The Hive Office.

Hamburg, Germany

2022

The HIVE is an experimental office in Hamburg that reimagines post covid workplace needs through a flexible hexagonal layout inspired by personal bubble space. Warm materials, movable furniture and a multi level collaboration zone create a branded environment that feels human, adaptable and ready for real teamwork.

Diagram showing the layout and spacing of a hexagon grid with measurements, including hygiene guidelines, hexagon grid layout, and hexagon module size.
Ceiling with perforated panels and modern linear lighting fixtures, with a central black Y-shaped support.
Modern seating area with gray upholstered benches and wooden tables, yellow and gray pillows, and a geometric patterned carpet in shades of gray and yellow.
Modern waiting area with beige upholstered chairs and geometric wall art in yellow, white, and black. Ceiling features black linear lights, and large windows allow natural light in.

Project Team

Client: Confidential

Architects: Kubit Architekten (Tim Pardoe, Ben Donner, Arne Meyer)

Location: Hamburg, Germany

Size: 300m2

Project Team: CBRE (PM) + Averdung (TGA)

Photography: Arne Schulz

Graphic walls: The Studios

Builder: Rum Projects

Hand-drawn sketch of an interior hallway concept with annotations. Features include ceiling follows and plays with hexagon form, a hive collar design, a graphic wall to be determined, and a quiet corridor seating nook. The sketch shows a corridor with push extends of a hexagon shape that knows when to stop, various color highlights, and notes about design elements.
Modern office interior with large windows showing city buildings outside, concrete pillars, black and gray furniture, and ceiling with integrated lighting.

A new model for the modern workplace

The HIVE began as a question. How do we create a workplace that feels human, adaptable and relevant after the uncertainty of the covid years. The office needed more than desks. It needed purpose. A place for teams to meet with intention, share ideas, move freely and return to the social side of work without the pressure of being anchored to a fixed seat.

Modern lounge area with a dark gray sectional sofa adorned with two patterned pillows, one in gray and the other in yellow, against a wall with geometric bee and honeycomb mural design, partially covered by light gray curtains.

From personal bubbles to collective form

During covid the idea of a personal safety zone became part of daily life. We explored how this idea could be reinterpreted through design, not as isolation but as connection. Individual bubbles were translated into interlocking hexagons, creating a natural geometry for collaboration. The beehive plan emerged, forming a structure that celebrates proximity without compromising comfort.

Modern ceiling with integrated linear LED lighting fixtures and perforated acoustic panels, with blurred background showing part of the word "GEL" in yellow.
Artwork of a cartoon bee with yellow and black stripes, smiling face, and wings, placed on a white background next to a beige wall and a window with curtains.
A stylized illustration of a character with yellow facial features, glasses, and a headset, holding a finger to its lips, with the background featuring geometric shapes and yellow and black colors.
A white wall with geometric black outlines and yellow shapes, including a stylized cartoon bee with glasses, next to a small wooden stool and a black ottoman.

A flexible team space for changing needs

Instead of building another static office, we shaped a room that can shift from focused work to workshops, sprints and events. Movable furniture allows teams to reconfigure the layout within minutes. The multi level collaboration zone supports group presentations, quick touch points and moments of open conversation. The HIVE is not a room with furniture. It is a tool for team energy.

Modern lounge area with gray couches and pillows, wooden tables, large windows, geometric ceiling lights, and yellow accents on the walls.

Light, material and atmosphere

Lighting was chosen to create a sense of warmth and welcome, avoiding the coldness that often defines commercial offices. Timber, textiles and soft curves bring comfort and human scale. These elements help people feel present, grounded and creative, supporting longer work sessions and healthier team rituals.

A black round ottoman next to a light wooden table with black legs on gray carpet with yellow geometric lines.
Modern lounge area with wooden tables and dark gray cushioned seating, some pillows, and a patterned carpet with yellow lines.
Close-up of beige upholstered chairs with rounded edges in a modern setting, with a dark patterned wall in the background.
Part of an interior room featuring a wall with large yellow and black outlined letters spelling 'YEA' and a row of gray upholstered seating.
Interior of a modern waiting area with beige seating and a white wall decorated with a geometric yellow and black pattern. Large windows reveal an exterior view of brick buildings.
Ceiling with perforated acoustic panels and curtains hanging from a rail.

Branded Architecture

The HIVE draws its identity from the logic of the hexagon, the shape that gives bees their collective strength and efficiency. By turning this natural geometry into a quiet visual language, the space becomes a branded environment without shouting, where form, colour and crafted details create recognition, warmth and a fresh way of imagining the modern workplace.

Modern office with cubicles, large windows to the right, concrete pillars, and honeycomb wall art that spells 'ROYAL' in yellow letters.

A space shaped by collaboration

The HIVE was created with Kubit Architekten and a strong team of project partners. The process was fast, open and grounded in trust. What started as a conventional office fit out became a prototype for a more thoughtful workplace. A space where people can meet, move and work in ways that feel social and collaborative.