We recently sat down with the incredibly talented Max Arshavsky, Founder & CEO of Zenno Astronautics, to talk about workplace culture, productivity and design. 

Zenno is an incredible NZ start-up known for its innovation and foresight to bring life beyond Earth. We discussed the broader positive impact of great workplace design and Max’s thoughts around their recently re-imagined workplace designed by our co-founder and lead designer, Gwynn Hoskins. 

Before we get into the details, let’s start by sharing a little bit about Zenno;

How would you describe Zenno to someone not in the space or tech industry?

Max: We are a space technology and services company. We design and develop satellite systems and components that support space missions. The technology and components we build here are the backbone of space infrastructure, revolutionising how spacecraft manoeuvre and interact in orbit.

What are your views on the future of work? What is important to you as CEO & Founder of Zenno?

Max: A place of work needs to be a place of creativity, where people feel connected in an inspiring and functional space where the best ideas come to the fore. As a tech start-up trying to find a way for “life in space”, our workplace needs to be where we challenge and push thinking, where productivity is at the core. Our work is ultimately to deliver a great product to market that helps bring more life to space. 

We have tried various variations of hybrid, but since investing in our workplace design and bringing more greenery and life to our office, people want to be here more, collaborating with their peers and doing their best work. I like the idea of positive pressure to be the frontier in space technology; we need to drive outcomes and innovation but in a way where people feel supported and inspired; my philosophy is to set the direction and vision and trust the talent of my team to do great work. A great workplace is at the core of an excellent workplace culture, which leads to innovation. It all goes hand in hand. 

Can you tell us a bit about your workplace or office vibe before you met Gwynn and the No More Boring_ approach to better workplace design?

Max: Our office was very generic; it was a run-of-the-mill tech space with all equipment and no sense of connection or inspiration. It felt sterile, and I wanted it to feel creative yet functional. The building had good bones, but it was a bit boring, and as a start-up, we didn’t have the budget for a complete, costly refit. I liked the No More Boring_ approach to workplace design of re-imagining the space, using what works and bringing in new elements to enhance our space further. 

What was the initial design brief to Gwynn and the No More Boring_ team?

Max: I’m a big believer that a workplace needs to be a place of connection; we spend a lot of time here, and I didn’t want people to feel like they needed to escape or run away at the end of the day. In our homes, we have warmth and relaxation spaces; I wanted to bring some of that homely feel to our office, yet at the same time, we are a start-up with a big mission, so we are fast-paced, innovative, and there is pressure to deliver good work so these two thoughts were in some ways a tension. I spoke to Gwynn a lot about this. 

Further to the need for connection and different spaces, Gwynn had this great idea about using our mission, “Life in space”, as a core idea of the design.

Gwynn, What was your vision for the Zenno workplace?

Gwynn-Zenno’s purpose, “Life in Space”, was a really interesting design tension for me – on the one hand, we wanted the space to be comfortable and connecting, yet life in space has harshness, rocky planets, raw textures, meteorites, etc. I wanted to bring all these elements together in a cohesive way.  I also wanted to celebrate some of Zenno’s core design elements – the hexagon is a key shape in their product, so as an example, you’ll see a number of aluminium hexagon planters around the offices to accommodate the plants – a nod to life in space.

How did you find the design and installation process with No More Boring_?

Max: It was incredible. I had a lot of ideas, and Gwynn saw my vision but also brought a new level of design thinking to connect all the different spaces and my many ideas. I loved seeing the design drawings and concepts and how, with a modest budget, we could do something magic and impactful in our space. Our installation process was so easy. Gwynn came in outside of our peak office hours, so it wasn’t disruptive, and the impact when people first came into the new space was one of my favourite parts of the entire process. 

Gwynn – Tell us about the space, the zones and your approach to the design and installation. Do you have any particular favourite parts?

Gwynn – A key moment in the workplace we wanted to focus on was the Boardroom, especially the backdrop to the camera, so when Max and his team are on any video calls, Zenno would be present in its own way. The wall was painted back to create a void; the plant selection combined lush and desert species. We also have three meteorites on display on a custom Saint Leo plinth in the shape of an “unwrapped” hexagon with brushed aluminum finish to showcase the rawness and exposure associated with “life in space”. 

The well-being/ lunch room was also important for Max as it needed to be functional obviously, but also comfortable enough so the team can continue to share ideas and collaborate. It essentially became a lounge room filled with books, a range of soft seating, lego, space memorabilia, plants, custom Saint Leo aluminum mobile planters, and a fun custom acoustic wall panel with an image of one of their team members based in Europe. This room is a nice contrast to the adjacent workshop (aka “garage”), which is a very functional place, with labs, CNC machines etc, so the team could easily bounce between the two spaces as needed or wanted. 

Max – What are your feelings now in your new, refreshed workplace? How does your team feel about the newly designed space?

Max: I love it. I love the space. Every day, I feel great here.

I love the way being amongst all the greenery feels. I love how the plants have grown and taken on their shape and space, much like planets in space. It feels so right. 

My staff love the greenery and design elements; they are engineers and used to being amongst rockets and space components in sterile labs and on computers. They love the plants. 

The lounge room is a favourite space; it feels like your lounge at home, with soft furnishings and comfy chairs, but with a table and comfortable seating that can also be used as a creative brainstorming room. The team loves this room and its flexibility.

We love our new space and couldn’t be happier with the work that Gwynn has done for us. I would highly recommend anyone wanting to re-think or re-fresh their workplace to get in touch with Gwynn. We love our space.

Shout out also to our creative friends at The ARK Studio https://www.theark.is/ and Annabel Smart at https://studio-11-11.com/ for their creative support on this project.