Philipp Architekten BDA // Anna Philipp

place X - A bridge between economy and nature

Digitalisation and the transformation of the traditional world of work are causing many companies to rethink - how do we want to work in the future and what will the workplace of the future look like? The topics of "new work" and sustainability in particular play a central role in this. With the new "place X" headquarters of XEPTUM Consulting AG, Anna Philipp and her team have created an innovative, forward-looking working environment at the interface between industry and nature that combines living and working in a sustainable way.

The urban location of the building site could not be more challenging: a beautiful scenery characterised by vineyards on one side and an efficiency-driven commercial architectural landscape on the other. Aware of these surroundings, the new office building for the Neckarsulm-based IT company bridges the gap between nature and industry, subtly creating a harmonious transition between these two extremes: With four fingers extending from a central foyer facing the industrial area far into the vineyards, the building interlocks with the surrounding natural space. At the same time, a multitude of natural open spaces are spanned between the individual wings and at the edges of the site: Trees, bushes and native plants settle on the slopes gently rising towards the vineyards and line the terraces. The roofs are also greened and equipped with a photovoltaic system.

The roofs are also greened and equipped with a photovoltaic system and thus represent, in addition to the surrounding wooden façade, the ecological and sustainable design approach as well as the principles of the company. The vertically arranged wooden slats stretch like a band over all four fingers, creating a varied façade image of closely spaced slats in front of the opaque components and a loosened arrangement in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows and fixed glazing. In addition to the natural wooden façade, the base of the building and the top floor of the main wing - the company headquarters of XEPTUM Consulting AG - are finished in white plaster.

Coming from the street, a large staircase leads visitors and employees to the partly paved, partly planted, spacious plaza, while the floor-to-ceiling black double doors in the otherwise fully glazed façade already open invitingly and offer the first glimpses into the lively foyer. This is where employees of all the companies based at the headquarters and external guests meet in the in-house bistro, taking advantage of the varied, regional food on offer at all times of the day and enjoying the homely ambience at the foot of the vineyards.

A large interior planting bed marks the transition to the building part of XEPTUM Consulting AG, the entrances to the four fingers themselves are defined by wood-panelled portals, which sometimes lead at ground level and sometimes via wooden steps to the respective company wings. Each wing is self-sufficient and connected to the communal underground car park via staircases painted golden green. The other ancillary rooms - such as wet rooms and cloakroom areas - were also designed to be architecturally and colourfully appealing. In addition to various shades of green, a dark blue - XEPTUM's corporate colour - repeatedly appears in the interiors. Various natural but also coloured woods together with black and white tiles and red eye-catching furniture round off the potpourri. The highlight of the three-storey wing of XEPTUM Consulting AG is the semi-circular curved steel staircase painted green, which winds upwards in the stairwell of the same colour and is covered and naturally lit by a huge dome light.

"New Work" is a top priority at the new headquarters, and so special attention was paid to the interior fittings and design: Spaciously designed group and open-plan offices are complemented by smaller office units and individual offices for the executive suite and the accounting department. Numerous meeting zones and flexible team areas complement the diverse room programme and offer employees countless possibilities for working depending on the situation: From the telephone booth as an absolute, noiseless retreat, to the Alcove Highback Work chair developed for Vitra as a single-work station in the large room, to so-called face-to-face rooms that can be separated in a circle with a curtain, the headquarters has a lot to offer in addition to classic conference rooms. Floor coverings and individual fixtures made of wood, together with various textile elements in the form of curtains, carpets and room dividers, create a homely atmosphere. The view of the unique backdrop of the vineyards is omnipresent.

This also characterises the atmosphere on the roof terrace on the second floor of the main wing, which adjoins the large cafeteria. The place created for the employees as a retreat is completed by a large kitchen. Not only is cooking and barbecuing done together here, but team events also take place after work - when the sun slowly sets behind the two power plant towers on the horizon and the birdsong in the vineyards falls silent.

Anna Philipp and her team have succeeded in creating a working and learning space of unique quality, where nature, architecture and people are attuned to each other and where living and working merge naturally.