Real places, real people
VIDEO | CASE STUDY | INTERNATIONAL | MULTI-LANGUAGE
THE GOAL
Hines needed content that could bring its developments to life for two very different audiences — showing the human impact of 'shaere', its community-led interim use concept in Munich, and demonstrating the value of its workplaces to future clients through its European headquarters.
APPROACH
Took a documentary-led approach across both projects, prioritising real people, real spaces and real stories.
In Munich, that meant spending time with the people behind Shaere's community initiatives — from a Community Kitchen turning rescued food into thousands of meals a day, to a group of "Knitting Grandmas" making socks for Ukrainian refugees, music, photography and woodwork workshops, and a pop-up cinema for local kids — and letting them tell the story in their own words.
For the European headquarters, it meant treating the building itself as a working case study, using the space to demonstrate what Hines could offer prospective clients.
EXECUTION
Directed a local German crew on the ground in Munich, managing logistics, translation and story development throughout. Built a shot list around variety — close-ups and wides, candid moments and posed ones — to bring out the warmth and energy of a community genuinely coming together, letting the people carry the story rather than narration or interviews alone.
For Grainhouse, we shifted focus entirely to the architecture. Planned and directed a shoot designed to move through the building the way someone working there would — from quiet reading nooks to the rooftop terrace, technical meeting rooms to informal breakout spaces — using framing, movement and light to show off the design details and greenery that make the space feel collaborative rather than corporate.
RESULTS
The Munich film delivered an authentic piece of social-impact storytelling, now used as a case study asset for future clients and community-led projects.
The Grainhouse suite gave Hines a flexible set of assets to bring into new business conversations, showing clients what a Hines space can do rather than telling them.
VIEW WORK BELOW
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VIEW WORK BELOW *
Grainhouse | Hines
Shaere - a community project in Munich | Hines