Technology is more than just computers in the workplace or rows of screens on a wall. Experiential design firm SOSO creates memorable spaces that foster connection—essential in the post-pandemic office. Just as hospitality and residential environments have merged, so too have the built and virtual been increasingly blended. “The physical and digital have collapsed into one continuous world, and we think of technology in terms of all these different layers,” said Eric Gunther, co-founder and creative director at SOSO.
As companies strive to attract new talent and keep their tenured employees galvanized, they are looking beyond traditional interior design to enhance the corporate settings. New furniture or fixtures are updates that tend to be quickly forgotten. Multisensory installations, however, continually change the viewers’ perceptions, which keeps them engaged over time. “Our work is integrated into the architecture, and we’re using a whole kit of parts to bring about a specific type of experience,” noted John Rothenberg, SOSO’s co-founder and managing director.
The pair explained that technology is not simply a blank slate or a standardized component, but an element that can be utilized to benefit everyone. And just as workers now want more autonomy in the workplace, with everything from flexible schedules to hot desking, they also want to shape their surroundings and daily occurrences. Participation in particular will be used to motivate employees. “We’re creating these novel modes of interaction, and we are doing that with texting and social media. It becomes a community feed, and we invite people to contribute to it in real time,” Gunther said. “It is always changing, but is still hyper-meaningful to the audience at the time it is presented. Giving people that control over content will continue to be important.”
The duo also noted that businesses are requesting solutions in lobbies and experience centers—as an interface between a company and the public. Rothenberg explained that SOSO interventions are often placed in areas that will have maximum impact. “If you are welcoming a new client, interviewing a prospective employee, or giving a key presentation, you want to showcase your innovation, so that even an everyday investor can understand it. We help with the translation.”
Every possible location for an installation is vetted to ensure that it complements the rest of the interior. Yet these are not just pieces that display facts or figures; they are artworks that people gravitate toward, and a celebration of company culture. “The selfie spot is really important because it allows you to take technology and put it in the physical space. That spot is the creative epicenter and life of the building,” Rothenberg noted.
SOSO’s work is prominent in a range of commercial spaces, but Gunther noted that he is most interested in applications for corporate settings, with a focus on wellness. With the help of ever-advancing tools, mimicking the daylight, sounds, and hues found outdoors has become easier to achieve. “I have an aspiration to move deeper into the workplace using technology to support the well-being of the occupants of the building. By tuning into slower oscillations, we can recreate some of the rhythms found in nature.”
The team is careful not to promote a bells-and-whistles approach, but clients do need guidance to find the right balance. “Especially now, when you have those in-office moments, they should be exceptional. Whether it is scale, color, or lighting, we’re thinking holistically about stakeholders’ journeys through a space,” Rothenberg said. “So much of this architectural LED lighting goes in, and people feel like they can include every color in the rainbow, and they almost always get it wrong. A big thing for us is really being intentional in developing palettes with technology, the same way that you would for paint or any other material.”
Guntther agreed, and explained that while what they do is never fixed, they have to concentrate on more than just visual appeal “We are not going to install this static thing that you are going to be stuck with. A screen is infinitely mutable, it can display anything. Our job is to come in and bring some meaning to that.”
For Rothenberg, highlighting a firm’s work vision creates positive momentum that’s as valuable as any award or recognition. “We want people to walk in and be inspired, reminded of the incredible work that is being done. What we try to do is make that energy and excitement a tangible part of the space.”