Studio Alexander Fehre’s BG Friedenau offices in Stuttgart harmoniously blend function and identity, creating a dynamic workspace that reflects the cooperative’s familial values through thoughtful design and versatile meeting areas.

The housing cooperative Friedenau e.G. has relocated its administrative headquarters to a newly constructed multipurpose building at Filderbahnplatz. Situated directly next to Möhringen urban railway station, the small, close-knit team now enjoys a work environment that is functional, identity-forming, and future-oriented. The interior design was commissioned from Studio Alexander Fehre, which translated the cooperative’s specific needs into a spatially and atmospherically coherent concept.

The central idea was to reflect the team’s familial structure while creating a variety of workspaces. In addition to traditional single and double offices, semi-open and flexible zones were created to accommodate different work styles and requirements. This range is complemented by alcoves and smaller meeting areas along the corridors, enabling spontaneous encounters and quick consultations outside the offices.

The heart of the office is a large meeting room that, thanks to its modular furnishings, allows for a wide range of setups: several pentagonal tables can be arranged into one long conference table or used individually for workshops. Visitors are welcomed at a central reception counter and can take a seat in a waiting area from which various meeting spaces – from small meeting rooms to the large conference room – are directly accessible.

In public discussions about new work environments, terms like open-plan offices, desk sharing, or mobile workstations tend to dominate. However, contemporary office design doesn‘t mean blindly following trends, but rather developing the right response to the specific needs of an organization. For the Friedenau housing cooperative, whose team is deliberately small and family-like in structure, the right solution was not an open-plan office, but a well-balanced mix of single and double offices, complemented by semi-open zones and flexible meeting points. The project demonstrates that modern work environments are not defined by certain spatial typologies, but by their suitability: What matters is not the adoption of buzzwords, but the creation of a work environment that authentically reflects a company’s character and culture.

Architecturally, the design follows a clear order: The building’s structure, with its load-bearing columns, set tight parameters that were incorporated into the planning and translated into a logical zoning concept. The material and spatial design is divided into two thematic worlds: At the center – encompassing the entrance area, core, corridors, and kitchen – hard flooring and green accents dominate. The work and meeting rooms along the façade are fitted with carpeted floors and feature orange accents. Elements made of oak wood connect both areas and lend the office a warm, natural atmosphere.

Shaping community – the new administrative office of BG Friedenau
A striking feature is the oak slat wall that encases the building’s core and gives it a distinct identity. Each slat is custom-made, with side surfaces coated in a flip-flop lacquer that shifts between blue and green depending on the viewing angle. As one walks past, this creates a dynamic play of colors, subtly setting the otherwise austere core in motion. The slats form a delicate mesh that encloses the central area while simultaneously conveying openness and structure. They combine natural warmth with technical sophistication — a finely crafted detail that adds a unique atmospheric depth to the office. Clean lines are achieved through dark furnishings and black lighting profiles, which also aid orientation.

The polygonal layout of the entrance area intuitively guides visitors toward the reception and the large meeting room.

With this successful design, Studio Alexander Fehre has created a space for BG Friedenau that makes the cooperative’s values — closeness, community, and continuity — spatially tangible, demonstrating how architecture can make trust and cohesion visible.