VIVA Architecture: Blue space

New ways of working - NWOW Reconversion and renovation

In order to realize more spontaneous meetings and knowledge transfer, the client asks VIVA Architecture to renovate part of their offices into a NWOW office environment. The office wing from the 1990s consists of long corridors with individual offices or group office spaces with a maximum of 5 people per room. It is mainly the IT and operations department that we have to take into account. An additional challenge is the average age of the employees, currently 50 years, as well as taking into account a new younger generation of employees that will be recruited in the coming years. The new office landscape should appeal to both an older and younger age group. The assignment includes maximizing the number of workplaces, a new large 'break-out' space and more meeting rooms.

Full text

The office wing is built around a large courtyard garden. We will involve this in the building and will be an extension of the new working environment. We are redefining the floor plan in three zones: we will concentrate one zone of workplaces on the south facade, a second zone of workplaces on the north facade and the zone in between, on the site of the old corridor, we will provide flexible workplaces and more practical functions. The central core is located where all existing techniques are concealed in the suspended ceiling. By keeping this zone as an elongated element in the design, the current logic of the techniques can remain without many major works.

This central zone houses practical functions such as lockers, cloakrooms, meeting rooms, telephone booths, print rooms, etc. and the flex places for external employees. These cores are the eye-catcher in the office landscape. We will make the inside completely blue, referring to the client's corporate identity. The exterior is completely covered with vertical wooden slats, which contribute to the acoustic comfort of the office environment, which is a challenge in this type of NWOW work environment.

To make the transition from closed to open as comfortable as possible, we create several zones within the work landscape where employees can withdraw. We do this by dividing the working environment by placing salons, meeting rooms, concentration cells or high cabinets between the workplaces. This allows employees to appropriate smaller parts. The lounges for informal meetings are positioned between the workstations to also generate work and team zones. We will keep this zone very quiet, mainly with desks for the permanent teams, with light colors and materials. Plants and the light blue ceiling in acoustic spray plaster provide the accents here.

In the same style as the central cores, we also provide a large break-out room with various options for meeting or informal meetings. By integrating a few volumes, we also create different zones here where people can sit more or less safe. The terrace is accessible from the break-out area, so everyone can work outside when the weather is nice.

Location : Haren

Area : 3.000 m²

Date : 2020 - 2022

Team : Spacewell

Photography : VIVA Architecture, Context Studio