RADDAR
RAD DAR
Native Instruments (NI), the world’s leading developer of music software and hardware for music production, sound design, performance, and DJing, launched a design bid for a Chinese based office in Shenzhen. RADDAR won the bid with a concept for the “after-hours office loft”. Filled with NI-like flexible and technologically advanced design elements, the office layout resembles the experimental machine nature of NI’s products, housing activities around the clock.
At the center of NI’s Shenzhen office is a box housing three key processes: a conference room, which is the source of global design and manufacturing collaboration between NI’s offices; the engineering room, in which the product experts can test the machines made in Chinese factories; and the DJ room with the mountain view, in which live shows about products as well as live boiler room performances take place, communicating to the users the latest product advancements.
The box’s walls further serve as file storage towards the office desks, the whiteboard for informal brainstorming, and as NI’s museum displaying the company’s products. Outside of the box are the office desks, located furthest away from the entrance to provide privacy, the mezzanine beds for daily and overnight naps, private phone booths, the server room with printers, and the pantry onto which the DJ room expands for live show events. Abutting the building façade is a long bench for lounging, napping, as well as storage.
Packed into the office space as a DJ machine, each design element is multifunctional, allowing optimal use of the space and flexibility for future staff increase. Each staff has space for their individual storage, relaxation space, as well as different informal spaces for collaboration.
