

On an equal footing
As distances grow, communication wanes
Or, to put it another way: face to face,
things can be discussed more easily, ques-
tions clarified more quickly and further
action agreed on sooner. The offices at the
Technology Plant are therefore deliberately
integrated with the respective production
levels They are equipped with modern,
uniform media technology and communi-
cation zones The generally open design
means that you can tell straight away, just
by looking at someone, whether or not
they’re available to talk The classic meet-
ing rooms can also be immediately recog-
nised In addition, employees can use the
atrium with the central cafeteria, various
areas with high tables or small kitchens
for a quick discussion
Full of inspiration
With an eye on the company values, the
Festo experts first considered how innova-
tions come about They then implemented
their ideas and answers in an outlandish
spatial concept: four deliberately designed
hotbeds for ideas with an individual char-
acter The green, red, blue and black-and-
white spaces are arranged in the form of a
snail’s shell around a small but central cof-
fee area The meaningful model for the
geometric arrangement are the Fibonacci
numbers (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13 ) Two adja-
cent numbers add up to the next one in
the sequence If the sequence is graphi-
cally represented with the aid of squares,
the result is a pattern that frequently
occurs in nature It can be observed in
things such as snail shells, seashells,
blossoms and cones Furthermore, the Fib-
01
Room for creativity
Acting together across departments: sophisticated
communication and spatial concepts for intensive
cooperation, effective working and an easy exchange
of information
24
Festo AG & Co KG
Innovation means renewal – this also
applies to people’s creative potential
Atmospheric workspaces, so-called hot-
beds for ideas, spark inspiration in day-to-
day life at the office. Over and above this,
the experts have created a host of areas
throughout the factory, such as meeting
corners and the central atrium, so that the
employees can exchange information
spontaneously Communication has to
take place immediately, and above all
directly, in order to expand one’s own hori-
zons Only in this way are specialists from
research, development, information tech-
nology, production, purchasing, con-
trolling, supplier support, human
resources or environmental management
able to be specifically networked to join
forces and create added value for Festo
and its customers
Four hotbeds for ideas
• Interactive media walls
• Temporary workstations
• Reflection and retreat zones
• Individual meeting rooms