MSD
A new launch pad
for a rocketing company
MSD IT is a global technology hub of MSD which develops innovative solutions for research and development in the field of healthcare. It is one of the local centres of a large international network of similarly functioning branches. Each of them hires the best IT experts in the place where they operate and provides them with the perfect environment for the development of new ideas. An original company culture and great emphasis on innovation have contributed to the exponential growth of the company, and thanks to this combination MSD has over time gained the reputation of being a dream employer.
How do you maintain the rapid development of your company whilst increasing the motivation and productivity of your employees?
Among other things you have to continuously improve their workplace and invest into new technologies. Your employees need an inspiring workplace that supports team work and allows them to focus, interact and relax at will.
Almost town-planning
The Office Five building is located close to the Smíchov embankment. It provides MSD IT with a generous space totalling 11,000 square metres and a projected maximum occupancy of 831 people. To compare it to a small city would be an exaggeration, but the overall area is not the only thing that gives the project an urban feel.
Each floor of the building offers various layout arrangements depending on requirements. The central gathering point is called the “square”.
The dominant interior feature is the staircase that links all floors.
Where ever you look you will find ample space for relaxing and informal discussions.
The interior includes creative rooms and focus areas, as well as places where you can play table football, darts, or just enjoy a cup of coffee.
If you like the bustle of a cafe you don’t need to leave the building. The central cafe provides space for meeting with colleagues or visitors.
Many bespoke elements have been introduced that reflect the visual identity of the MSD brand.
In an open-plan office quiet zones are a must, and there are numerous ways to make them comfortable and original.
Movement around the office is aided by a clever wayfinding system inspired by the signs used at stations.
Bespoke innovation
Communication and cooperation was one of the main themes for the MSD IT workplace. To help promote this, yuar architects designed the innovative „spacedividers“, a magnetic writeable partition including acoustic panels that can easily be moved to adapt to the current needs of the teams. It was one of the utmost concerns of main architect Lukáš Janáč to come up with a solution that offers functionality, comfort and mobility. Other bespoke items included the We Inspire Wall, reception desk, plant pots, kitchens, acoustic wall panels and bamboo partitions.
Most of the interior furnishings are bespoke. The workstations also have a non-standard worksurface shape, which means employees sit slightly turned towards each other.
With a waste range of products already on the market none of them could offer all amenities like acoustic elements, writeable magnetic part, leg-free as well as respond to our design vision. Together with TECHO we were able to provide custom made modular elements that best suited the space and philosophy of the office.
Room layout can be changed quickly using sliding partitions between work areas.
The future of communication, today!
Office Five is literally loaded with modern AV and communication technology. State-of-the-art videoconferencing equipment across the company is necessary for cooperation and communication between global teams. Videoconferencing also offers employees a broad scope of options for making the right work-life balance. For example, by taking advantage of homeworking whilst preserving the sense of cohesiveness and belonging to the work team.
Multimedia content can be broadcast centrally on large-format screens located around the interior.
Technologies of the future
Just a few years ago much of today’s technology would be considered science fiction. Today this technology is a part and parcel of the everyday life of a company. For example, Digital Media Signage facilitating the flow of information throughout the organisation. Multimedia content is distributed from one point to large screens across the building. The correct placement of monitors around the premises means that every important message is received as quickly as possible by the intended recipient.
Take a tour around your new office before moving in
YUAR architects, who signed responsible for the interior layout, also used modern technologies. In addition, teams of people who will spend their working days in the offices were also engaged from the initial design phase.
Two groups were created for the initial project presentations. The first group received a standard project presentation first, and then a virtual reality demonstration of the proposed interior. The second group had the VR presentation first. It was clear that this second group gained a better grasp of the planned concept and were able to provide effective feedback.
Ergonomics above all
The designers of the overall solution paid increased attention not just to technologies promoting electronic communication across teams, but also to much less visible, but no less important details that have a major influence on overall quality of the workplace environment.
1
Light
Designed to provide the best conditions with minimum glare. Brightness and colour are adjusted automatically according to outdoor conditions. Every employee can also adjust light intensity individually.
2
Air
The climate in the building is fixed so that everyone inside will feel comfortable regardless of the weather. The precise settings have been determined as the result of three years’ experience operating in the old building.
3
Noise
Special attention was paid to high-quality sound insulation with the aim of removing noise distractions from the workplace. Employees can enjoy the enhanced acoustic comfort in all areas of the workplace.
Conclusion
An important condition for the successful delivery of the project was the fact that we belonged to a large global group. Cooperation with our Dutch partners at Ahrend helped us win the order mainly thanks to their product portfolio, which met the expectations of the architects and customer.
It is not possible to simply list all the parameters and components that go together to make up the OFFICE FIVE workplace. It is possible, however, to say that MSD created, with the help of architects and specialists from TECHO, a space that is one of the most modern workplace environments in the Czech Republic.