Designed for Doğuş Otomotiv, Turkey’s automotive company with the country’s most extensive brand and service network, the Training and Development Center represents a comprehensive transformation of an existing building shaped by contemporary work culture, human-centered design principles, and flexible spatial strategies. Located within the Şekerpınar campus, the project is conceived as a shared meeting and experience hub for the entire campus, combining social spaces, flexible work areas, and a centrally serving cafeteria.
Acting as the energetic heart of the campus, the building brings together Doğuş Otomotiv’s overarching corporate identity with the distinct characters of its diverse brands under one roof. By gathering teams from different cities and supporting knowledge exchange and collaboration, the project aims to translate institutional identity into space while fostering a strong sense of community grounded in shared values. Guided by the idea that “the workplace is the institution itself,” the design embraces the notion that spatial environments shape behavior and over time, contribute to corporate culture, brand perception and narrative. Accordingly, the project adopts a spatial language that makes the brand experience visible and tangible for both internal and external users.
At the core of the design approach is the belief that future workplaces function as social hubs; environments where strategies are developed collectively and where knowledge, experience, and technology are actively shared. In this context, the concept of “3rd Place Work” plays a key role, redefining the office as a place that goes beyond home and traditional workspaces by reinforcing belonging, community, and informal interaction.
Rather than being organized solely around individual workstations, the office is structured as a network of flexible, comfortable, and inviting spaces that encourage spontaneous encounters, communication, and idea exchange throughout the day. While supporting focused individual work, all spaces within the center are also equipped to enable teamwork, social learning, and both physical and virtual collaboration through informal meeting areas, technological infrastructure, and varied seating arrangements.
The project further embraces an activity-based working model, allowing users to choose different environments according to the nature of their tasks. Shared areas for collaboration are balanced with quiet niches and private zones for focused work and confidential meetings. A wide range of furniture types, acoustic conditions, material choices, and technological solutions supports diverse working styles, offering both introverted and extroverted modes of use.
Flexibility is a defining principle throughout the project. Spaces are designed to adapt quickly to changing needs and scenarios through movable partitions, reconfigurable layouts, and environments suitable for both standing and seated work. Particularly prominent are the hyperflex studios, multi-purpose spaces equipped with movable walls, furniture, and adaptable technological infrastructure that allow users to continuously reconfigure the environment for different group sizes and activities.
Rather than constructing a new building, transforming the existing structure offers a sustainable, ecological, and economically responsible approach. Designed by PAB Architects as a social community space rather than a conventional office, the Doğuş Otomotiv Training and Development Center presents a flexible, human-centered, and collaborative work ecosystem that supports learning, wellbeing, and productivity.