One of the key demands of the new office was to intertwine space and culture that promotes openness, transparency, and directness but also provides space for privacy and focused work, leading to creative synergies with the Brigada agency signing the concept and design of the office. Although pandemics, telecommuting, and hybrid work have acted as catalysts for global change in work habits and office organization, the IT industry has known, promoted and lived in such ways for more than a decade.
Superology and Sportening, Zagreb tech companies of the same founder – Ivan Klarić – are rushing forward, after all, as well as the products they are working on research and development. Although Superology, the former Score Alarm, has been present on the IT scene for almost ten years, while Sportening is a young and promising startup, the two companies share core values and work methodologies. In an environment that encourages innovation at all levels, without the typical corporate constraints, these young people enthusiastically develop mobile applications in the sports entertainment industry. After years under various roofs, both companies’ principles of work and growth determined the direction of their joint, tailor-made office in Vrbani district.
“The decision to build a ‘neighborhood within a neighborhood’ was quite logical,” said Damjan Geber, Creative Director of the Brigada agency. In this way, we have realized a space that strives for democracy and inclusion without dividing into several floors that divide teams into separate groups, often without mutual communication and interaction.
The heart of the office is the main square, the central place of social gatherings for all in Superology and Sportening. Together with the large lecture hall, it is open to the atrium along its entire length and regularly turns into a space for interaction.
“As in the development of our product, so in the design of the workspace, we don’t do anything just to do it. We know that open space is not for us because the balance between team and individual work is important to us from day one. The result of common thinking is an office that reflects our daily needs and our culture. It is based on flexibility, autonomy and empowerment of people through the so-called cross-functional teams composed of various experts’ profiles, conceived as a ‘small firm,’ to allow complete autonomy in developing a particular part of the product. Therefore, we needed office space that will not limit their potential in any way “, says Ivan Lulić, managing director of Superology.
A number of office spaces are interrupted by meeting and video call rooms, while the central area that connects everything is a representative zone of large conference halls and think tanks, a space with an office library that serves as a kind of idea laboratory.
“The principles of biophilic design have been applied throughout the space by arranging green oases with plants specially selected for the quality of the microclimate and as a rest for the eyes after a long look at the screen. We paid special attention to the lighting designed by Zumtobel, which uses a smart system to adapt to the specific needs of each zone, time of day, or current activity. The sound system extends through all common areas and unobtrusively creates an ambient soundtrack, which makes the space even more pleasant to stay in,” says Geber.
As Superology and Sportening deal with the development of technologies related to sports and the development of the sports fan community, the entire space is imbued with sports motifs, and broadcasts of sporting events revolve around the screens in the common areas. Because companies are highly data-driven, data on how their products work in the field, in the real world, is also visible.
“People are the ones who fill offices with life, determine their dynamics and atmosphere, but also develop inventive products. It is also important that all their needs in the workplace are met – from unlimited vacations and budgets for education and equipment to state-of-the-art offices, working hours adjusted to their life schedules, and, of course, financial compensation above the industry average. Of course, the responsibility is primarily towards themselves and the product they develop. In that sense, we can say that our office is inspired by our people, our meetings, and our ideas “, concludes Dina Rukavina, People & Culture lead at Superology.
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