Creating a
new-generation co-working brand for INGKA Centres
INGKA Centres are the worlds largest shopping centre chain with over 40 shopping centres in 13 global markets, catering for 372 million visitors each year.
This scale of operation means INGKA Centres understands how their industry needs to adapt to changing customer expectations. As they put it:
[We need] to shift to a completely new idea, something that moves away from the traditional notion of “shopping centres” and “retail parks.”
This 'new idea' is based on a belief that their retail centres need to become destinations where everyone can not only find what they need, but also grow, learn, connect, meet and have fun. And it is this idea which led INGKA Centres to create a new-generation co-working brand called Hej!Workshop.
Hej!Workshop
Hej!Workshop is built on a simple premise - In future, the most effective workplaces will combine the best elements of working from an office environment with the best elements of working from a home environment.
For many people, working at the same desk from nine to five is too restrictive, leaving them little time to organise and enjoy the rest of their lives. And, while working from home offers a more comfortable and flexible alternative, it has its drawbacks too, like countless distractions and no colleagues at hand to brainstorm and socialise with. Hej!Workshop believes that the most efficient way to work sits somewhere between the two.
Alongside this, the Hej!Workshop concept is built on a belief that the primary purpose of any workplace is to provide ideal conditions for innovation. Research has found only one distinction between innovative and non-innovative teams - psychological safety. Teams have psychological safety when their members feel they have the permission to openly share ideas and try new things without fear of negative consequences.
The ambition was to design an environment conducive to innovative behaviours and cultures, and we did this by building in the following qualities.
The first quality is its ability to bring people together.
The central communal area is the heart of the space. A place where the local business community shares knowledge and ideas and supports one another. INGKA Centres sees this space as being kaleidoscopic, that is to say, ultimately flexible and instantly changeable. This is important because no one knows how the needs of local businesses will change over time.
The second quality is its ability to support cognitive diversity.
One of the positive elements of home working is that it has broadened the diversity of work environments open to the average worker. Home working has benefitted many who found it hard to work in an office full-time. Hej!Workshop's design incorporates the best elements of home working to better serve a diverse occupant group. This includes introducing peaceful retreat spaces where individuals can go to concentrate, uninterrupted; a greater variety of informal spaces with comfortable semi-domestic furniture and space where individuals can play games together, such as giant wall mounted solitaire.
The third quality is that the environment is restorative. Restorative environments offer significant cognitive benefits to occupants, including reduced mental fatigue and greater attention spans. Research shows these benefits improve both creative output and productivity. Hej!Workshop's restorative spaces consist of a number of elements, including; the use of natural materials like timber and natural fibre upholstery; greenery and plants; the democratisation of external views and natural light by locating the communal spaces adjacent to windows; good acoustic design and a light hearted, humorous approach to environmental graphics and messaging.