How can we create a dialogue between people and the space they are in? How do we invite people to reconnect to their physical surroundings without losing our rich digital culture? These are some of the questions that were playing on our minds when we began building a new home base in the west of Amsterdam. They didn’t arrive out of anywhere: our work as a studio tries to bring people back to the real world – not by removing technology from life, but by embedding it in the realm of the senses to spark connections with our real-world surroundings. The dream was of an immersive, multi-sensory space that interacts with us in real-time. 

While technology is the beating heart of this vision, it is in harmony with the rhythms and elements of the natural world. To that end, the spatial design of our new studio needed to be seamlessly integrated in this vision – which is why we asked our old friends at x+l to join us on our journey. 

Sustainability should be part of the very fabric of the building – from its inner workings to the sustainable construction materials we used via the studio’s outdoor spaces that connect us to the city. We chose to make the entire building gas-free, heating it instead using heat pumps that run on electricity provided by a sustainable supplier and are built cleanly into the spatial design. Our 300m2 roof garden brings a new little corner of anature to Amsterdam West. It also provides us with natural insulation and retains rainwater effectively, slowing down the drainage and alleviating the sewage system. 

Against the calm backdrop of the spatial design, we have built an interconnected technical infrastructure – something we call a Tech Theatre – that allows us to control the light, temperature, spatial sound system, art works and any other elements we want to include. Rather than trying to isolate the ‘perfect’ conditions for workplace efficiency, we see this system as a living entity that can behave in its own way, responding to the needs of its inhabitants as well as the ever-changing climate outside. A ‘tuning in’ that naturally affects our mood and wellbeing, which in turn feeds our creativity. 

The spaces within the building are flexible, used on a daily basis by the team but also built to welcome new connections and conversations that expand our studio ecosystem. The studio contains a lab, where we can experiment with new tech; art installations; a Canteen, where the team each a veggie meal for lunch everyday but that will also host themed sensorial dinners; a Cinema, where we can do our presentations, host speakers from different disciplines, but also mimic real life spaces for our client demos; an exhibition space, where we can show work by the team but also invite other artists; and finally the general studiospace, which at 750m2 is large enough to rent desks to people, creating a crosspollination of ideas across industries. We’re looking forward to having you over.