Case study

Oracle

All advantages and benefits of an office space focused on stimulating employee creativity.

The redesign of a tech company office is not only about architecture and aesthetics, but also about creating an environment that encourages new dynamics among employees and creates a completely new work experience.

One of the key design projects of the company DC&T (a professional consulting company specializing in integrated solutions for real estate management, work dynamics, and work environment management) was the redesign of the Zagreb Oracle Office before the outbreak of the pandemic. The main challenge was changing the basic concept. Oracle Hrvatska previously had an office designed as an open work environment. However, by analyzing workplaces, studying the dynamics of employee relations, and learning about corporate guidelines, we found a solution that takes into account the creative and communication needs of teams, as well as employee privacy and personal preferences.

Global guidelines

Teams are basic works units in Oracle Hrvatska. Therefore, in the framework of the new design, both the overall office and personal workstations are organized in a way that will meet the needs of each employee group. The total amount of space needed by each team is precisely defined, and the rooms are designed as focus rooms and small project rooms. “The redesign was, to some extent, pre-defined by the precisely developed global Oracle guidelines on workspace design. Thus, we relied on those guidelines and applied the same rich and warm color range with different shades and softer materials,” says Timi Kovačević, founder of DC&T and chief project manager. In its new office design guidelines, Oracle opted for a humane approach, highlighting a stronger connection with employees and abandoning the image of a strict global corporation. This is also reflected in the visual identity, which highlights spontaneity, a pastel palette of colors, and the smart use of natural materials.

More functionality, more creativity

The main goal of the redesign of Oracle’s office space was to keep the existing entrance reception area and work section, as well as to significantly increase their functionality and usability. The entrance area where there is a reception, a longue, a training hall, and two meeting rooms allows one to quickly reach the CEO’s office and the human resources department, which is convenient for those coming for a job or similar interview. The work section is meant to actively encourage cooperation, creativity, and the exchange of information among employees. What’s more, an additional feature of the Oracle premises redesign is focusing on how most workstations should remain personal workstations, with only a few of them being viewed as shared.

“Silk Road”

Oracle’s office in Croatia is circular in shape and is reached through a lobby divided into a reception area, a longue with an organic shape that looks like a “dugout” and is full of spaces that can be used for socializing or working alone, and a training room. From that point, in both directions, you enter the second (“production”) part of the company. In the redesign, the “Silk Road” concept was applied to highlight the internationality of the company, as it does business worldwide. In the Croatian office, the creatives from DC&T presented this global presence as a journey from Europe to Asia with changing colors, shades, patterns, and illustrations. There are rain, waves, mountains, and topographic features of Croatia, for instance, the outline of the Adriatic islands, the Sava River, plains, etc. In each zone, one topic is clearly highlighted, and it also in a way merges with the next one thanks to gradual transitions and common motifs. “From the reception, you reach the sales department full of green shades. After that, one can go either down the corridor to reach other workspaces or, on the other side, go towards the collaborative zone and a section of the human resources office, which has somewhat darker, earthy, and creamy tones. Then, the path continues towards the workspace of Oracle’s development team. This section has mostly blue tones, but there is also a space with yellow tones, and afterwards, you pass through the kitchen, from where you can again enter the lobby”, says Vedran Družina, creative director at DC&T.

Maximizing the given form

The redesign of the training room is an example of how the limits set by the given form of the building where the Oracle Hrvatska office is located were overcome. In fact, one wall of that building is quite inclined, which gives the training room a funnel shape and, at first glance, reduces the possibilities in terms of its use. DC&T designers solved this problem with a special seating arrangement: “Everyone who comes to that space, regardless of where they are, is always focused on the lecturer, and the room also has several focal points where people can create smaller groups and learn like in workshops. The walls of the training room, the largest one in Oracle’s office, are equipped with screens, areas for writing (write-erase paint on the walls), and other creative tools”, says Vedran Družina. As for the office equipment, some of the existing furniture and carpets were reused, and the new ones that were brought in are made from recycled materials, former fishing nets, and the like, i.e. environmentally friendly raw materials.

Better usability and greater satisfaction

Before the redesign, the occupancy of the Oracle Hrvatska office space amounted to around 33 percent. After the redesign, office occupancy reached 66 percent. “This means that by redesigning the space into a more functional and stimulating environment, we “convinced” an additional thirty percent of people to work in the office, and by better arranging the rooms, we created space for a dozen new workstations,” says Timi Kovačević. When it comes to workplace costs, Oracle’s office is now profitable, while before the redesign there was an urgent need to optimize the office space. “Oracle Hrvatska did not need a smaller, but a different office – a stimulating environment and a much more attractive place for employees to work in, a space where they will be able to focus and express their creativity”, adds Vedran Družina. Last but not least: DC&T were the first designers to redesign an Oracle office according to their new corporate guidelines. This was, in a way, a pilot project to show that the redesign of an office space is not only about architecture and aesthetics, but also about creating an environment offering a completely new dynamic and work experience.