New head office exceeds expectations
The most important objective of the cooperation was to understand the needs and wishes of PostNord employees concerning the functions and location of the Helsinki head office. The project was driven by the working life transformation caused by the pandemic, which PostNord grasped boldly and at an early stage. In addition to analysing needs and designing the space, Rune & Berg helped the client understand the different requirements of the re-design project and took part in negotiating a profitable lease agreement that serves the client’s needs. The end result is an appealing and stylish office in an excellent location.
Towards easier days at the office
PostNord is currently implementing a thorough change strategy, and it is important for the company to maximise the motivation of its existing employees and find the best new talents through recruitment. The starting point for developing the working environment was to create an appealing head office that reflects the personalities and wishes of employees.
“A user-centered approach has been an important element in our cooperation since our first discussions. The Rune & Berg team exhibited a strong professional vision in their field, and they truly listened to us and our needs. The entire project was employee-driven,” Katja says.
“Together, we managed to create a head office that exceeds expectations. The new office serves as an inspiring meeting place for both PostNord’s personnel and our customers.”
Katja Luotola, Head of People and Communications at PostNord
Rune & Berg collected employee insight by interviewing representatives from different teams and reviewing the results of PostNord’s personnel survey. This insight was deepened in a workshop where the participants discussed how the office space can help make daily work smoother. We also analysed the inter-dependencies between teams from the point of view of presence and examined the known opportunities and threats of each location option. In order to determine the spatial needs, we estimated how much of the work would take place at the office and how much remotely. We wanted to gain a thorough insight in order to find the elements that affect the design and eventual location of the PostNord head office. At regular briefings, the employees were involved in the development throughout the spatial design process.
“We have served as the guiding light in this project, steering the team away from pitfalls and in the right direction. The high-quality process yielded high-quality results, and it was rewarding to have discussions with such a well-informed client,” says Raija Mattila, Account Manager at Rune & Berg.
Appealing experience
“Is this really our office?” was the comment of many amazed PostNord employees when they entered the new head office in Pasila for the first time.
“Our international colleagues and the property owners have also praised the new office and been positively impressed with the end result,” says Ville Heimola, Head of Procurement and Facility Management at PostNord.
The spatial design was based on the identified needs and guided by jointly agreed design drivers, and the aim was to produce an experience that is:
- Modern
- Appealing
- Sustainable
- Energetic
The office was designed to be easy to reach, it has excellent transport links, and it is surrounded by diverse services that make everyday life at the office smoother for the employees. The office features a shared working café that is suitable for both cosy coffee breaks and relaxed team meetings.
The spatial solutions support diverse ways of collaborating, but there are also spaces for quiet, independent work. The space is flexible and adaptable to different uses and needs. The office has been optimised for work, including hybrid work models.
“Throughout the project, Rune & Berg’s experts paid attention to even the smallest details and made sure nothing was overlooked. I would not have thought of many of the things they brought up,” Katja says.
“Looking at the project from the point of view of figures, the new space is half the size of the old one and has a more central location. The overall costs are more or less the same. We have met our objectives in this respect as well."
Ville Hilmola, Head of Procurement and Facility Management at PostNord
The cooperation is a textbook example of how the process should work: you start by analysing needs and continue with specifying the service level of the lease agreement before proceeding to the actual spatial design. The continuous support for project management from start to finish also played a major role in the successful outcome.
“Katja had a strong vision for the future and the courage to question established practices. This allowed us to think outside the box and achieve an excellent result,” Raija says.
The Planet Company community has selected PostNord’s employee-driven head office re-design as a Planet Act.
PostNord
PostNord is the leading supplier of communications and logistics solutions to, from and within the Nordic region. It makes everyday life easier through parcel and logistics services in Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland, and delivers mail to private customers in Sweden and Denmark. Read more at: www.postnord.com
Photo credits: Mikael Pettersson and Aleksi Tikkala
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