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Hybrid work has become an essential part of modern working life. Not only does it allow people to work anytime, anywhere, but thanks to advances in generative AI, tasks that used to depend entirely on teamwork can now be done while remote. These profound changes have allowed people to become hybrid workers and have also changed their view of what constitutes define working styles and office environments.

“To attract workers today, offices need to be both aesthetically and functionally pleasing,” says Ernst Holzapfel, Marketing Director at Sedus Stoll AG. “Freedom in the workplace no longer just means which desk you choose. It now refers to the entire working environment, mood and time of day. Inspired by third places such as cafés, restaurants, hotel lobbies, libraries or parks, the city is gradually finding its way into the office and encouraging companies to realise attractive spaces with plenty of room for a wide variety of work situations and needs.”

Hybrid shared spaces in practice: Hella 

The design by LT Projects for Hella (Forvia) in Kaunas, Lithuania, shows how a conventional canteen can be transformed into a lively communal space. The challenge was to redesign the company canteen to increaseseating capacity for at least 150 employees during the lunch breaks. 

The company and the design team seized the opportunity to create a versatile social space that adapts to various needs and encourages employees to use it freely throughout the day. Working closely with the client, the design team created an agile space that incorporates a variety of environments, furniture and finishes. This thoughtful approach resulted in a workspace that meets the varying and changing needs of employees throughout the day.

“Employees use the new spaces for individual work, informal meetings or to take a break and relax,” explains Holzapfel. “The newly designed space embodies the concept of ‘malleability’ (ductility), a hallmark of hybrid space concepts, enabling users to personalise and adapt it to their needs – whether seeking a quiet corner for focused work or a lively area for collaboration. Its success lies in providing both choice and versatility. “

Hella's project team explained: “We aimed to create zones with distinct spaces that are suitable not only for lunch, but also for socialising and meetings. This philosophy is reflected in the different seating configurations and zones that have been installed. In the coffee zone, for example, we have created a park-like space in which people can share a coffee and hold conversations. Next to it is a larger table where employees socialise and discuss their work or plans. By using higher, closed furniture models, we have also created an area where people eat and have private conversations. A separate area, which we call Fine Dining, is not just for lunch, but also for company or team events. It can be separated from the main area with curtains.”

Further case studies and hybrid room concepts can be explored in Sedus INSIGHTS No. 19: The Evolution of the Working World: Hybrid Models Transform Offices and Cities.

Or online at Workscape of Tomorrow.