City: Munich

To visualize the ProSiebenSat.1 company values in a new and flexible workplace structure, the three independent companies of Pro7, Sat.1 and kabel1 were consolidated and integrated into a single central TV headquarter location on a media campus in a suburb of Munich. The challenge was to develop a strategy that reflected the requirements of a modern media company.

AECOM provided consultancy and design expertise to define the strategic brief and design concept for the “German Free TV House”, and developed a detailed strategy supporting the organizational change process as well as the transition to a modern office environment. Training of internal change agents to support the ongoing change was also carried out by the team.

Community, team spirit and daily exchange of ideas and know-how are now possible under a single roof. Enhanced networking and coordination provide the chance to make optimum use of the creative potential of the “German Free TV House”, while simultaneously streamlining the efficiency of work procedures thanks to better pooling of resources.

For the past six years, Google has been one of the most influential forces in changing the public perception of what inspiring and attractive office design should be like. In fact, the company has established a new and cutting-edge approach to workplace design at its various locations across the globe, and has defined an innovative standard that has inspired many other organizations, especially in the media and IT industries. As a partner to implement this strategy, Google choose AECOM to develop the global workplace guidelines and the overall design concept.

For the Google office in Munich, AECOM developed the detailed design concept, space planning and the construction drawings. The scope of work also included furniture consultancy for the office and for special furniture. Due to the massive growth of the headcount at Google in Munich, the existing offices had to be extended to house an additional 100 people.

At Google, the work environment is used as a strategic asset to support a wide range of employee needs. It intelligently addresses a growing demand for work-life integration, which translates into the creation of areas for having fun and relaxing at work. As part of this, the Munich office presents an exemplary work environment that ensures the “Googlers” feel inspired and energized at work.

The design theme for the Munich office includes a number of elements and references to the vernacular culture, such as a canteen inspired by a traditional beer garden and other playful twists on typical Bavarian features. The office space offers a variety of different settings for collaboration, as well as retreats for concentrated work.

In 2012, BMW engaged AECOM to develop a tailor-made workplace and design concept for the office space of a new research and development building at the Business Campus Garching. The objective was to define a concept with new ways of effective and ergonomic working in an office environment, to be tested in a pilot project.

A fundamental building analysis was conducted in order to understand the structures and to be able to develop detailed space planning. A range of concepts were presented to BMW, in order to enable the client to identify the best suitable solution for their business.

A flexible, modular workspace concept was developed and customised to the surrounding premises, taking user input into consideration, and comprising a variety of work environments for different tasks and needs. Key factors that enhance efficiency and innovation were the restructuration of the business division and the creation of contemporary office spaces, which promote communication and the exchange of knowledge.

The new office environment reflects the company values and identity of BMW. New standards for modern ways of working and innovative workplace environments were introduced within the future-oriented concept, and included in the existing BMW corporate design guidelines for further procedures.

In the implementation and realisation phase, AECOM supported the client with integrated project management services, such as cost estimation/monitoring, preparation of tendering documents for furniture and interior design, creation and ongoing adaptation of a detailed project plan, preparation and coordination of meetings, including the documentation, and elaboration of management decision documents.

BMW chose AECOM as the appropriate partner for this project, as the Strategy Plus team has more than 40 years of experience in research, workplace strategy and change management. The strategic distribution of AECOM offices in Europe, America and Asia Pacific was also an important aspect for an optimal cooperation.

The results of this project provided the basis for ongoing involvement with BMW. AECOM supported the client with the evaluation of an additional workplace pilot in Munich, and in evaluating test fit variations for the BMW Project House (FIZ) which will be entirely reconstructed in 2015.