Two objectives with the new office
“These days, if you want to be an attractive employer you need to have accessible offices with an environmental focus,” says Olov Larsten, Vattenfall’s project manager for the design of the office at Arenastaden.
The project had two objectives – for Vattenfall to appeal to prospective employees, and to be a frontrunner when it comes to the environment. In the run up to the move, property manager Olov Larsten put together a team of under 40-year-olds. The office was to be designed for young people, the people who would be involved in developing the company. The focus was on social aspects – how could we create a space with maximum scope for social interaction?
“I had an idea that I wanted to reflect the American campus feel, to constantly create places to bring people together. Conference rooms really, but it’s not these rooms that inspire creativity. It’s in the spontaneous encounters. We made a conscious decision to concentrate on a mix of project spaces, alternative workplaces, internal and external conference rooms and quiet office units.”
- Olov Larsten, Property Manager, Vattenfall
Arenastaden – where the skills are
Arenastaden also proved to be closest to prospective employees, which is an important investment for the future. Surveys revealed that many people with the relevant qualifications lived north of the city. And it was also the best location in terms of transport links, with the light rail and commuter trains in to Stockholm Central Station and to Arlanda Airport.
“We need to attract the best people in order to continue growing the business. We knew that people who are currently studying for their qualifications tend to live north of the city. And we used to be located partly north of the city, so it made sense to base ourselves here. We also merged three offices into one, saving SEK 40 million.”
- Olov Larsten, Property Manager, Vattenfall
Thriving square brings people together
The ‘staff living room’, which is what Olov Larsten calls the open space that connects the four buildings, has played an important part in creating a feeling of togetherness among the almost 2,000 employees. Archus arkitektbyrå, which designed the office building, explains that they worked on breathing life into the atrium, which can otherwise easily become a dead space.
The impression from Vattenfall’s former office was that you marched in and disappeared to your desk. Here there is plenty of movement, with views across the atrium and the rest of the office.
The aim is to enable employees to interact, despite working some way apart from each other. The building has a single entrance where everyone comes in, and all the communal meeting areas including the café, break and service areas such as post distribution are located around the atrium. Wherever you’re headed – to your own work station, to a meeting, to the gym or restaurant – you have to pass through the atrium square. Other employees are constantly visible on other floors and in other departments.