WHAT'S UP Blog

Today’s hybrid working environments have to fulfil many roles at once. They should enable focused work, encourage interaction, create space for creative collaboration and, in between, offer places where people can simply switch off for a moment. This creates a demand for furnishing solutions that go beyond a single purpose and can adapt to different needs throughout the working day.

Ahead of ORGATEC 2026, Sedus has introduced the motto “Spaces that Care – Wellbuilding for Human Nature”. But what lies behind it, and what can visitors expect in Cologne? We spoke with Ernst Holzapfel, Marketing Director at Sedus about the idea behind the theme.

Can the right sound improve concentration?
Sounds of nature, such as the murmur of water, the wind or birdsong, are not only calming – they can also help to block out distractions, reduce stress and enable you to work with greater focus. In this article, you can find out why the future of productive working environments lies not in absolute silence, but in intelligently designed soundscapes, and what role biophilia, neuroarchitecture and acoustics play in this.

Relaxed, Clear, Smart and Slow – the four design worlds featured in the current issue of #designcodes 1/2026 reveal far more than just colour trends. They illustrate how different room atmospheres can specifically support different modes of attention. This makes them a practical planning model for modern work environments that put people and their cognitive needs at the centre.

Not everyone experiences the same working environment in the same way. Whilst some staff members draw energy from lively, communicative areas, others need a quiet, low-stimulus environment in order to concentrate on their work. It is precisely this diversity that the term ‘neurodiversity’ describes.

Open-plan office layouts define the modern workplace. They foster collaboration, speed up communication, and create flexible spaces for hybrid teams. At the same time, however, the number of distractions employees face on a daily basis is increasing. Conversations, phone calls, spontaneous meetings, and constant visual contact can make it difficult to concentrate and increase mental stress.

The office is changing. Not only in terms of technology or design, but in its very essence. What was long considered a sign of efficiency – the cluttered desk, the packed calendar, and, constant availability – is increasingly being called into question. The new guiding principle is: Mindful Work. And it poses a simple yet far-reaching question: What do people really need to work well over the long term?

Workplaces are becoming more homely, more emotive and more individual. At the same time, expectations of interior and corporate design are rising: spaces should convey brand identity, provide guidance and adapt flexibly to different usage scenarios. This is precisely where the se:cove lounge chair from Sedus comes in – with a well-thought-out mix-and-match principle that doesn’t leave design to chance, but makes it possible to plan.

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.