From the early stages of the project Orkla were keen to implement ABW into their new workplace, but understood that for the concept to be effective, it would need to be tailored to their unique way of working. To ensure this, a pilot project for 120 employees was created over two years before completion date, giving the designers ample time to refine the workplace design.

The final concept consisted of three different function zones

• Single workplaces – Occupancy levels for 50% of the number of employees
• Collaborative spaces - Occupancy levels for 65% of the number of employees
• Common areas - Occupancy levels for approximately 40% of the number of employees

Reducing single workplaces to only 50% of the workforce size provides encouragement for employees to make use of the other zones when it suits their task, and increases movement and interactivity with other people and the environment. It also frees up space to include more space for common areas, which includes a range of rest and social areas.

With 2.1 chairs available in the workspace per employee, Flokk designs feature throughout, with Orkla’s physiotherapist deeply involved in the selection process to ensure employees had healthy and reliable furniture.

Individual work zones feature the HÅG SoFi mesh as the standard work chair, with the HÅG Capisco specified in smaller numbers as an alternative design for employees. The intuitive and flexible nature of the chairs meant they were the natural choice.

In collaboration zones, the HÅG Futu was the standard chair of choice, with the colour of the undercarriage and design giving it warmth as well as function. Profim Noor, with its depth of styles and colours, was an exciting choice in brand meeting rooms. Although each meeting room has a distinct feel, the Profim Noor is adaptable to them all.

Offecct furniture was perfectly suited to a range of the common spaces. Offecct On Point tables, Offecct Meet Sofa systems, and Offecct Move On Stools can be found in the cafeteria, casual meeting areas and reception space.

Orkla were keen to reuse a variety of furniture from their previous office in keeping with their sustainability aims. A range of Flokk furniture, including HÅG H05, HÅG H09 and HÅG Capisco chairs were brought over from the previous office.

With a core mechanic built to last well past warranty, and a lack of glue making the chairs easy to disassemble, minor refurbishments and reupholstering was a simple task. Roughly 40% of the Flokk chairs in previous use were recycled to fit the new workspace.

The building has several innovative energy measures, including a rooftop solar park providing power to the building, which runs completely on smart energy systems. Additional solar panels are built into balcony railings. These innovative and environmentally friendly features helped it to achieve the Excellent BREEAM certification.