Airbus

Transforming The Headquarters of Airbus Finland

Completion Year:

2019-2022

Project Size:

4000 m2

Industry:

R&D

Services:

Graphic Design, Service Design, Interior Design, Project Management

Simultaneous transformation of culture and physical environment

Not all companies have the same needs, but in this post-pandemic era, all companies have to think hard about organizing their work and what kind of workplaces they need now and in the future.

As for Airbus Finland, the location and the general settings of the current environment were considered good. There was no need to relocate but rather revitalize and reorganize the existing spaces to match the new ways of working and requirements. But even the best facilities are just a tool to support corporate culture and ways of working. Changing the work environment should also develop organizational culture and redesign working practices, not just the premises. As was done in this case.

Collaboration among many stakeholders

The project was kicked off in the midst of the pandemic early in 2020 and was conducted completely remotely with a reasonably ambitious schedule considering the project’s scope. The project was carried out in close cooperation with the representative of the owner of the facility (Keva) and other technical service providers.

From the owner’s side, an extensive project team was involved and the draft options for the space were actively discussed on the digital collaboration platform (Howspace) facilitated by Agile Work. In the early stages of a project, a smooth and quick discussion is critical to ensure project progress. It was important to exchange information quickly and get immediate responses to drafts. Information flows effortlessly to the parties involved, and everyone can follow the project’s progress, unlike in traditional email communication, where it is easy for people to get left out of message chains and for conversations to get sidetracked.

Participatory process to facilitate the transition

The project started with a definition phase to clarify the current situation and the needs. The change project itself consisted of several sub-projects as Airbus had to consider, in addition to new ways of working, new IT, AV, and hybrid work solutions.

Changing from designated workstations and personal equipment to a shared workstation environment and a fully flexible work environment solution was a big step. Significant changes in ways of working and the spaces were ahead, which is why a participatory design process was carried out during the whole project. Developing a functional and safe working environment requires the involvement of users in the design process.