The world of work is changing – and so are the questions we ask of spaces. New forms of collaboration, shifting expectations of workplaces and a growing awareness of resources call for solutions that go beyond traditional office typologies. How can we design working environments that respond to these developments while opening up new possibilities?
In their joint talk “Beyond Work – Why the Best Ideas Emerge Between Disciplines” at ORGATEC 2026, Susanne Brandherm and Prof. Sabine Krumrey of brandherm + krumrey interior architecture explore precisely this question. Their presentation focuses on the potential of changing perspectives: What happens when interior architecture looks beyond its own discipline and draws inspiration from other fields?

From hospitality and education to culture and public space, different settings offer distinct experiences of how people meet, navigate spaces and build communities. Bringing these perspectives together raises new questions – and often leads to new spatial approaches. The aim is not simply to transfer concepts from one sector to another, but to understand the principles behind them and reinterpret them for each specific context.

For brandherm + krumrey, interior architecture is therefore about more than designing individual spaces. It brings spatial quality together with functional needs, identity and social change. Strong concepts emerge through dialogue: between people and places, clients and designers, and different areas of expertise and ways of thinking.

“Beyond Work” is an invitation to question familiar categories and look beyond the boundaries of the conventional workplace. Future-ready working environments require more than new furniture or different floor plans: above all, they require openness to new connections and interdisciplinary ideas.