Meeting areas with coffee bars and a living room atmosphere: Is the workspace becoming a living space? We met interior designer Susanne Brandherm, who has a very clear idea of what actually makes a sustainable working environment.
Susanne Brandherm has been running the brandherm + krumrey interior architecture firm together with Sabine Krumrey since 1999. Holistic thinking, timelessness and concision characterise her work. We met her at Ambiente 2025, where she spoke at the Future of Work Academy about what it actually means when the workplace becomes living space.
In 2020, remote working experienced a boom, but now it seems to have peaked. Is the remote working hype over?
Brandherm: In fact, remote working is on the decline. Numerous companies have changed their policy and are keen to see a high level of presence at their office locations. This is usually done to restore loyalty to the company. That is why a lot is being invested in making company headquarters more attractive, for example in company restaurants or mind-set programmes. In return, employees appreciate the advantages of the office, such as the equipment at their workplace, personal interaction and an inspiring environment.
You talk about the workspace becoming a living space. Are we supposed to live in the office now?
Brandherm: The term living space refers to all the places where we spend time. In fact, I spend most of the day in my work environment, so it should be designed as a living space – whether it’s a company headquarters, an office at home, a working café or a hotel room.
So the ‘working world’ replaces my home?
Brandherm: No, not at all. For me personally, it is actually very important to distinguish between the private and professional spheres. It is much more a matter of creating a constructive atmosphere in which employees can identify and feel comfortable – but also look forward to going home again.
What does a state-of-the-art workspace look like?
Brandherm: The realization is very complex. There is a lot of talk about multifunctional project rooms, thinking and telephone booths. But it is also about aspects such as general accessibility, parking spaces, e-mobility and showers for those who come by bike. And of course we want to create an ambience that invites you to linger productively. Acoustics is a big topic that now offers great design possibilities. When it comes to the furnishings, we draw inspiration from materials and solutions from various areas of interior design.
Not every workspace suits every person. How do you proceed?
Brandherm: In addition to the respective company philosophy, the needs of the employees are also incorporated into our projects. Part of our elaborate analysis is the creation of personas, which we use to determine the types of people, lifestyles, needs and desires we are dealing with in the respective company. The resulting mood boards can sometimes reveal interesting differences. The trick is then to find a design that reaches as many people as possible without becoming arbitrary.
Analysis, reconstruction, costs: Aren’t companies deterred by the expense?
Brandherm: Of course, there are projects where we have to rethink and redesign everything, but very often we also work with existing buildings. Reusability and changeability are the focus of our sustainable approach, which not only saves resources but often also costs. You wouldn’t believe the design treasures we sometimes find in companies that we can integrate into the design.
Which is your favourite project at the moment?
Brandherm: We have many great projects, but I particularly like is the conversion of the Rewe headquarters in Cologne. The task was to transform a seminar room from the 80s into a contemporary meeting area. The overall size of the unfortunately elongated room had to be preserved, as it is also used for town hall meetings and similar events. Our new zoning created a large and a small meeting area, as well as a working café, which can be used separately or in combination. We solved the oppressive 80s feel of the room by partially removing the ceiling suspension. Technically, this was not easy, but the effect is sensational. Incidentally, we also used this trick when converting the Rewe canteen, for which we have just received the German Design Award 2025.
