The office design specialists Comodo Group completed new office spaces for ROCKWOOL GBS in the city of Poznań in Poland. The new offices occupy the fourth floor in an office building in Nowy Rynek – a large-scale, mixed-use development by the construction company Skanska – carrying forth the design vision that was applied in an earlier phase to the fifth and sixth floors.
Office Design in Nowy Rynek by Comodo Group
After collaborating with Comodo Group for the interior design of the ROCKWOOL GBS offices in Warsaw as well as the first phase of the ROCKWOOL GBS offices in Poznań, the office design specialists were brought on once again to design additional offices for ROCKWOOL in Skanska’s Nowy Rynek mixed-use development complex. The new floor adds 900 sqm to the existing 6 000 sqm space.
Comodo Group involved ROCKWOOL employees in a participatory design process, taking note of interests and needs that would make the space a modern office and an inspiring place to work. “We conducted an audit among employees, who told us how they perceive their own offices. We also worked with groups who presented their ideas on boards. These were used to inspire the interiors – in accordance with the needs of employees – and to create specific solutions”, said Krzysztof Draber, interior architect at Comodo Group.
The new office in Nowy Rynek includes the following primary spaces:
- Semi-partitioned human-centric working areas with capacity for 70 employees
- Three conference rooms, each with its own design identity
- Dining and relaxation areas with a casual café feel and seating ranging from banquettes to regular tables
- Circulation spaces conceived as inspired gateways
Evidence-based office design learnings are manifested in the design approach, like in the calming colour palettes and the variety of different seating options provided. To promote well-being and leverage the relaxing benefits of nature inside, biophilic office design elements are featured throughout, including the organic surfaces and raw materials of various acoustic wall solutions as well as suspended ceiling plants and moss wall elements.
Acoustic Comfort at the Nowy Rynek Office
Besides introducing excellent acoustic performance to the new office space, it was important that the office acts as a showcase of the group’s products, allowing employees to see the products they work with. Ceiling and wall solutions by Rockfon, part of ROCKWOOL Group, deliver acoustic performance and allow employees to witness the power of stone wool in absorbing sound.
The solutions selected for the fourth floor of the Nowy Rynek office in Poznań include:
- Rockfon Senses acoustic wall panels welcome guests with their organic, tactile surfaces that gently harmonise with the gray used in the overall colour palette
- Rockfon Lamella wooden wall slats inject both sound absorption and warmth into the corridors with their light oak, oak, and smoked oak tones
- Rockfon Canva Wall panels bring in storytelling into a conference room, with a removable canvas that features photographs of the company's production plants across cities like Ploiesti, Romania and Milton, Canada
- Rockfon Color-all acoustic ceiling panels in Azure and Mint match the colour of the wall coverings in two other meeting rooms to create continuity, resulting in soft monochrome spaces
- Rockfon Eclipse in the Circle and Triangle shapes – and in a white colour – contrast against the black ceiling and act as dynamic focal points across dining and relaxation areas, developing a welcoming industrial interior
- Rockfon Canva Floor screens create partitioning in the working areas to allow for privacy, minimising the disruptions caused by open floor configurations
- Rockfon Universal Baffles intersect at perpendicular angles into strips of moss
Depending on their colour, shape, size, and placement, the acoustic solutions either bring in dramatic appeal or otherwise gently flow into the design. Regardless of their level of visual impact, they each absorb unwanted office sounds, minimise reverbation, and deliver excellent acoustic comfort for maximised employee well-being and health.
