Orkla is a leading supplier of branded consumer goods to the Nordic and Baltic regions.
Located in Oslo, Orkla’s new 16-storey headquarters is home to more than 900 employees, and is the main base of operations for the biggest branded consumer goods company in the entire Nordic region, a state-of-the-art structure designed by NSW Architects and Interior Architects IARK.
A three year project, Interior Architects IARK were fully involved in the development of the holistic workplace and design concepts, including an activity based working (ABW) layout and an array of sustainable and wellbeing centric features.
Alongside these criteria, the workplace was to be a reflection of the company’s values, – to be courageous, trusted and valued – reflected in all the design expressions, including the selection of décor, materials, colours and furniture. As a house of brands, Orkla was also keen to have its many brands visualized, displayed in such a way to portray them as “one Orkla”
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.
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Flokk is a market leader for high-quality seating solutions in Europe. We believe in creating furniture that meets the essential needs of people while also considering the impact on future generations
In Flokk we believe that human ingenuity, technological innovation and human centred values can lead to a positive future for humankind. A future with a healthy climate, sustainable use of resources, meaningful work and a high level of individual freedom and well-being. Attributes often associated to our origins in Nordic Culture, yet resoundingly humanistic, universal and inclusive.
Flokk is a design driven company creating products that earn their right to exist through serving fundamental human needs. Addressing emotional as well as physical factors all the while keeping the interests of future generations in mind. Products that have a clear and positive narrative, all the way through to the last detail of its manifestation.
We have the privilege and the responsibility to work towards this positive future directly through our activities. But also indirectly, through sharing transparently about our practice and progress, to inspire the great work of others. As we do acquisitions, we invite new family members to take part in the same philosophy and journey. When customers choose our furniture, they get lasting, meaningful objects, produced with the lowest possible environmental footprint. They contribute to an onwards journey of steady improvement at scale.