The international workplace design consulting company Degw is developing spaces for the new Milan headquarters of Microsoft Italia to provide flexibility and to reflect corporate values: openness, visibility, energy, dynamism and innovation.

Located in the iconic and essential building designed by Herzog & De Meuron for Gruppo Feltrinelli in the Porta Volta area, the facility will open in February 2017.

The concept DEGW applies to the context comes from the combination of the historical legacy of the city of Milan and the technological innovation of the company.

The project is part of a path Microsoft Italia began ten years ago, leading to a New World of Work, an approach to professional dynamics that calls for greater flexibility of staff in an outlook of smart working, the use of functional spaces and innovative technologies to maximize productivity and cooperation.

DEGW organizes the 7500 sq meters of the facility in terms of a free, fluid layout. The open-plan work areas do not have dedicated workstations: every person can move in the spaces according to the activities to be performed. The meeting rooms and lounge areas encourage communication between work teams and individual colleagues.

The interior design focuses on Italian design, creating an almost domestic setting: warm, welcoming, with natural materials like wood.

The ‘social hubs’ represent another fundamental feature, organized around three themes: sports, nature and the city.