The evolution of the new work space has seen two big moves: 1. The hybrid workplace strategy allowing for flexibility between two work surfaces (either your own personal desk space or a gathering of ancillary furniture often including a formula of lounge chairs, coffee tables, and occasional tables), and 2. The sit/stand strategy allowing for versatility and promoting a healthier, active work/life style. As a response, Gensler and MASHstudios worked with Zendesk to introduce a workstation system for the company’s newest office location in Madison, WI.

(photo by Krista Jahnke)

MASHstudios teamed with Gensler to create the new Midwest Regional hub for the 12-year-old tech-giant, a company with a product line that helps to track, prioritize and solve customer support tickets. The new downtown Madison, WI space thrives in the midst of a vibrant and booming tech community and is only a mile away from the University of Wisconsin. Its new workplace has the capacity to hold 400 employees so it was important for the design team at Gensler to come up with a strategy to provide individual workstations and multiple areas for flexibility. Natural wood is carefully employed with neutral colors of upholstery to punctuate and define the space. MASHstudios’ READYMADE furniture line was the perfect complement for the space. Made with white powder-coated height adjustable bases and cork divider panels, the new office desks (400 workstations in all) help tell the Zendesk story, per Jess Hannes, Senior Director of Global Customer Support, to help employees “feel comfortable, be creative and foster innovation.” Equipped with felt cable sleeves for cord management, white laminate tops with exposed Baltic birch plywood edges, custom power solutions to provide power in beam and work surface, and flush-mounted height adjustable controls for seamless integration and design, the new desks at Zendesk are intuitive as they are beautiful.