When designing the new Yandex office in Yerevan, we faced a complex and versatile challenge: to create a space in the city center with a unique identity shaped by the local context which comply with fundamental principles of functionality and ergonomics, which we have been developing and testing together with the Customer for many years.
In the course of our work, we engaged local experts from various fields of culture to gain a deeper understanding the local identity and unique features inherent in Yerevan and Armenia, and, in particular, their expression in architecture and spatial organization. Simultaneously, we worked on the issue of integrating the project into the urban fabric as a public space for urban events.
As a result, the idea of a public garden park on the ground floor has come up, which lets the urban space inside the building. The public area is designed as a meeting place for the city and the office, a space for social events. Internal balconies are also oriented to the central garden, where common recreation and leisure areas for office staff are located.
Layout solutions are based on the principles of Activity Based Working. It means the office offers a variety of work formats: open space, meeting rooms, offices, lounge areas, coffee points, etc. This diversity of spaces encourages communication where needed and offers places of solitude for intellectual challenges. Workstations are not assigned to employees: one can choose a place to work and switch between spaces depending on personal and team tasks, reserving spots through a booking system or using free seating areas such as lounges and coffee points.
The engineering solutions are designed to support the flexible layout and adaptable work environment. The versatility of planning and architectural solutions allows for a clear plan structure resulting in intuitive navigation throughout the building for employees and guests, while also creating a distinct visual identity for the space.