Brainlab Beyond Work

Nina Eisenbrand
Let’s begin with a look back: BRAINLAB moved to the Riem headquarters in January 2017 and created its own unique workplace. CSMM helped design the first 25,000 square meters—what was it like working together at the time?

Sven Bietau 
The journey to BRAINLAB began with a recommendation. Rather than acting as traditional project managers, our role could better be described as sparring partners. We brainstormed ideas together and used our expertise to refine and enhance the overall concept. BRAINLAB had a clear vision from the outset, paving the way for a constructive, collaborative approach that enabled us to combine the best features of each proposed solution.

Florian Hoffmann
It was vital for us to have an experienced partner by our side—after all, it isn’t every year that you build a new headquarters. We needed someone who understood what we were trying to achieve and could translate our vision into a workable design. This helped us stay focused on our end goal and produced impressive results that have stood the test of time. Even eight years on, we have kept the original design intact. Of course, there have been some changes here and there, such as adding more flex spaces or relocating certain meeting rooms, but the overall system remains largely the same. I think it’s safe to say that this office will still meet our needs in 15 years’ time.

Sven Bietau 
It was particularly exciting that we came up with the concept at a time when many companies were opting for large, open-plan spaces—transparency was the buzzword of the moment. We deliberately chose a different path and created more team-oriented spaces. The design allowed for rooms of eight to ten people working at dedicated workstations—vibrant, well-thought-out offices paired with open-plan communication zones. With the modular workshops, we added flexible spaces that the teams could tailor to their specific needs. The result was a design with an optimal balance of structure, openness and flexibility right from the start—and it still holds up, as we continue to evolve towards our ideal mix of focused work and collaboration.

Florian Hoffmann
At that time, there was a lot of debate about how much space should be allocated for each workstation. The Google office in Munich set the standard at 13 to 14 square metres, but we made a conscious decision to go for 18 square metres, give or take, and we stand by that decision. The spacious kitchenettes, meeting rooms and other elements were—and still are—key features of the design. However, we always wanted a clear distinction between the traditional team spaces and the “workshops”. Each team has the freedom to design their own workshop, and they have embraced this concept wholeheartedly. Many actually prefer the workshops to traditional meeting rooms, especially after their experience of working from home during the pandemic. The freedom to personalise your own space has become a key factor in BRAINLAB’s success.

Nina Eisenbrand
Brainlab had a clear vision early on, long before other companies had got that far. How did you develop such a visionary approach?

Florian Hoffmann
We were never fully convinced that an open-plan layout or a series of closed-door offices on its own was the way to go. These models might be more efficient, but they are not designed for real people’s real needs. For us, it was important to give staff—especially those who rarely come into the office—a place to call their own. That’s why we opted for dedicated team zones instead, often with small mascots or symbols to help people navigate the space and identify with their team. Even though the offices are all architecturally very similar, these details make your team space immediately recognisable. This sense of belonging wouldn’t be possible in an anonymous open-plan model. We decided to build offices for one, three or eight staff, and this layout still works extremely well today.

Nina Eisenbrand
That was quite an unconventional choice at the time, because you really didn’t have any experience with spaces like this. What gave you the confidence to go down this path?

Sven Bietau 
We used the old office in Feldkirchen as a testing ground. There, we set up interactive zones designed to encourage informal interaction and an exchange of ideas, which provided valuable insights for the future. Meanwhile, we worked on standardising certain aspects of the build: The standard room size stayed pretty much the same, whether it was an eight-person office or a meeting room. The communication zones, team rooms and workshops were all designed according to a set of clear standards and a catalogue of modular furniture. As soon as they chose pieces from the catalogue for their own workstations, the teams were ready to start work the next day. BRAINLAB still relies on this systematic approach today, which has also proven successful in other projects.

Florian Hoffmann
One of the main motivations for the move was that our Feldkirchen office was simply too small. Rather than trying to squeeze more people into the same space, we seized the opportunity to try out some new ideas—for example, a combination of closed-door offices and open-plan spaces known as “The Jungle”. We put additional concepts to the test in a neighbouring building, in our Tokyo and Chicago offices and at other locations. Without those experiences, we never would have had a clear idea of the look and feel of our new headquarters. We even built life-sized prototypes to test the proportions, materials and furnishings in real-life conditions. In the end, all this effort paid off.

Nina Eisenbrand
All this effort—from experimenting with The Jungle to full-scale model offices—went well beyond a traditional workplace design project. What effect did it have on BRAINLAB’s workflows and corporate culture?

Florian Hoffmann
It was absolutely vital. We decided to invest a lot in the project, because we understand that workplace design is a huge innovation driver—and innovation has been the key to our success for 36 years. When you work in such a highly competitive environment, the mantra is “evolve or die”. And for that you need spaces designed to encourage creativity and interaction. Our founder Stefan Vilsmeier understood that right from the start. Even back in Helmstetten and Feldkirchen, it was never just about providing a place for people to work, but about creating an environment where people feel at ease. Furniture, kitchenettes, generous spaces—everything has been designed specifically to foster dialogue and collaboration. Transparency is key here. We want staff to be able to see who is in the office and what they’re working on. Of course, working from home is still an option employees can take, as long as there is a good balance of in-person presence. The current arrangement is two days of remote working per week and three days in the office. It is worth noting that many of our staff choose to come into the office more often, because they enjoy the face-to-face interaction.

Sven Bietau 
This is what makes it so powerful. The office fosters a sense of belonging and emotional connection. BRAINLAB makes it very clear that they value their staff, and they want them to feel valued in their everyday lives at the office. When a company develops products that save lives, it stands to reason that they apply the same high standards to the workplace. That’s why we also prioritised “third spaces” in the design—from the lobby and the gym to the restaurant. The aspiration here is for spaces that encourage interaction, promote creativity and keep our corporate culture alive.

Florian Hoffmann
We have made the idea of openness a key feature of our restaurant as well. There aren’t any tables reserved for special groups, not for senior management, not even for guests. Every year, we invite over a thousand visitors from all over the world to eat with our staff and experience the BRAINLAB culture first hand. Even our private dining room, known as the “Stüberl”, is rarely booked. When we host large-scale events, guests can also join any of our daily gym classes—right alongside our staff. This is all about living our values, especially the idea that innovation happens when people come together.

Nina Eisenbrand
Do your employees actually use all the amenities on offer?

Florian Hoffmann
They do! Especially at seven in the morning, which is normally not anyone’s favourite time of day. People often show up early to squeeze in a quick gym session before their first appointments at half past eight.

Nina Eisenbrand
That sounds like a great opportunity to get to know people.

Sven Bietau 
Exactly. It makes staff feel appreciated and helps them build personal connections. In a lot of companies, going digital means there is less face-to-face interaction. At CSMM, we recognise that playing sports and sharing experiences give staff a sense of belonging. That’s why so many meetings end up at the big coffee bar, a place where young architects can mingle with their superiors in an informal setting. It offers a completely fresh way to look at their work.

Florian Hoffmann
We are extremely proud of our customers’ success stories. However, not all members of staff are able to see or feel the direct benefits of our products, particularly in accounting and other support departments. While open-plan offices can help bridge this gap, we also invite doctors and other experts to visit the office and talk about how our products enhance patient care and save lives. All staff are welcome to attend these events and gain a much deeper understanding of what we do.

Nina Eisenbrand
In other words, interior design can also be a form of communication that has an impact both internally as well as externally. It shapes identity in a way that architecture alone never can.

Sven Bietau 
Absolutely, it’s a critical success factor. Just like at FC Bayern, where every employee—from the groundskeeper to the secretary—is a key contributor to the team’s success, the same is true at BRAINLAB. Everyone should feel like they are working towards a common goal. An office cannot achieve this on its own, but the gym, the restaurant and other “third spaces” create an environment where motivation and collaboration can thrive.

Florian Hoffmann
We have always prioritised extracurricular activities and purpose-driven initiatives that foster creativity, exchange and inspiration—whether it is our live-streamed Innovation Talks or our collaborations with the Bavarian State Opera and the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra. This year alone, we have hosted around eight joint concerts as well as changing art exhibitions in the atrium.

In October 2025, we will be hosting an exhibition in the Atrium entitled ROOTED – Brazilian Female Artists. This exhibition explores the theme of roots and rootedness through the work of 16 contemporary female artists. Drawing inspiration from the “Tropical Expressionism” movement popularised by the renowned Brazilian painter Tarsila do Amaral, the artwork celebrates the deep connection between humans and nature. We change the exhibitions about twice a year and offer guided tours for employees and their guests, as well as by appointment on Fridays. Our cultural program not only enhances the visual appeal of the Atrium but also transforms it into a space for inspiration and encounter.

Sven Bietau 
While a space can provide an emotional framework, it can only unlock its true potential when people actively use it. The same goes for sports grounds. Without the games, the rules and the athletes’ commitment, they are devoid of meaning. Bringing spaces to life requires ideas and shared action. So, when we ask, “What’s the best way to work together?”, the answer isn’t just a one-off workplace design—it’s an ongoing process.

Nina Eisenbrand
You have to invest a lot of time and money in extracurricular activities like these. How do you measure their success?

Florian Hoffmann
It is difficult to make a direct correlation with sales revenue. Our main priority is to foster creativity and innovation, while also building a strong public image and employer brand, particularly in the Munich area. Simply put, we want this to be a great place to work, not least because of our Christmas concerts and summer parties for family and friends, among other perks.

Nina Eisenbrand
Are there any other ways to measure the success of these initiatives? Maybe in terms of employee retention?

Florian Hoffmann
Definitely! Many of our staff stay with us for such a long time that we host BRAINLAB work anniversary celebrations to mark 15, 20, 25 and even 30 years of service.

Nina Eisenbrand
What is your average churn rate?

Florian Hoffmann
I don’t have the exact figure to hand, but I can tell you that our staff turnover rate is well below the industry average. While some churn is necessary to keep things fresh, it is particularly important to have a stable team in our R&D departments, where the onboarding process is complex and time-consuming. It can get expensive if people leave after one to three years. The fact that so many of our staff enjoy coming to the concerts, browsing our exhibits and bringing their families in for lunch shows us that these efforts are worthwhile, even if we can’t quantify this directly.

Sven Bietau 
In the end, it is important for employers to invest in initiatives that they believe in, that they feel serve a genuine purpose. Since we spend so much time in the office, we inevitably end up asking ourselves: “Is this how I want to live?” The architecture, the way we treat our staff and all the work we do here will inform the answer. This is about culture, and that isn’t something you can always gauge with conventional metrics.

Florian Hoffmann
Another question we need to ask is whether we are living up to our social responsibility as a large company. Through our cultural partnerships, we are doing more than simply providing a venue; we are actively investing in contemporary artists and projects. For me, one of the most exciting things about working here is having the opportunity to channel our commercial success toward cultural causes.

Sven Bietau 
Ultimately, it’s about fostering identity and forging emotional bonds. Employers who get this right will automatically have a much more motivated and engaged staff.

Nina Eisenbrand
How do you manage to ensure staff feel a sense of belonging at every location, not just the headquarters?

Florian Hoffmann
Other locations have since adopted the same model as our headquarters, for example the Konrad office across the street. We deliberately chose the same ceilings, floors, office dimensions and furnishings, because we know this tried-and-tested concept works, plus it saves time and money. Whether you are in Singapore, the Wrigley Building in Chicago or the Konrad, you know straight away that you’re in a BRAINLAB office. Even though the interior design may vary and some details are different, the recognisability factor is high.

Nina Eisenbrand
How do you evaluate your workplace design over time? How can you tell if something isn’t working?

Florian Hoffmann
You can usually tell right away from the volume of facilities-related emails in your inbox. However, I don’t think we need to make any major changes over the next five years. We have taken on additional space that was not originally planned, but there will not be any significant increases in density or the number of offices. Instead, we are considering implementing digital tools to improve collaboration and perhaps introducing a moderate increase in flexible work for some teams. This could mean that people working more than three days a week in the office would still have a designated desk, while a workstation-sharing plan could be the most sensible option for part-time staff. That would make the most efficient use of our space moving forward.

Nina Eisenbrand
Another fascinating topic is creating a sense of belonging in a team. Like BRAINLAB, we have introduced clearly designated team zones at our office, which goes against the traditional flex office model.

Sven Bietau 
We are very clear about this at CSMM. In our Munich office, people from architecture, consulting, administration and marketing all work very closely together, and their workstations are intentionally mixed all over the office, with the coffee bar as the central meeting point. The key question is: Are you using flex desks to save space or money? Our answer is definitively no to both. Personnel costs make up about 80 per cent of our expenses—the largest single line item—while rent accounts for only a fraction of that, and all other costs are even lower. So, is it really worth trying to cut corners in this very small portion of your overall expenses? Wouldn’t it make more sense to invest in the staff who create the most value for your firm? They are our biggest success factor—and they can make or break our success. In our view, user-centric, identity-shaping workplaces are the future of workplace design. Whether or not staff have designated desks ultimately depends on your corporate culture.

Florian Hoffmann
Every team has different demands. Software developers don’t need a lot of space, but hardware developers need significantly more. Our headquarters is designed to accommodate these diverse needs. Within three days, we can restructure entire sections of the building. We have even developed our own camera mounts for internal navigation systems to make the workplace as flexible as possible. Over the past eight years, some teams have moved five or six times within the building. Having the same floorplans on four different floors has worked to our advantage. When staff move to a different floor to work on a large-scale project, they can still find their way around, and it’s easy for us to order more furniture or equipment.

Sven Bietau 
We always say that the workplace should be a platform for interaction, learning and co-creation. Enough with traditional offices—let’s make workplaces of possibility instead!

Florian Hoffmann
Absolutely. We’re shifting the focus away from monotonous, repetitive tasks to brainstorming, exchanging ideas and working collectively in a team. Agile methodologies allow for sprints, retrospectives and continuous improvement. There is no way a single team can develop a product on its own: collaboration is the name of the game.

Nina Eisenbrand
One final question: What is your view on the theory that “Working from home is killing innovation”? 

Sven Bietau 
There is no denying the advantages of working from home—greater flexibility, more effective time management and a better work-life balance. At the same time, it’s clear that physical proximity drives innovation. Direct office interactions lead to spontaneous ideas, immediate feedback, social interaction and practical, on-the-job training, all of which are particularly important for younger members of staff. Without face-to-face interaction, jobs become interchangeable, the sense of belonging gets weaker, and knowledge transfer is much more difficult.

Florian Hoffmann
That’s why we rely on a model that provides clear incentives for coming into the office, whether it is having lunch together or working in interdisciplinary teams. A structured policy on office attendance can stimulate innovation, identification, cohesion and integration. Working from home will not solve all our challenges on its own—and based on our experience over the last few years, moving to a fully remote model is neither feasible nor desirable.

Nina Eisenbrand
Thank you very much for this lively, informative conversation—and the many valuable insights!