Agile workplace transformation for a property development company

The workplace transformation affected approximately 20 NCC employees, who had previously worked at their own workstations in an open-plan office. The space was, however, perceived as old-fashioned, and it did not support the operation.

An important part of the project was to create an atmosphere of open discussion. The aim was to implement the change by involving staff through co-development. At the beginning of the project, management and staff workshops and interviews were organized. Through the involvement of staff, it was possible to identify key areas for development and everyone’s hopes regarding the new space. The most important issues identified were the desire for a more modern space that would support both internal and external collaboration, improve visitor experience, support teamwork, and be more flexible and home-like.

“We wanted to update our premises to meet today’s needs, boost space utilization, and diversify our spaces to support a variety of work tasks. The aim was to develop our facilities to strengthen our culture and vice versa. We also wanted to be proud of our new ‘home’ and enable different experiments. Furthermore, it was important to encourage our employees to exercise during breaks and have fun at work. According to our employee survey, comfort at work and our workspaces did, in fact, improve compared to the previous year,” says Urban developer-hippie Eelis Rytkönen from NCC.

When designing a new workplace, it is important that the users really feel at home on the premises. At the design stage, the future workplace was introduced to the staff with the aid of virtual reality, and common rules were created through digital facilitation.

NCC’s new office is an open and flexible space that creates a diverse framework for collaboration and adapts to the needs of its users. The customizable team and project spaces are suitable for confidential meetings, brainstorming, and presentations. The common “living room”, on the other hand, is suitable for a variety of activities, and the timeless, rugged interior supports the new working culture.

Surprising talents emerged from the ranks of NCC during the project, as Heikki Alén, Senior Developer at NCC Property Development, drew the images placed on the doors of the facility.

“We wanted to break free from conservative thinking and add something that reflects our culture to the facility. We form an open and relaxed work community without any cliques, and we support each other and openly share information and skills,” describes Heikki.

NCC and Agile Work collaboration

Agile Work has acted as NCC PD’s partner since 2019.
The collaboration focuses on the development of new business premises and working environments.
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Agile Work offers NCC and their customers, for instance, support for workplace development, space requirement studies, workplace design, service design, and co-development with stakeholders.
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The collaboration is based on mutual trust, experimentation, and continuous development.