From Star Trek to the Workday, Mireo’s Futuristic Office by Brigada

Winner interviews

March 16, 2026

From Star Trek to the Workday, Mireo’s Futuristic Office by Brigada

Project Spotlight: Mireo Office

Mireo Office
(Design: Brigada d.o.o., Photography: Marko Mihaljevic)

At Brigada d.o.o., the Mireo Office project, led by architect Damjan Geber with Dorotea Saric on the design team, redefines how modern workspaces can inspire creativity and collaboration. The renovation transforms the office into a vibrant, functional environment that reflects the client’s vision, blending thoughtful architecture, curated materials, and spaces designed for interaction. Every detail is crafted to support productivity, comfort, and a strong sense of identity.

Interview with Dorotea Saric - Brigada d.o.o.

Brigada d.o.o. Team

1. Can you share the story of how you entered interior design, and how your background shaped your creative practice?

Damjan Geber, founder and creative director of Brigada, began his career as an architect, but early on realized that traditional architecture often failed to address how people feel and behave in space. A formative moment came during his visit to Japan, where he discovered that even the most technically perfect buildings could lack human warmth. That experience inspired him to focus on how space influences people’s emotions and actions.

This led to the founding of Brigada, a studio that combines architecture, design, branding, and psychology to create spaces that deliver both aesthetic and functional value. His belief that “a successful space is 50% great design and 50% real results” continues to guide the team’s work, true to Brigada’s motto, Shaping space, creating experience.

2. What was the brief for your winning project, and how did it inspire your approach?

For the Mireo office project we had a brief to redesign an existing two-storey office with the requirement that the company will expand in the near future. From the very beginning we designed not only for the current needs, but for the future users as well. We created several typologies of space within the office, areas for focused work, collaborative zones, brainstorming rooms, a recharge room, etc. so that each person can find a place suited to their needs.

The focus was on employee well-being and on creating a space that would foster creativity and productivity. In one of the workshops with the client, we discovered that many of their employees were sci-fi fans (particularly fans of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) and that the building’s surroundings lacked amenities, so the team felt like being on a “spaceship” and expected to have everything inside. That cosmic inspiration shaped our interior narrative and helped us design an environment that felt immersive, complete and forward-thinking.

Mireo office – Interior

3. What design choices or innovations in this project are you most proud of, and what challenges did you face while bringing them to life?

We are particularly proud of how we defined multiple typologies within the space, dedicated zones for focused work, collaborative areas, brainstorming rooms, a recharge lounge, and so on. Each typology had to have its own identity and innovation while remaining coherent with the spirit and culture of Mireo as a company working on navigation systems and being bold in its field. One of the major challenges was to ensure flexibility for future growth while delivering a strong identity and cohesion across the two levels.

Another challenge was to bring the “spaceship” metaphor into something tangible. How do you create that sense of being in a self-contained universe with diverse amenities, yet maintain the functionality and efficiency required for everyday work? We solved this by layering experiences and spatial cues that subtly support that metaphor without overshadowing usability and comfort.

4. Who are the interior designers or creative figures who inspire you most, and why?

We find inspiration everywhere, from small everyday details to larger cultural narratives. For this project in particular, our inspiration came from the employees and the Mireo team themselves: like a crew aboard the Enterprise working together, where diversity, equality and freedom of thought are encouraged. This collaborative, empowered mindset shaped our approach.

Moreover, we draw inspiration from figures who blur boundaries between architecture, experience and branding, people who understand that space is more than decoration and that it influences behaviour, emotion and function.

5. How would you describe your design philosophy and the principles that guide your decisions?

Our design philosophy is shaping space, creating experience. We believe that a successful interior must do more than look good. It must perform, inspire, adapt and endure. We ground our decisions on deep analysis of user behaviour, context, brand story, and spatial experience. Every material, every layout, every lighting decision is made with the end-user and long-term use in mind.

6. How do you balance timeless design with contemporary trends, and how do you approach sustainability in your work?

We do not chase trends for their own sake, instead we focus on our clients and their real needs. Trends come and go, but good design is timeless. Sustainability is core to our practice: we pay close attention to the materials we select, the types of construction and spatial typologies we develop, and we aim for multifunctional spaces. We design adaptable layouts so that the environment can evolve without major demolition, and we favour durable, repair-friendly materials and systems.

Additionally, we seek to minimise waste, promote energy efficiency, and consider human wellbeing, because sustainable design is about people, planet, and performance together.

7. How do you balance your client’s needs with your own creative voice?

The key to balancing client needs and our creative voice is a relationship built on mutual trust and open communication. We carefully listen to our clients’ objectives, using our expertise to refine, enhance, and elevate their vision. We believe that when the client feels heard and respected, and when our creative voice is aligned with their vision, the result is far richer. Our role is not to impose a style but to co-create a framework where client identity and our design language meet and amplify each other.

8. What does receiving an INT Interior Design Award mean to you personally and professionally?

Receiving this award is a powerful acknowledgment of our work, not only from our colleagues but also from the wider international design community. To us, it is a milestone that affirms the passion, dedication and craftsmanship our team brings to every project. It also reinforces our belief in the value of immersive, human-centred design and encourages us to continue pushing boundaries.

9. What advice would you give to emerging designers, or what excites you most about the future of interior design?

Our advice to emerging designers is to stay curious, keep learning, and never lose sight of the human at the center of every space. Develop analytical skills as much as creative ones, understand behaviour, context, culture and function. Embrace collaboration and interdisciplinary thinking. What excites us most about the future of interior design is how physical and digital worlds are coming together, creating spaces that are more flexible, sustainable, and human-focused. We believe design will continue to evolve towards adaptability, wellbeing, and meaningful experiences and we’re excited to be part of that journey.

Mireo Office – Lounge Area

Creating Workspaces That Inspire

Brigada d.o.o.’s Mireo office project shows how modern office design can boost creativity, collaboration, and well-being. By combining thoughtful architecture, curated materials, and interactive spaces, the renovation transforms a conventional office into a dynamic, human-centered workspace. Recognized by the INT Interior Design Awards, the project highlights Damjan Geber’s approach: when design focuses on people, identity, and function, workspaces achieve lasting impact, adaptability, and a strong sense of place.

Check out other inspiring projects:
INT Interior Design Awards Winners
Interviews:
Past INT Winners
Brigada d.o.o.
Official Website

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