The After Work & Learn Event “New ways of working at Ambassador House” on May 21st 2019 in Zurich focused on the ongoing transformation of working environment. The main speakers included Martin Pongratz, Head of Workplace Strategy CEE at CBRE, and Benjamin Nordmann, project leader at Stücheli Architekten. Mr Nordmann was involved in the development of the transformation project of Ambassador House. A site tour of the building and a networking apero followed the presentations. The event offered a unique opportunity to expand knowledge on the new trends of workspace design, smart buildings and sustainable office building planning. Young professionals working in the field of real estate research, economics as well as building project development met in Zurich to exchange their experience.

New Ways of Working – Problématique

“New Ways of Working” is presently one of the hottest topics in office space design, and for good reasons. Today, we are experiencing the Information Revolution, facing fundamental changes to the way we live and work. Smart buildings and mobile technology allow the emergence of new working models. Most employees are equipped with laptops and smartphones, which enables on-the-go business and more flexible working times. Surprisingly enough, this change makes a face-to-face interaction even more important than before. As a result, design of common areas like coffee places and lounge rooms is being given more attention. These places should be attractive to spend time in, foster collaboration and consequently increase staff satisfaction. New Ways of Working aim at boosting flexibility and employee retention, mostly by removing many of the old working models like open space and traditional office rooms. For corporates, it has become important to consolidate office locations, keep costs down and enable staff to work more flexibly, which also leads to a higher space usage efficiency and an overall better utilization.

Case Study – the Ambassador House

The Ambassador House, previously a hotel building, is located in the upcoming area north of Zurich’s city center. It was completely renovated and converted into an office building in 2017. The project aimed at integrating the prominent building within its altered urban surroundings and highlighting its unique cuboid shape. The entire ground floor and part of the first floor have been dedicated to public use such as restaurants, retail, conferences and fitness spaces. The remaining floors are used as office surfaces and are meant to spark creativity and ignite entrepreneurial spirit, with a modern design and organization. The building has a gross floor area of 129,200 m2 and rentable area of 57,800 m2. It has been awarded with a LEED Platin label.

Author: Ania Walewska