Behind the scenes
“A magic dwells in each beginning” says Hermann Hesse, but it is actually not the first thing that comes to mind when moving. Because before the move, there is planning and organization until even the last pencil, the last cable is packed away – especially when an entire publishing house is moving. In mid-July 2021, Bauverlag moved to its new home in Kaiserquartier in the center of Gütersloh.
After many years on the outskirts of the city, still behind Bertelsmann, the approximately 100 employees at the Gütersloh site moved to five and a half new floors in two buildings, thus stepping completely out of the shadow of the media giant and at the same time saying goodbye to their own Bertelsmann past.
The editorial offices of 16 of the 18 titles from the architecture and construction sector are spread over four floors in a clinker brick building and one and a half floors in the neighboring building, which is separated by a walkway. While the two Berlin-based editorial offices with their 25 employees are satisfied with their location, the colleagues working in Gütersloh can now proudly point to their well thought-out and carefully planned new office floors. Germany’s largest publisher of specialist information for architecture and construction now occupies a total of 1600 ultra-modern square meters.
IP telephony and cloud-based equipment, mobile working and team meetings form the up-to-the-minute backbone of modern working. If nothing else, the pandemic has changed communication channels, adapted ways of working and often crystallized personal preferences: As a matter of course, people participate in video conferences, work in the home office or meet in the numerous conference rooms for short-term meetings.
A new room concept brings the editorial department closer together with the advertising department and sales service, quite literally: editors and sales managers sit together in the open-plan room to deal more intensively with the concerns of the respective title and the respective target group. In addition, specialist events can be devised, planned and carried out, and the direct exchange between colleagues promotes communication and implementation.
Seating groups allow for brief exchanges with colleagues over coffee. Each floor offers individual retreat possibilities. High, bright rooms with design-oriented interiors define the ensemble, height-adjustable desks and noise-reducing headsets the workplace situation.
Perhaps “magic” is too big a word to describe a new working environment, but there is always something liberating about a move; it leads to something new, a change of perspective and makes you ready for the future.
As one of many brands, ZKG Cement Lime Gypsum is part of the broad product portfolio of Bauverlag. Specialization and English-language coverage certainly place the magazine among the so-called “orchid” titles. But its 111-year history speaks of consistency, solid expertise and an industry with exciting technical development as well as a strong global economic impact. Cement forms the basis of building construction and design. And its production is at the same time one of the biggest problems in sustainable climate-friendly production development – problems and topics about which we will continue to keep you informed through various channels. We do this in the usual way through the print media. It is true that our consumer behavior had already changed before the pandemic, including the consumption of (specialist) information. But just as the book product has not been replaced, but merely supplemented by the e-reader, print media continue to enjoy great popularity, often enhanced by digital media and versions.
Through its eight print issues, ZKG Cement Lime Gypsum provides information on the basics of cement, lime and gypsum production, technical developments and trends in the industry. The information options are supplemented by the ZKG website with its job market for targeted recruitment of employees in the fields of mechanical and plant engineering, process technology and materials science. In addition to the ZKG newsletters published every three weeks, you can receive industry news via our LinkedIn and Facebook accounts. And with a view to a more sustainable consumption and production concept, we are entering the test phase of our ZKG e-paper!
