Architecture studio Zeller & Moye has reimagined the modern workplace with a plant-filled, nature-focused office for medical software company Pradtke in Bochum, Germany. Featuring built-in wooden planters, an indoor garden, and a walkable felt landscape, the 500-square-metre space is designed to enhance employee well-being and support varied working styles.
A Natural Alternative to the Conventional Office
“Our aim was to go beyond the common office setting by offering a wide spectrum of spaces and atmospheres,” said Ingrid Moye, co-founder of Zeller & Moye. “With sustainability and user well-being at the core, we used only natural materials and integrated plants throughout every zone.”
The office encourages fluid movement between different environments, with areas dedicated to focused solo work, collaboration, education, and relaxation. An events hall overlooks a lush indoor garden, envisioned as a space for mental recharge. A central workspace, arranged around the illusion of a giant table, allows teams to work side-by-side while maintaining acoustic separation through glass partitions.
Flexible, Multi-Sensory Environments
Co-founder Christoph Zeller explained that each zone responds to a specific work function, encouraging spontaneous interaction and a dynamic work rhythm. “Users frequently move between spaces, which invites unplanned encounters and more effective communication,” he noted.
In collaboration with German artist Tilo Schulz, the studio also introduced a felt-covered seating landscape designed for informal working and rest. The reconfigurable modules serve as alternative workstations or can be transformed into a stage. “The upholstered surface is meant to gently interrupt routine, inviting shifts in thinking,” said Moye.
Wellness Through Design
Natural ventilation and lighting are prioritised throughout the office, while materials such as timber, linoleum, and felt contribute to a calm, tactile atmosphere. Multiple acoustic booths and a secondary floor with private work rooms provide additional functional variety.
Zeller & Moye hopes the project will foster a more imaginative and human-centric approach to productivity. “Spaces like the indoor garden and felt landscape don’t just offer rest—they offer a new point of view,” added Moye. “That’s what enables out-of-the-box thinking.”
The Berlin and Mexico City-based studio is known for projects that blend thoughtful materiality with spatial experimentation, including a resilient housing block in Mexico City and a timber residence nestled in a German forest.