Microsoft's Israel Herzliya campus opened in 2020, just as COVID-19 was sweeping the world. In
this special moment, people have to adapt to working remotely for longer periods of time.
Microsoft describes this historic moment in human history as a turning point that has a profound
impact on work patterns driven by the advancement and advancement of technology.
Against such a broad background, the unveiling of Microsoft's new campus in Herzliya, Israel, has
a more forward-looking significance. Since the design of this 46,000-square-meter headquarters
campus in 2016, the future demand for flexible and diverse work models has been taken into
consideration. Especially after the epidemic passes, how companies cultivate employees' sense of
connection and creativity will become a key issue facing every organization.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime project," said Vered Gindi, the campus' chief architect. "We started
with basic questions: Why do employees come to the office? Do they really need an office? What
are our goals? It’s about creating a space that will remain relevant and relevant for decades to
come.”
In this project, Microsoft also proposed three core design principles. First, reduce the impact of
the park on the environment and achieve sustainability. Secondly, strive for dynamic creativity
like an urban environment, rather than a traditional grid layout. Finally, provide flexible and
inclusive workspaces that can be infinitely customized to employee needs. Michal Braverman-
Blumenstyk, vice president and general manager of Microsoft Israel R&D, said: “Every detail has
been carefully considered to reflect the Microsoft’s sustainability values.”
In terms of space design, Oren Yerushalmi Rosenbaum, senior manager of Microsoft Israel,
believes that the campus gives employees the power to choose their own time and place to work.
He said: "Providing equal opportunities for choice and access to workspaces is key to design. Our
goal is to raise the standards of diversity and accessibility across the industry so that office spaces
reflect inclusiveness."
Build a city of work Design Ideas
The design of the park was inspired by two aspects. The first is the architectural style of Tel Aviv
and the urban landscape known as the "White City", which is reflected in the curvilinear aesthetics
of the building and the application of long windows. The second is the complex and ever-changing
characteristics of the city. The park integrates different functional blocks to create a unique
atmosphere. Specifically, the "city" is divided into four centers: "Downtown", which presents an
industrial style; Midtown, which showcases diverse play areas; gardens, green outdoor areas; and
"Uptown," which has the feel of a boutique hotel. The atrium plaza runs through the upper and
lower floors, creating a sense of continuity and connectivity in the space. This three-dimensional
and open urban layout provides rich guidance and diverse possibilities.
This innovative design integrates different roles within the campus, including employees from sales
and marketing to research and development. Among them, the Israel R&D Center is the first R&D
base established by Microsoft outside the United States. It was established in 1991 and has now
become an important force in the fields of network security and artificial intelligence.
Flexible public and personal spaces Design Ideas
In terms of space design, the park applies Microsoft's small team work "community" concept. Each
community not only provides the possibility of public communication, but also ensures privacy as
needed. Each community has its own small meeting room. This design not only takes into account
the needs of communication in the public area and the privacy of small teams, but also has the
possibility of flexible adjustment. Operational flexibility is critical. Employees have autonomy over
how they work. The desk is on casters and comes with over 2 meters of cable so it can be relocated
without contacting building services. Among the various workspace options, employees can choose
different areas according to their preferences and work content. The transparent sight lines indoors
and outdoors and the introduction of the atrium square reduce the sense of isolation and monotony.
Employees don’t need to leave the building and can change scenery at any time. All areas have
window views. A system called "Flexible Grid" was used in the project, allowing soundproofing
partitions to be added as needed, and shelving systems between groups to be removed so that two
teams could be merged into one or divided into two. sub-team.
There are no traditional lecture halls in the campus, instead there are multi-functional rooms
that can accommodate events or trainings of different sizes. Many of these rooms also use
flexible grids that can be reorganized, divided, and merged according to the needs of meeting
organizers to achieve flexible operations.
life scenes Design Ideas
The campus is designed to be part of the social and cultural life of employees. It contains all the
elements of daily life, from a coffee bar with baristas making your coffee to your liking, to a yoga
studio, family game room, pet playground, sports facilities, community gardens and a variety of
indoor and outdoor dining.
During the construction process, the park not only achieved green and environmentally friendly
LEED Gold certification, but also adopted a number of sustainable technologies, including recycling
condensate water, photovoltaic power generation, etc., and using air conditioning systems to purify
indoor air. This type of technical means not only reduces the overall energy consumption of the
park, but also provides a good working environment.
In terms of barrier-free design, the park has set up facilities such as wheelchair ramps, automatic
doors, hearing-impairment sensing systems, and added braille signs, guide carpets, etc. This not
only improves the accessibility of the campus, but also conveys Microsoft’s philosophy of supporting
diverse teams. Many park service personnel are disabled.
Through this project, Microsoft hopes to create a place that people will miss when they leave, not
just a functional office building. The design concept of the park is to create a true small city,
providing diversity and vitality to adapt to different forms of office and social needs in the future.
The park’s flexible and humanistic design concepts make it a model for office space design in the
new era.
