Client projects: Yareal Polska

The modern working environment in the office of Yareal Polska in Warsaw's LIXA complex

Yareal Polska is a leading developer of top-class office and residential buildings. Its flagship office complex in Warsaw is LIXA, to which the company's headquarters were moved in June 2021. The Bit Creative studio was responsible for the interior design, and Kinnarps was entrusted with the furnishings.

The aim of the design of the new office was to create a harmonious space that would reflect the prestige of the brand, as well as provide a dynamic response to the latest trends in office work. Thanks to an economical colour palette and high-quality finishing materials, the interior is elegant, modern, coherent and cosy at the same time.

TWO ZONES

The space of the Yareal Polska office, amounting to nearly a thousand square metres, is divided into two zones. The first one, available for guests, includes an impressive reception area with a lobby and cloakroom, as well as several semi-open spaces for informal meetings, large conference rooms and smaller rooms for 5-6 people. The second part, intended for employees, is a spacious open space with separate areas for individual departments and open areas for joint project work, as well as several conference rooms, a shared nook for concentration and 3 rooms for tasks requiring great focus. The spacious kitchen with access to the terrace, which includes a dining area and a café, can be used as a place to work or relax.

The working environment at Yareal Polska was designed based on an analysis of the team's working style, taking into account all their needs. The open space of the office is conducive to cooperation and information exchange, and its functional division provides both an intimate atmosphere for meetings and excellent conditions for individual focused work. A 'clean desk policy' has also been introduced, which allows for easy changing of workstations in teams, encouraged by the use of tables with electric height adjustment.

"Flexibility and teamwork were high on the priority list, while a combination of shared and quiet workspaces encourages office users to move. The design, including the choice of furniture advised by experts from Kinnarps, reflects the values such as honesty and sincerity, striving for excellence, teamwork, commitment and sustainable development, which guide us in our daily activities" - says Iwona Zielińska, Office Manager at Yareal Polska.

AN ANSWER TO NEW NEEDS

The environment and the style of work have recently undergone dynamic changes, and their catalyst was the pandemic. Therefore, the key need was, on the one hand, to ensure a safe working environment and, on the other, to create friendly conditions for meetings and teamwork in the office.

"In the project, we wanted to adjust the office functions to today's working model and harmonise the aesthetic layer with the brand identity and the nature of the company's activities" - said architect Barnaba Grzelecki, founder of BIT CREATIVE.

Working on the aesthetics of the office proved to be the most time-consuming task. Designers from BIT CREATIVE delivered many ideas in the form of realistic visualisations. Thanks to their involvement, the project was perfected down to the smallest detail. A clear summary of the proposed equipment for each room served as the basis for work on the selection of individual elements. It was very important for the customer's project team to have the opportunity to see and try out the furniture live in the Kinnarps showroom and during tests at the customer's headquarters.

FIRST AND FOREMOST, ERGONOMICS

The responsible design and high quality of Kinnarps' furniture reinforce Yareal's brand values, to which the project referred. However, the most important criterion for choosing the furniture was ergonomics. The Plus 6772 desk chair was selected on the basis of an analysis of the employees' opinions, who had the opportunity to test the furniture before a choice of a supplier was made.

The finishing works and the complete arrangement of the office space, including ordering, delivery and installation of furniture and greenery, will take 4 months. The biggest challenge of this stage concerned the difficulties related to social distancing caused by the pandemic. Thanks to the excellent cooperation of all the parties involved, all the work was carried out efficiently, in a pleasant atmosphere and, most importantly, within the planned timeframe.

NEW APPROACH TO THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT

Yareal Polska's office is not only a visually attractive space, but above all, it reflects a modern approach to changes taking place in the working environment.

"We changed not only the location, but also the approach to the working environment. Our new office is a combination of two currently coexisting office styles - traditional and ‘agile’. We believe that the diversified and ergonomic environment and the numerous facilities for hybrid work and remote meetings which we have introduced will encourage all employees to use the office" - sums up Jacek Zengteler, General Director of Yareal Polska.

Yareal, a company that has experience in creating office space, is a conscious and demanding customer. "We are all the more proud that Kinnarps became a part of this project. We are most pleased with the positive comments from the users of the office. Yareal's employees emphasise their satisfaction with the ergonomic workstations, functionality and comfort of the conference rooms, as well as the coherence of the entire office" - adds Beata Osiecka, CEO of Kinnarps Polska.

FILM: FOTOMOHITO