WHAT'S UP Blog

Open spaces encourage interaction and collaboration — but they often make concentrated work more difficult. Conversations, movement, video calls and the lack of retreat spaces continuously interrupt attention throughout the day.

Today’s workplace design is shifting away from pure efficiency towards a more human-centred approach. Alongside collaboration and flexibility, mental ease, emotional balance and sensory wellbeing are becoming defining factors in office planning.

Wood fibre is more than just an insulating material: in the collaboration between Sedus and Gutex, it becomes a creative, sustainable element of modern working environments. In conversation with Rudi Raschke from Gutex, we learn more about understanding materials, regional responsibility and new perspectives in interior design.

With its new showroom in Vienna, Sedus is strengthening its presence in one of Austria’s most dynamic creative and working environments. Located in the former gasworks building on Felberstraße, the 440 m² space is designed to do more than simply present products — it brings modern ways of working to life.

At its core lies a central question:
How do we want to work today — and tomorrow?

Many people spend several hours a day sitting down – often with consequences for their back, neck and shoulders. Back pain is one of the most common complaints in everyday office life. A crucial factor for ergonomic sitting is often underestimated: the natural lordosis of the spine. Anyone who understands how lordosis works and how to adjust the lumbar support on an office chair can specifically prevent discomfort and work more healthily in the long term.

How corridors, alcoves and soft zones facilitate cognitive switching.
Between focused individual work and lively interaction lies an area that is often underestimated in office planning: the interstitial space. It is precisely these transitional zones that are crucial for productive work in hybrid working environments. Corridors, alcoves and peripheral areas thus become more than mere circulation spaces – they support focus, interaction and natural movement in equal measure.

Working in green surroundings: The ‘biophilic design’ principle uses plants to create a pleasant office environment that protects against noise and poor air quality and helps improve concentration.

Long conversations need space. Not only in a metaphorical sense, but quite literally within the physical environment. While traditional meeting rooms are often designed for efficiency and structure, the most valuable dialogues tend to emerge in settings where atmosphere, comfort, and a sense of retreat come together.

This is precisely where soft seating comes into play - introducing a new quality of interaction in the workplace.

The world of work is changing. Hybrid working, agile teams and project-based collaboration are shaping everyday office life. Traditional rows of desks are increasingly being replaced by flexible room concepts. Lounge furniture plays a central role in this, not only offering comfort but also enabling new forms of communication, creativity and relaxation.

At first glance, se:cove appears to be a comfortable, inviting lounge chair — soft in form, clear in design and highly versatile. Yet behind its residential aesthetic lies an intensive development process in which sustainability was considered from the very beginning.

We spoke with Niklas Flum, Sustainability Specialist at Sedus, about how much sustainability work truly goes into se:cove, which levers are decisive — and why sustainability extends far beyond questions of materials.

Sculptural yet soft in its expression, se:cove combines gentle, flowing lines with a distinctive spatial presence. The lounge chair is both an eye-catcher and a place of retreat. While the rear view conveys dynamism and structure, the open, inviting front creates a sense of shelter — like a small cove within the space, offering protection while encouraging interaction.

Whether used for focused work, creative breaks or extended conversations, se:cove creates moments of concentration and exchange. Yet behind its expressive form lies more than comfort and aesthetics. The chair embodies a product philosophy where responsible material selection, intelligent construction and sustainable processes are embedded from the outset.

At Sedus, sustainability is not an add-on — it is integral to the concept.

In hybrid working environments, digital and physical forms of work merge into a dynamic whole – with constantly changing requirements for spaces, users and tasks. "Focused work as a scarce resource" has become a central issue: according to Sedus INSIGHTS N° 20, modern working environments must not only promote interaction and exchange, but above all enable targeted concentration. Open-plan spaces need differentiated zones that help employees choose the right place for their respective tasks. This means less rigid departments and more sensory and functionally coordinated zoning of the space.

With se:cove, Sedus expands its portfolio with a sculptural lounge chair that combines retreat, comfort and sustainable construction. We spoke with industrial designer Konstantin Thomas about the development process, the design ambition and the structural principles behind the product.

In open-plan work environments, it is not only what is placed in a space that matters, but how it is perceived from different perspectives. Furniture becomes a spatial element: it structures areas, guides movement, shapes sightlines and subtly influences behaviour. This is exactly where the dual design of se:cove comes into play. 
The lounge chair has two clearly defined “faces”: an open, inviting front and a strong, structured back. This contrast is not incidental, but a deliberate design decision – and a valuable tool for spatial planning.

Open spaces need character - but not noise. In today’s modern work environments, work cafés, and hybrid zones, the goal is no longer simply to fill square metres, but to create atmosphere. With se:cove, Sedus enters a new era of soft seating: a lounge chair that makes a sculptural statement while offering exactly what open-plan spaces demand today - calm, retreat, and presence. 

Whether wood, metal, plastic or textiles – materials not only shape the aesthetics, feel and functionality of furniture, they are also a decisive factor in its ecological footprint. In times of climate change and dwindling resources, designers, manufacturers and developers are faced with the challenge of rethinking materials: moving away from linear processes towards circular value chains. This raises the question of how alternative materials can contribute to more sustainable, resource-efficient and innovative designs.

Materiality is much more than just feel and appearance. It is a design element that can make responsibility and innovation visible and tangible. The journey from natural raw materials through research and craftsmanship to the finished product shows how closely sustainability, design and user experience are intertwined. It also highlights the contribution that new, responsible materials make to a functional and atmospheric working environment.

Located in the middle of Munich, the Sedus HUB demonstrates how modern workplaces can be conceived today: not as a conventional product display, but as a lived-in space that brings people together, inspires them, and supports a wide range of ways of working. The showroom is far more than an exhibition area — it is a place where work, connection and atmosphere merge into a coherent overall experience.

Home office is no longer just a temporary solution. For those who work from home permanently, the demands on their workspace are high – it should be functional, ergonomically designed, and stylishly integrated into the home environment. Furniture that promotes focus, blends harmoniously with living spaces, and impresses with quality.

With its new home office solutions, Sedus brings all these qualities together: ergonomics meets aesthetics, technology meets atmosphere – creating a workspace that feels like a natural part of your home.

As the modern workplace continues to evolve, spaces that are more than merely functional are growing in importance - spaces that inspire, connect and invite people to linger. Work cafés fulfil exactly this role: fostering interaction, offering retreats and encouraging creativity. Yet not every work café is identical. Depending on use and ambience, different spatial typologies - or archetypes - offer guidance for design.

In partnership with the agency Zukunftstil, Sedus has identified four such archetypes: Hub, Club, Library and Garden. Each embodies a distinct atmosphere and addresses specific needs. When combined with suitable furniture, colour palettes and flexible modules, a work café emerges that is not simply visually appealing, but feels like a second home.