workspaces &
the future
enbiun Supper on The Future of Workspace | Photography by Lieke van der Wel
On May 16th, enbiuns second supper event took place. This edition is connected to the theme ‘The Future of Workspace’. Inspired by the dramatic change in the way we look at buildings, where a war on talent is raging and new working habits make office life go beyond the traditional allocated office spaces. While enjoying an inspiring supper in our studio restaurant, we discuss the struggles, innovations and ideas around tomorrows workspaces with special guests from our network.
In new workspaces, food programs play an important role.
The Future of Workspace theme
The buildings and workplaces where we spend our days transfer our personal and professional life. We believe the best workspaces have the power to open minds, stimulate connection and encourage active collaboration. Corporate and creative industry real estate isn’t just about nice furniture and playful area’s anymore. It’s about purposeful design concerning mental and physical health through spatial design and food programs. For this supper we invited people from vary different background. Real estate developers, architects, facility experts and chefs. All sitting in the pop up restaurant in our studio, getting triggered by the design and food that passes around the table.
Every supper we actively involve partners in our workspace by cooking a course or helping out with the table design. This time Denise Aimee Rijnen from Darc Matter exposed her ceramics on our coffee bar. For our studio she handmade the signing for our meeting rooms. Next to teaching how to wheel throw ceramics she researches the earth for more knowledge about clay and erosion. Her last residency was in Japan which some of her vases and thee pots exposed during supper where inspired by.
Food for Supper
Starting of the evening with energising drinks like a cold brew filter coffee with fresh herbs and a cold brew earl grey tea combined with a prume sake, served in a carafe designed by Maarten Baptist, gave us all the kick we needed to discuss workspaces. Fermented prumes; umeshu boshi in Japan helps to get you centered and focussed. At enbiun we try to learn form other cultures within our team and from our suppliers. Yoigokochi is good example, entrepreneurs Dick and Froukje who both studied Japanese language in Leiden started the company 10 years ago. Dick lives in Japan for half of the year and often invites his natural sake makers to the Netherlands. We learn from them about hospitality 'omotenashi' and about how cooking and eating food and drinks can change our behaviour.
Within the future of workspace and the development of buildings, a food program plays a big role in the spatial design. Food programming is developed by enbiuns food department, with this service we ensure clients the highest quality of menu’s which connects to the company values and the health and happiness of employees. With the development of these programs we work together with specialists as professional chefs, food service partners and people who know a lot about nutrition values.
For the main dish we invited the Foodlab, from de Hogeschool van Amsterdam. The Foodlab is part of the study 'nutrition and dietetics' and with them we currently collaborate on a convenience line which is sustainable, nutritious, fun and maybe even a bit uncomfortable. The main dish was inspired by work sessions we had about nutrition versus sustainability. A lot has been written about these topics and loads of superfood cookbooks have been published. Being food creatives we try to reinvent this area with old and new archetypes such as icons as the ‘De Schijf van Vijf’.
Lenno Munnikens, Guus Nelissen and Lars Vierbergen wrote a sustainable food manifest for the supper. The manifest displayed a closer look into the insights of the EAT-Lancet report and the ‘Sustainable Nutrient Rich Food Index’ and combined this with the latest ‘Schijf van Vijf’. These concept rules created the frame work for the ideal composition in terms of health and sustainability for the dish they presented this night ‘the Dutch Paella’. The Paella was made with Dutch barley, Dutch seasonal vegetables as green peas, celery and carrots, feta from Ransdorp (North Amsterdam), chorizo and chicken from Abcoude, Langoustine from the North Sea and unsaturated fats as Brassica rapeseed oil from dutch origin.
The plate with paella was presented on a placemat where the concept framework was presented on. The strong visual gave us easily insight about our 100% daily advised by the Dutch Nutrition Center and the percentage intake of this climate proof Paella. It brought up discussions at the table about sourcing local, the agitation in the fishery these days during Brexit and the increasing temperature of the sea and about what eating healthy and nutritious means in a more conscious world. What is right, with all different kinds of research and insights.
Acoustic eating
For the dessert our creative director David Kulen brought up the acoustic problems we come across in many office and residential buildings. His introduction to a new start up by enbiun and OMS called Soundpallet, is to show that acoustic solutions can be designed in a fun and playful way. Artist and designer Nicolas Riis created the first prototype and David showed an installation of these on display. The soundpallet is inspired by the logistic archetype of a wooden europallet. This structure is created with a high absorbing acoustic foam with attractive finishes in different colours.
After the showcase, chef Naresh Ramdjas also known from Masterchef and the Creative Food Studio, took inspiration of the Soundpallet to create the dish ‘Layers of Sound’. He used different kinds of colours and structures to represent all the sounds the soundpallet absorbes. Besides an amazing coffee custard with grinder beans, he used fresh fruits, crackling sugar and wild picked and pickled elderflower blossom. Everybody was blown away with this visual and sound effect. Naresh just showed us that he is both a designer and a chef. Having studied at the Design Academy but always worked in restaurant kitchens beside his study results in being an allround food creative.
Sum up Supper
So summing up Supper 2 ; it was a supper with a lot of energy and intense conversations. With guests that vary in backgrounds, it was most inspiring to hear each side of a story. Discussions on the future of workplace and the future of food therein were inspiring to all. A magical evening to connect with our network through food and stories. To secure the supper inspiration, we select our participants for every Supper carefully. The theme has to be triggering to the people at our table and working at the concept.
If you would like to be part of our next supper as a guest or a partner, please contact maas@enbiun.flywheelsites.com
Enbiun supper is a bi-monthly event in our studio, every supper has its theme so if you let us know what your topics of interests and your background, we will contact you when a theme pops up that meets your and our triggers.
