THE CORE by Bene: How a pandemic reshapes the office.

How does an office need to work to make it through the pandemic – and even more importantly: How will the office work after the pandemic?

The COVID-19 pandemic has once again profoundly changed the way we see the office. During the pandemic, offices have had to be remodelled and adjusted to take necessary precautions, so that people feel safe there and can still be productive. The international office expert Bene presents with "THE CORE by Bene” a global office concept on how to navigate these challenging times.

Bene believes the office is the physical “core” of an organisation, the heart of a company, a place where people and ideas come together, creating opportunities for spontaneous social interaction and collaborative and agile work, and where shared management and fluid leadership can evolve.

In response, THE CORE is a global concept that can already be experienced at the Bene showroom in Frankfurt; a live, immersive and experiential space to study how our places of work have adapted, and how they will further evolve after the pandemic.

With the ideal mix between open spatial structure and shielded areas, THE CORE by Bene manages the balancing act between distance and teamwork so that people feel comfortable and can work creatively at the same time, comprising:

HYGIENE CONCEPTS AND SENSOR TECHNOLOGY

Innovative technologies and smart room solutions ensure safety throughout the premises. This starts at the check-in area with temperature screening and registering for ‘track and trace’, followed with contact-free hand disinfection. The system will then give a green light to lead the visitor to a prior selected and cleaned workstation.

SPATIAL AWARENESS

The focus of the entire office space is on teamwork and exchange, all the while maintaining the correct distance. Anchor points in the form of furniture are clearly placed in collaboration areas to ensure correct distancing. The room configurations are designed in such a way that they can be adapted to changing needs at short notice, giving the office breathing space. In addition, moveable partition walls and partition elements can be used as protective barriers.

A NEW KIND OF EXCHANGE AND INTERACTION

There is a wide choice of spaces for project and teamwork, in addition to the team workspace and an informal meeting area. Other areas enable spontaneous stand-up meetings, ensuring an optimal exchange of ideas.

THE LEARNING OFFICE

“The office is a living organism that is constantly evolving and adapting to changing structures and the latest processes in a company or team. It is important to think about these plans and space concepts on a regular basis and make sure they are still serving their purpose”, says Patricia Möckesch, Product & Innovation Ambassador at Bene.

No-one knows exactly how or when the pandemic will end but there is no doubt that it has altered the office landscape immeasurably. With THE CORE concept you can constantly learn. The sensor technology throughout enables collation and analysis of data to determine which spatial settings are particularly popular. Revisions and improvements can be continually made to create the most efficient and effective workplaces.

Focusing on user experience, Bene has developed and already implemented this holistic and contemporary office landscape in Frankfurt in collaboration with other experts such as Giulio Castegini from Drees & Sommer, Norman Kustos from neotares Consult and Iulia Patricia Manea from Holger Meyer Architektur.

"Because the world of work and the office environment are already in a state of flux, through the analysis of the data it provides, THE CORE will not lose its relevance, even after the pandemic."