Cybernet Systems Co. Ltd. is one of the world-leading companies in manufacturing support using CAE (Computer-Aided Engineering). The company headquarter is located in Fuji Soft Akihabara Building in Tokyo. Inspired by the traditional Japanese architecture’s flexibility, the new Cybernet office is a modern space designed to promote employees’ wellbeing, encourage dialogue, and improve productivity. A simple and minimal design approach – paired with great attention to the details – has been adopted in this project. Thanks to the open-plan and transparent partitions, the office is bright and sunny for most of the daytime, minimizing the need for artificial lighting. This project aimed to create a bright and innovative office, promoting wellness and creative collisions through flexibility and technology.
The office space is divided into two zones with different vocations and privacy levels, separated by transparent and translucent partitions containing the meeting rooms. The first zone, semipublic and adjacent to the entrance, is called “Cyber-garden.”This clean and minimal space reminds a Japanese rock garden, and it is used to welcome the visitors and showcase the company’s values and products. Several types of seating and counters, whose shapes are inspired by natural elements, are scattered around the lounge. A custom-made free-address area is placed nearby the second entrance. Seven meeting rooms and two seminar rooms, wrapped by glass partitions, overlook the lounge area. The second zone is more private and only accessible to the employees. It is organized in three areas separated by forest-like buffer zones: deep work and concentration; collaboration and multipurpose; relax and free address. Thanks to intelligent zoning, the workspace has been optimized to eliminate the clutter and enlarge communication and social interaction spaces. The availability of meeting space has been increased through the design flexibility and creating several impromptu meeting spaces. To promote the employees’ wellbeing, the workspace offers different types of workstations. Besides the traditional fixed desks, employees can choose a comprehensive free address option: height-adjustable tables and stools, modular seating, high counters, low tables, chairs, etc.
The renovation project’s design principles can be summarized in implementing five design strategies and several innovative technical solutions.
INTEGRATION. The Integration between Italian and Japanese culture is the spirit that guides the whole project. The creativity and quality of “made in Italy” are coupled with traditional Japanese design’s minimalism and flexibility.
INNOVATION. Cybernet’s office includes several cutting-edge technologies and high-tech furniture that significantly contribute to its efficiency and functionality. Innovation is also embraced here to create a safe environment for the employees.
FLEXIBILITY. The flexible design adopted allows using the same space to host different functions, such as work, meetings, presentations, and social interactions. The concept of Activity Based Working (ABW) – people perform various activities in different work settings – has been fully implemented in this project. This strategy was attained by using two approaches: a flexible plan and a selection of adaptable furniture.
SUSTAINABILITY. Four simple strategies guarantee the new Cybernet’s headquarters’ sustainability. Minimalism. Following Cybernet’s management directions, space has been decluttered as much as possible, reducing unnecessary items. Quality. Thanks to their high quality, the products selected in this project will last longer than the average, consequently reducing the need for disposal and replacement. Modularity. Most of the products are modular (furniture, partitions, flooring, etc.). If problems occur, the product can be used by only replacing the damaged part. At the end of its lifecycle, furniture can be disassembled and its components recycled. Naturality. Most of the materials adopted are natural and renewable, thus easy to recycle—for example, wood, aluminum, iron, ceramic, organic wallpaper, eco-panels, glass.
BIO-WELL-NESS. Biophilic design and WELL Building Standard were the main inspirations to design a sustainable and nature-inspired office for Cybernet. The BIO-WELL-NESS concept comes from the synthesis of the above concepts. It was fully adopted in this project to achieve a sustainable design and increase worker’s wellbeing.
Furniture and materials were carefully planned to have the best environment’s quality for the employees and embed the recent “social distance” guidelines. The overall office space is conceived as a “low density”environment by increasing the employees’ area, the workstations’ size, and distance. It was achieved thanks to efficient decluttering and a reduction of the storage space. High-quality “human-centered”design elements were adopted to guarantee the workers’ health and comfort thanks to their ergonomic design.
