Designing retreat spaces

Proven room concepts that optimise spaces

Retreat and meeting areas for open office structures

We developed the HORIZONTE wall system more than 25 years ago. At that time, the glass partition wall system was primarily used for designing combi offices and retrofitting corridor walls. Since then, office landscapes have changed significantly. Not least due to the triumph of digital and agile working methods or remote working options, open space offices are increasingly replacing the single office. However, challenges also lurk in multifunctionally used spaces where different work situations come together. New solutions are more in demand than ever.

Noise as a stress factor

The more people are engaged in different activities in the same room, the greater the background noise. As soon as employees meet, someone else exchanges information and telephone calls are made at other desks, it can quickly become too loud for concentrated work. "Noise causes stress in many people. Studies show that the ability to solve problems or be creative decreases significantly in a noisy environment," says Peter Heimann, Sales Manager Room Systems at König + Neurath. "We therefore have a range of room solutions on offer that are suitable for a wide variety of activities and can be used virtually anywhere. Our product range of room systems extends from the small QUIET.BOX or TALK.BOX to the QUIET.BOX DUO and XL as well as INSIDE.CUBE to the large THINK.TANK meeting room."

TALK.BOX: telephone booth in black aluminium

"Our system that has proven itself over decades since the introduction of HORIZONTE is the post-and-beam construction. All our larger room systems are based on this - with a number of advantages. Now we have applied the principle to a smaller version as well. Like its sister, the QUIET.BOX, which is used throughout Europe, the new member of the family of room-in-room systems, the TALK.BOX, requires almost only one square metre of floor space and is a completely self-sufficient room within a room." The TALK.BOX is delivered disassembled, with a high degree of prefabrication, and set up without interfering with the building structure. König + Neurath has decided to use only certified sustainable aluminium. For example, the TALK.BOX consists of black profiles made of Hydro Reduxa aluminium, which gives it a very elegant appearance. As an office fitter, you are very flexible with regard to the furnishings - you can choose from a variety of fabrics, materials and colours and design the box to match your corporate design.

Sustainable wooden telephone box: QUIET.BOX

"You can simply place the telephone cube QUIET.BOX in open space and communication areas where you need a soundproof place for conversations," says Peter Heimann. The room in the König + Neurath space, which also measures just one square metre, is based on the same idea as the TALK.BOX, but is the only model made of wood. "We have a lot of manufacturing expertise with this sustainable material," says the sales manager. "We assemble all components such as insulation, lighting, ventilation and electricity at the factory, so the retreat is ready for use just 30 minutes after delivery." If necessary, it can be moved at any time with simple means should the room situation change again.

Room for two with the QUIET.BOX Duo

The QUIET.BOX Duo works according to the same principle as the TALK.BOX. "The larger box was developed for short meetings in private or concentrated work," explains the sales manager. Like the small telephone boxes, the QUIET.BOX Duo is self-sufficient and equipped with an innovative ventilation system. All it needs is a power connection. It can be equipped with different types of furniture, for example with benches and a table. The back wall made of acoustic glazing creates a pleasant feeling of space. The feeling is even cosier inside, with fabric-covered interior walls and ceiling space.

Small meeting room with additional options: QUIET.BOX DUO XL

The interior of the QUIET.BOX Duo XL is slightly deeper than that of the aforementioned version and thus offers space for more people. Like the latter, this box is also quickly ready for use, scores with many configuration options and offers a "barrier-free" entrance. All König + Neurath boxes are available in the overall somewhat more organic-looking "Organic" version with elegant curves or with architecturally clear edges as a standard version.

Cosy retreats with INSIDE.CUBE

"Our INSIDE.CUBE room solution pursues a somewhat different aesthetic concept. With the fabric-covered walls based on the construction principle of our INSIDE.50 partition, they give surfaces a clearer structure and still offer a pleasant feeling of space with optional glass elements," says Heimann. They are also suitable for telephoning, for meetings. The integrated ventilation ensures a pleasant room climate. The installation of the acoustically effective elements is very simple: they can be set up anywhere in the office as a modular homely solution for better acoustics and more privacy in a very short time.

Representative lounges and offices: THINK.TANK und THINK.TANK.II

While the above room-in-room solutions were designed as retreats for two to four or as an option for shorter meetings, the THINK.TANKs can be used to create representative conference rooms, individual offices, lounges or work areas anywhere in the existing space. "In terms of material choice, there are almost no limits to what you can do with the individual panels: you can choose discreet aluminium-coloured designs and expressive black surfaces as well as metal, textile and even ceramic surfaces. Of course, wood-veneered elements can be used just as well as plastic-coated or white and black boards," Peter Heimann outlines the product range. Incidentally, in addition to the flat glass surfaces, curved corner elements made of glass can also be used as special shapes, which gives them a refined architectural effect. In contrast to the THINK.TANK, König + Neurath designed the THINK.TANK.II as a glass version, which, with its acoustic glazing, elegantly blends in everywhere in the open space and takes a back seat in a filigree way.

Heimann continues: "We are proud of the additional options we offer with our room solutions. Through our collaborations with selected partner companies such as Eyrise, volatiles or Lucem, you can equip your THINK.TANK with switchable glass, illuminated glass wall mosaics or illuminated concrete elements on request and design interesting effects in the room." Other design options include coloured foiling with products from 3M or designer lights from König + Neurath brand partner Artemide.

Tiny House for the office: MEET.IN

Even today, more than a quarter of a century after the invention of our HORIZONTE partition wall systems, our product developers are not running out of ideas. Currently, they have created MEET.IN, a charming acoustic solution for open spaces that effectively reduces noise and at the same time makes conversations in the "retreat niches" particularly pleasant. Here, too, there are numerous design options to choose from.

Our ideas Made in Germany

We manufacture our room systems, like all our furniture and furnishing ideas, at König + Neurath's headquarters in Karben, Hesse. König + Neurath's manufacturing methods combine traditional craftsmanship with technical precision. Through trusting cooperation with our partners and suppliers, the use of short distances and a conscious choice of materials, we guarantee not only first-class quality, but also a sustainable solution. "We can proudly claim that we can supply our clientele with exactly the product they need for the specific situation. As a full-range supplier that accompanies you through the entire process of planning to installation and makes individual solutions possible, we can offer you comprehensive advice and first-class quality made in Germany," emphasises Peter Heimann.