NEXT Design Competition

Designed by Sooz.

WHAT’S NEXT? NEXT is an innovative robotics company with a mission to improve human living.

NEXT believes that creating products that automate mundane tasks allows people to focus more energy on personal, community, and societal improvement.

NEXT encourages innovation and growth in all areas of life, and supports this growth through facilitating everyday living.

When we look to the future, we see what’s NEXT.

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NEXT

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NEXT’s Purpose

When we look to the future, we see what’s NEXT.

NEXT is an innovative robotics company with a mission to improve human living.

NEXT believes that creating products that automate mundane tasks allows people to focus more energy on personal, community, and societal improvement.

NEXT encourages innovation and growth in all areas of life, and supports this growth through facilitating everyday living.

When we look to the future, we see what’s NEXT.

These are the goals NEXT wants to achieve with their product and consumer. innovative

hybridity

accessible

Team.

NEXT’s innovation team includes a wide variety of worker perspectives, including researchers, engineers, and product designers work together to create smart home devices

ergonomic

multiuse

life facilitating

flexible

Wants.

NEXT is looking to create an office that encourages innovation and reflects their values of human centered design.

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NEXT

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Client Overview.

connection

support

community

push towards innovation

NEXT believes connection, support, and community push us towards innovation.

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NEXT

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support

community

NEXT

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connection

push towards innovation

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When we look to the future, we see what’s NEXT.

Branding + Culture fitting in

Warm Interiors

Grids on Glass

The South Boston Waterfront

Industrial Materials

Biophilia

The Seaport District is a hustling technology city, with a commitment to innovation and improvement.

The Seaport skyline was built by forward thinking businesses who wanted a hand in creating the future technology city.

This location is perfect for NEXT’s new Research + Development hub, and modern design choices reflect NEXT’s ability to be a part of creating change.

purpose driven Zoned areas of NEXT encourage connectivity, support, and community through space shaping and design choices that reflect these motifs.

connection

support

community

NEXT’s purpose drivers

push towards innovation

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Precedent Research.

Other companies have attempted implementing these design drivers, and looking at successful and unsuccessful strategies will help us see what will work for us. purpose driven

multifunctional

hybridity

inclusivity

collaboration

flexibility

Why Steelcase?

NEXT has chosen to partner with Steelcase for their Research and Design hub because of Steelcase’s dedication to innovation, diversity, inclusion, and sustainability. NEXT is looking to work with companies that reflect their own values.

Some NEXT values that Steelcase’s furniture + design ideas reinforce include: • Human Centered • Purpose Driven

FOCUS

COLLABORATE HYBRID FLEX

• Fostering Connections • Be Authentic, Be You • Think Big and Be the Next

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SOCIAL

Precedent Research Steelcase - Boston, MA Steelcase features small configurations or ‘spaces’ that come together to create a multifunctional office space.

Some of these spaces include Flex, Focus, Hybrid, Social, and Collab Intermixing these small areas allows for the same options in each area, and the ability to move and be flexible.

See how these spaces work together in Steelcase’s graphic, and read more about how to Work Better in the QR code.

Flex

Focus

Hybrid

Social

Collab

Precedent Research purpose driven

collaboration

multifunctional

hybridity

Office Neighborhood LinkedIn, Chicago LinkedIn’s ‘office neighborhood’ is a multipurpose cafe area, meant to facilitate employee bonding and connectedness in a hybrid work environment.

This is a great example of a multifunctional space, with many configuration and working options.

The space exemplifies a purpose driven environment, where collaboration and connection is implemented in their brand/company morals and their design practices.

This is an okay example of creating a hybrid work environment, as conducting meetings here can bring in a sense of brand and workspace. This would not be a good space for hybrid work because of the lack of audio control and high social activity.

Key Factors:

multifunctional

New York Studio Perkins & Will, New York City L Perkins & Will’s new york studio features flexible workspaces like the one pictured here.

These open setups allow for easy change to the workspace environment, such as using partitions or changing the furniture.

The flexible nature of this space allows it to be reconfigured to the needs of the user, creating an accessible, inclusive, and multifunctional space.

Integrated technology allows hybrid workers to feel included right at the table, While this open setup allows for collaboration and flexibility in the use of the space, it also exposes it to the rest of the office environment.

Key Factors:

accessible

hybridity

flexibility

collaboration

. lv d Se

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NEXT Offices

The site is located at 101 Seaport Blvd STE 600, Boston, MA 02210, in the heart of The Seaport area. The lobby entrance faces East, and the office is located on the 6th floor, on the NorthWest side of the building.

Site Analysis.

Grids on Glass

The South Boston Waterfront

Warm Interiors

Biophilia

Industrial Materials

101 Seaport Blvd.

NEXT

Office

Cultural Connections The energy, history, and materials of the Seaport influenced NEXT’s design, as noted with purple culture tags.

Age Demographics

50% of households in the Seaport are Oneperson households. The wider Boston area in comparison has mostly family homes.

90% of residents in the Seaport are between the ages of 18 - 64.

Race Demographics

The wider Boston area has 73% of residents in the same age range.

The Seaport is mostly white, at an overwhelming 81% of residents.

Seaport Blvd. is a busy street, full of cars and pedestrians, a corridor to the heart of the town.

NEXT is within walking distance of the Boston Harbor, where restaurants and shops pepper the shore.

Household Type

1 Seaport Blvd

The wider Boston area is much more diverse with a 45% white and 55% other breakdown.

Seaport District History A Timeline

Street Life

Site Analysis.

Interior 2

3

Sun Studies Fall Months

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5

6

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The Seaport District offers shopping, dining, views, and nightlife, providing residents with a luxury experience in an enriching envirionment.

Inclusive Design Lab

Phone Room

D.8

Resource Center

Phone Room

Reception

Retail Mockup

Private Office

Phone Room

E

E.2

9am 30’

Designated Team Room

Workstations Designated Team Room

F

F.6

Large Meeting Room

Work Cafe

Phone Room Mother’s Room

G

Private Wellness Room

Designated Team Room

Private office

NIC

Social/loud

Focus work

Group work

12pm

Private office

53’

H

Existing Site Analysis

NEXT is within walking distance of the Boston Harbor, where engagement and activity peppers the shore.

Early consideration of daylighting, access, acoustics, and other site opportunities allows for planning better suited placement of different types of activities

3pm 42’

3

4

5

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7

D

Inclusive Design Lab

Phone Room

D.8

Resource Center

E.2

Designated Team Room

Workstations Designated Team Room

F

Phone Room

Reception

Retail Mockup

This diagram shows how different types of spaces can best use the areas analyzed in the Existing Site Analysis.

Mother’s Room

G

Private Wellness Room

Designated Team Room

Private office H

Phone Room

Private Office

Phone Room

E

F.6

Large Meeting Room

Work Cafe

Private office

NIC

Social/loud

Focus work

Group work

Site Analysis.

2

rogram

Reception Design Director Private Office Development Director Private Office Product Inclusion Private Office Project Development Workstations Design Workstations Engineering Workstations Prototype and Testing Workstations Materials Innovation Workstations Retail Workstations Other Workstations Project Development Dedicated Team Space Design Dedicated Team Space Engineering Dedicated Team Space Phone Rooms Work Cafe Phone Rooms Work Cafe Product Storage Project Rooms Inclusive Design Lab Home Office Lab Mother’s Room Wellness Room Resource Center

Adjacency Matrix Adjacency Matricies help us designate what areas of the program should be closer or further from each other during the space planning phase.

- Immediately Adjacent

H - High M - Medium

- Conveniently Adjacent - Important

L - Low A - Acoustics V - Visual

- Convienient, not necessary - Needs separation

P - Privacy

Bubble Diagrams Bubble diagrams help designers understand how the adjacency matrix translates into space, and how all of the programs can fit together while still getting their needs addressed, Bubble Diagrams offer designers an opportunity to see important adjacencies outside of the program, and implement them into the final design.

Circulation

Directors

Workers

Visitors

The directors need access to each other, as well as the workstations and large meeting room.

The workers need access to each other, as well as the designated team spaces, director offices, labs, and project rooms.

They need the most involved circulation route.

Visitors should have the least access, but still get a feel for the space and brand. The need access to reception, meeting room, work cafe, and retail markup.

Design Concept.

These are the goals that NEXT wants to achieve with their product and consumer. life facilitating

hybridity

accessible flexible

community

ergonomic innovative

multiuse

connectivity

support

Design Drivers. focus connective

hybridity

multifunctional

accessibility collaboration

flexibility ergonomic

purpose driven

social

supportive

Key points from NEXT help keep focus on what’s important to incorporate into design.

These are the Design Drivers of the project.

Key Factors After precedent design research is done to understand how to implement the design drivers, Key Factors of successful design are noted and prioritized in the design approach.

01. Maximize real estate through multi-functional spaces Making each interactive space multifunctional allows each space to be used for a variety of activities. Creating many of these multuse spaces and placing them throughout the office allows occupants to access each type of interactive space no matter where they are in the office.

02. Incorporate company branding while honoring the local culture NEXT’s branding and mission fits in with the Seaport District’s modern and technologically advanced lifestyle.

This is achieved through use of glass, light, and reflective materials, similar to the Seaport District’s skyline.

03. Balancing Transparency + Confidentiality A struggle often faced in today’s work towards human centered design is the balance between creating open and private spaces. My solution for this was to create interactive areas along a main corridor, presenting more social areas to be interacted with whilst tucking away more private areas.

04. Increase employee engagement, collaboration, and productivity

NEXT

When we look to the future, we see what’s NEXT.

Plan Inclusive Design Lab

Product Management Designated Team Space

Product Management + Development Workstationss

4

Large Meeting Room

Work Cafe

Reception 1

Product Resource Storage Room

Phone Booths

Mother’s Room

Development Director Private Office

3

Engineering Design + Workstations Engineering Designated Team Spaces

Project Inclusion Director Private Office

Design Workstations Design Director Private Office

4

Individual Workstations

Individual Workstations 3

Project Rooms

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4

2

Home Office Lab

Wellness Room

1

Retail Mockup

UP

Wellness Arera

2

Cores + Corridors

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D.8

D.8

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E.2

E UP

E.2

F 32

F.6 26

F

G

F.6

30

Social Core

Worker’s Corridor

H

workspaces 27

The Social Core includes the Work Cafe, the Large Meeting Room, Open and Enclosed Wellness Rooms, and Flex spaces.

H

8

43

14

21

inclusive design lab

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work cafe

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flex space

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wellness areas

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resource room product storage mother’s room

28

large meeting room

The Work Core includes the Resource Room, Inclusive Design Lab, Product Storage, Phone Rooms, and Flex Spaces.

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designated team spaces 32

workspaces

flex space

26

UP

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Corridors in the space were designed with an intent to lead towards purpose. The worker’s corridor is the main pathway of a NEXT employee.

This path leads from the social core through the work core, and down through individual workstations and collaboration areas.

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flex space

There are two core areas in the NEXT office; the social core and the work core.

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26

UP

project rooms

Guests and visitors will often occupy the social core, whereas NEXT employees use the worker’s corridor to move between the core areas.

approaches

Flow NEXT’s office circulation follows its’ design principles of flexible, multiuse areas.

The two central flows are surrounded by interactive areas, filled with relazed, focus, social, and collaborative workspaces.

Worker’s Corridor Social Core

shaping through floors + ceilings Interactive Areas are strategically placed around the main corridors of egress. Areas that provide more social opportunities are more open and connected to the workspace, whereas spaces that provide more focus centered uses are visually and acoustically protected.

Inclusive Design Lab

Product Management Designated Team Space

Product Management + Development Workstationss

Large Meeting Room

Work Cafe Reception

Phone Booths Development Director Private Office

Product Resource Storage Room Mother’s Room

Home Office Lab

Wellness Room

Wellness Arera

Retail Mockup

UP

Engineering Design + Workstations Engineering Designated Team Spaces

Project Inclusion Director Private Office

Individual Workstations

Design Workstations Design Director Private Office

Individual Workstations

Project Rooms

approaches UP

Shaping through Floors + Ceilings Defining Space Office Flow

The office flow shows a flexible, consistently moving pathway from the inclusive design lab, through the workspaces, and to the large meeting room. This flow starts in reception, and splits into two paths.

The first path leads left to the ‘worker’s corridor’, through the work core and team work areas.

The second path leads right towards the social areas, connecting the workers corridor to the large meeting room, work cafe, and wellness rooms.

Product Management Designated Team Space

Inclusive Design Lab

Product Management + Development Workstationss

Large Meeting Room

Work Cafe

Reception Product Resource Storage Room Home Office Mother’s Lab Room

Phone Booths Development Director Private Office

Engineering Design + Workstations Engineering Designated Team Spaces

Project Inclusion Director Private Office

Wellness Room

Wellness Arera

Retail Mockup

Design Workstations Design Director Private Office

Reception Flow Workspaces Work Core

approaches

Individual Workstations

Individual Workstations

Project Rooms

ceilings

Shaping through floors + ceilings Interactive Areas are strategically placed around the main corridors of egress.

Areas that provide more social opportunities are more open and connected to the workspace, whereas spaces that provide more focus centered uses are visually and acoustically protected.

Wooden Flooring in louder social areas zones them, whilst surrounding these spaces with carpet, helping acoustical aid.

The main circulation route is guided with cement, whilst zoning interactive areas throuhgout the space. These include flex spaces, social spaces, and the home office

Work areas feature carpet to give a more comfortable, homey feel, and controlling excessive audios

floors

approaches

Interactive Areas + Modulated Space Interactive Areas offer pit stops along the main circulation corridors, inviting guests to interact in 5 types of activity:

FOCUS SOCIAL

HYBRID

FLEX

COLLAB

modulating space Interactive Areas are strategically placed around the main corridors of egress. Areas that provide more social opportunities are more open and connected to the workspace, whereas spaces that provide more focus centered uses are visually and acoustically protected.

flexibility Creating Interactive Areas with multiple uses in mind allows spaces to house more than one type of activity.

NEXT

When we look to the future, we see what’s NEXT.

approaches Inclusive Design Lab

Product Management Designated Team Space

Product Management + Development Workstationss

Large Meeting Room

Work Cafe

Flex

Reception

Phone Booths Development Director Private Office

Product Resource Storage Room Mother’s Room

Home Office Lab

Wellness Room

Wellness Arera

Retail Mockup

Focus UP

Engineering Design + Workstations Engineering Designated Team Spaces

Project Inclusion Director Private Office

Individual Workstations

Project Rooms

Design Workstations

Hybrid

Design Director Private Office

Social

Individual Workstations

Plan

Collab

NEXT

When we look to the future, we see what’s NEXT.

FOCUS Focus areas utilize multipurpose furniture selected for their immersive abilities. rea

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SOCIAL Social areas provide a reprieve fromm work, and are often mixed with collaborative areas to encourage strengthening relationships through connection and support.

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HYBRID Hybrid areas allow for seamless connection between in person and remote workers, creating equally inclusive environments.

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COLLAB Collaborative areas encourage employees to work together to find solutioms

designated team spaces provide an area meant for collaboration, where employees are provided a shared tablespace and centralized flexible workspace.

designated team spaces

workstation configuration gives each employee their own space using answer beams, but allows for connection through connective tables and facing desks.

individual workstations

lex

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ce spa

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FLEX 1

lex

f ial z o s

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Flex areas provide general use, multifunctional spaces that provide a reprieve from the surrounding environment.

UP

HYBRID

FOCUS

Materials Materials for this project have an eye towards comfortability, accessibility, and flexibility.

Interactive Areas will be mixed together to create a multifunctional space.

These Interactive Areas include: Flex, Focus, Hybrid, Social, and Collaborative.

Each type of space has it’s own materials selected to enhance the experience of that space type.

COLLAB

FLEX

SOCIAL

flexibility flex space 01.

Creating Interactive Areas with multiple uses in mind allows spaces to house more than one type of activity.

flex spaces designated team spaces

multiuse spaces spread throughout the office for easy access to any type of work configuration.

UP

flex space 02.

FLEX

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design concepts NEXT’s Purpose Drivers

connection

support

community

push towards innovation

Interactive Areas + Modulated Space

Flow

Floor + Ceiling

NEXT home offices prioritize multiuse spaces and flexiblefurniture to adapt to customer needs, providing a choice of work configurations in each space.

NEXT’s Home Office Lab demonstrates what a home office would look like using NEXT products and ideals.

UP

design concept key: Flow Floor + Ceiling Shaping

The Home Office Lab to the left of the entrance welcomes guests to NEXT’s purpose and product line.

Interactive Areas + Modulated SPACE

Key Factors

Home Office Lab.

Home Office Lab

NEXT’s Purpose Drivers

design concepts Interactive Areas + Modulated Space

Floor + Ceiling Shaping

connection

support

community

Flow push towards innovation

Home Office Lab.

Furniture+Fixtures B

easy to move furniture allows for easy reconfiguration

organic forms designate the area as a relazed space K

J

A I

B A

warm lighting and circular forms centralize and calm the area H

C D

G

Home Office Lab Floor Plan modular furniture allows for space reconfiguration

E F

the central area provides connection between the relaxed and focused workspaces, whilst also providing hybrid access to both areas.

Furniture Schedule

NEXT home offices prioritize multiuse spaces and flexible furniture to adapt to customer needs, providing a choice of work configurations in each space.

Furniture+ Fixtures

Focus modesty panels allow for a ‘focus cove’ within the workspace

Hybrid

Adaptable furniture from steelcase enriches the multifunctional experience through it’s thoughtful and ergonomic design.

Flex

the couche’s back separates this area from the social areas of the room

large, adjustable worktables allow for multiple configurations in one workspace. large tables allow for multiple monitors as well as laptop space.

Focus

Hybrid

Social

Collab

providing options for configuration allows for flexibility, encouraging the workspace to work for you.

screens implemented into the workplace through worktables and spaces allows for collaboration between in person, hybrid, and online work.

hybrid aspects and screens throughout the space allow s for inclusive online teamwork

Collab

movable furniture makes it easy for people to join in any workspace

movable furniture makes it easy for people to join in any workspace

a modulated couch allows the room to be easily reshaped through furniture a circular table encourages people to draw to the center, while continuing the connectivity motif of the brand.

Reception.

Reception NEXT’s warm reception area welcomes guests to the office, introducing them to the NEXT brand whilst ushering them towards the check in desk.

While they wait, guests can explore interactive areas, which provide a variety of accessible seating options.

Floor and ceiling shaping guide occupants towards the worker’s corridor or the social core.

UP

Key Factors The Reception area introduces guests to NEXT’s morals and branding, while also establishing the spatial motif interactive areas throughout the office.

Reception.

design concepts Interactive Areas + Modulated Space

Flow

Floor + Ceiling Shaping

NEXT’s Purpose Drivers

connection

the reception area provides various areas for guests to interact with and learn more about NEXT. space shaping guides guests around the interactive areas

support

community

push towards innovation Reception features a circular flow to guide visitors around the interactive areas in the lobby.

E.2

Work Cafe F

F.6

NEXT’s Work Cafe promotes connection through varying levels of social interaction.

G

H

UP

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21

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Social Core

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UP

The Reception area introduces guests to NEXT’s morals and branding, while also establishing the spatial motif interactive areas throughout the office.

Key Factors

Work Cafe

E

the brand encourages connectivity in team areas through it’s motif branding

NEXT’s Purpose Drivers

spac shaping through floors and ceilings creates an organic flow through collaborative, social, and focus areas

providing focus, collaborative, social, and flex areas and continuing the space’s motif in the cafe allows workers to choose their lunch experience

support

NEXT encourages community and growth together even when not working

community

design concepts Interactive Areas + Modulated Space

connection

push towards innovation

Flow

Floor + Ceiling Shaping

Work Cafe

NEXT’s warm reception area welcomes guests to the office, introducing them to the NEXT brand whilst ushering them towards the check in desk.

Key Factors

While they wait, guests can explore interactive areas, which provide a variety of accessible seating options.

Floor and ceiling shaping guide occupants towards the worker’s corridor or the social core.

design concept key:

UP

Flow

Floor + Ceiling Shaping

Interactive Areas + Modulated SPACE

The Reception area introduces guests to NEXT’s morals and branding, while also establishing the spatial motif interactive areas throughout the office.

Workstations

Workstations

Workstations

NEXT’s Purpose Drivers

connection the brand encourages connectivity in team areas through it’s motif branding

support

community

push towards innovation

collaboration tables encourage employees to work together and support one anouther

design concepts Interactive Areas + Modulated Space

Flow Floor + Ceiling Shaping

these areas are tucked off to the side in nooks or used to break egress. All of these spaces can be interacted with in different ways, and help shape the office.

these areas break the flow of egress, or help direct circulation.

flexibility in the workplace THE WORKER’S CORRIDOR

FLEX SPACES

social flex space 01

social flex space 02

designated team spaces

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Interactive areas sprinkled throughout the Worker’s corridor offer workers a variety of multifunctuonal work areas to choose from when in need of a break from their individual workstations.

supportive flexibility collaboration connective focus

individual workstations collaboration tables connect individual workspaces, allowing for focus or collaborative work.

individual workstations feature room for 2 monitors and a laptop.

The collaboration side table encourages NEXT employees to work together, even on individual projects, and to be comfortable supporting each other.

Social

Work

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When we look to the future, we see what’s NEXT.

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