This can be defined as a mixed-use space that encourages chance meetings among staff to drive innovation through co-creation and serendipity. 
 
According to Tiziana Feighofen-Longo, team leader at CSMM Dusseldorf and implementation project manager, “It was important for us to create custom spaces in our own office that reflect our design vision for a state-of-the-art work environment.” Given the diverse demands being placed on today’s offices, it simply isn’t enough to put in a few co-working spaces. The future is all about designing for agile workflows – and that means radically rethinking the workplace as we know it. The goal is to get the right mix of open-plan and cellular offices tailored to the needs of a specific workforce, and to offer a selection of “activity-based” workstations. “The new CSMM office is a case study in itself, offering maximum flexibility for the best possible working conditions. We leave it up to our co-workers to decide where and how they want to work.”
 
“Redesigning our own corporate spaces is also part of our strategy to raise the profile of the CSMM brand,” explains branch office head Sven Bietau. “After all, the workplace plays an important role in an applicant’s decision for or against a prospective employer. With our cutting-edge workplace design, we get noticed by younger architecture and interior design talent. This is an added value of intelligent workplace design – particularly when recruiting is as challenging as it is today. Our team has grown significantly since we first opened our Dusseldorf office in 2014, and the previous space was no longer meeting our needs in terms of collaborative areas and flexible workflows. We designed our new office in Kais Strasse to accommodate co-workers from our other branches as well.”