Revolutionizing Workplace Design: Puls by Evolution Design

Creating a Community-Centric Office Space for Enhanced Collaboration

Evolution Design's inspiration for the Puls workplace design was the company's vision of itself as a closely-knit community. The design aimed to break down departmental silos and foster better teamwork and direct communication. The new office layout connects research and development, engineering, manufacturing, sales, and marketing teams, reflecting the interconnectedness of a small village.

What sets the Puls workplace design apart is its focus on creating a networked community, moving away from the traditional model of isolated workers. The design of the new workplace provides the optimal environment for this cultural shift. Spanning 3300 m2 over two floors and accommodating 130 workstations, the office space is divided into distinct neighborhoods, each with its own color scheme and unique graphics. These neighborhoods facilitate quick and easy interaction within teams, while the village marketplace serves as a hub for wider collaboration.

The realization of the design involved a unique graphic concept for the walls, inspired by the electrical components and products that Puls produces. One wall, known as the Trust wall, is adorned with words that each employee associates with trust. A commissioned artist also created a comic strip depicting memorable events from the company's past.

The project, which began in April 2016 in Munich and was completed in March 2017, was not without its challenges. One of the main objectives was to enhance communication and collaboration, but the existing building only had a very unattractive fire escape staircase connecting the two floors. It took significant structural and fire safety engineering, as well as persuasion, to convince the building owner to agree to a new open internal staircase, which was crucial for achieving the project's goals.

The Puls workplace design is not just about aesthetics; it's about driving a cultural change within the company. Since the implementation of the new design, teams have reported a significant increase in internal communication, particularly between research and development and other departments. The company has also seen a rise in spontaneous informal meetings, a key indicator of success in research and development innovation. The design was awarded the Golden A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award in 2018, a testament to its outstanding creativity and impact.