Office interior design > zerto | shiri kedem

The Company >
Zerto is a software company that develops cloud solutions for large enterprises. The company has employees globally with the headquarters in Herzliya. The management offices are on the eleventh floor and the western side of the floor has a fabulous sea view.

The Space >
The office was lacked of character and had an unused areas. A wall separated the lobby and the fantastic view from the cafeteria which was directly past the entrance. The cafeteria had small tables that weren’t organized, and the small old kitchen was not sufficient for all the employees in the peak hours.

The major challenge was the schedule planning of the renovation work, since there was no alternative seating solution for the employees. Therefore, it was decided to focus on the central part of the office as the main renovation target.

Programa and Inspiration >
We were asked to re-plan the entrance so it would be a proper gateway to the office. It was also important to create a collaboration area where the employees could gather on weekly events, and open-air meetings.

A photo of a sailboat at sea bearing the company logo, was the origin of the design concept. The humble and very easy mood of the company’s executives was the second conceptual origin – unusual simplicity of the materials beside significant accomplishment.

A material palette was selected respectively- neutral tones such as white and grey with natural light wood and the combination of deep red and blue in key motives.

The new floor plan > 
By removing the wall that separated between the entrance and cafeteria space, we gained natural light and spacious feeling. Rounded ceiling lines, reminisce of prior architecture, were straightened and created a horizontal line that accentuates the direct path from the office entrance to the sea horizon.

On the old staircase stairs, we built a wooden infrastructure and created wide and long flat surfaces that transformed the narrow staircase into wide benches, comfortable for seating. The walls around the seating area were covered in wood, creating a sensation of a box containing the people seating in it. The reception desk was redesigned as a floating white cube, facing the waiting area.

The cafeteria was re- planned so that the preparation area will be focused in one side of the space and this way, the rest of the cafeteria area was freed up for wide long tables allowing the company employees to sit in large groups.

Materials and Colors > 
According to the short timetable, the right materials had to be defined and a significant portion of the planning was timing all the different tasks so that all the different professionals could work in parallel.

The surrounding walls of the space were covered in oven painted light grey wooden plates, playing with the division between the plates in various lines. In most of the space, the existing floor tiling was covered in hardwood. We chose a natural smoky tone, an easy and quick technique, and the uniformity creates a feeling of one large wide space.  

For the carpentry in the cafeteria, we chose a combination of natural shades of sand and light wood, and on the fronts, a deep blue with a touch of red. The text “Enjoy the Journey” is highlighted on the top part of the unit, a theme that repeats itself in the company, and back lighting gently lights the entire carpentry unity. The white acoustic ceiling in the cafeteria was replaces with natural wooden plates, and the lighting was redesigned according to the new seating placement.

Summary > 
Treating the core areas of the office that creates a place for meeting and gathering was the main motivation that drove the process. The need to create a new experience for the employees despite the short execution time demanded accurate planning, although it made the final material selection simple.

The short process resulted in a surprising immediate outcome in the interaction between the company employees and in the general mood in the office