Charles River Laboratories Germany GmbH, Köln
Candies & bitter pills - Redesigning a pharmaceutical company's office space
Client: Charles River Laboratories Germany GmbH, Cologne
Planing: smow Cologne
Year: 2021
Areas furnished: reception, workstations (open space) with telephone boxes and meeting boxes/locker cabinets, lounge and retreat areas, conference rooms, canteen areas
Brief
The US company Charles River Laboratories offers a wide range of services and solutions for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, research institutions and the healthcare industry from its Cologne location. The company supports companies and research institutions in the development of new drugs, medical devices and biomedical findings.
On account of the rapid growth at the German location a redesign and expansion of the office space became necessary; a redesign in which it was foreseen that the employees would swap their individual offices for modern, open and communicative work areas, a plan which met with considerable resistance from the workforce, especially at the beginning of the planning phase. Resistance not least because they valued their personal, small offices as places of retreat.
The challenge of this project thus lay, on the one hand, in a functional redesign of the office space and, on the other hand, in convincing the team.
Project Managers
Julia Ullmann
Project Manager, smow Cologne
Telephone: 0221 933 80 60
E-Mail: koeln@smow.de
Anett Ahlefeld
Managing Director, smow Cologne
Telephone: 0221 933 80 60
E-Mail: koeln@smow.de
Realisation
The transition from individual offices to a contemporary, open-plan solution was a real challenge for the pharmaceutical company's team. In order to turn the bitter pill into something sweet, the project began with a user workshop that allowed the needs and concerns of the around 100 employees to be airded; open discussions and the participation of employee in the redesign process which achieved positive results. The goal was set as innovative combination offices that would harmoniously create a balance between collaboration and individual retreat.
smow Cologne subsequently developed a comprehensive interior design concept for the new office space, which took into account both the requirements for openness and communication as well as the individual needs for privacy. A detailed colour and material concept followed to create an appealing and functional working environment. In addition, the acoustics in the rooms were an intensive focus, and optimisations were made to ensure a pleasant working atmosphere.
Project Synopsis
At the Cologne base of the pharmaceutical company Charles River Laboratories, where around 100 employees work, not only was an inspiring and efficient working environment created, but the values and culture of Charles River Laboratories were also successfully integrated into the design of the premises. The tailor-made interior design not only meets the functional requirements but also the individual employee identities and company values. Innovative combination offices were created that harmoniously create a balance between collaboration and individual retreat and which were thus able to dispel the workforce's initial doubts about open-plan solutions.
The successful redesign of the office space by smow Cologne for Charles River Laboratories marks the beginning of a long-term partnership as the pharmaceutical company has rented additional office space due to its continuous growth. smow Cologne is therefore pleased to continue to support Charles River Laboratories and to adapt the new working environments to the changing requirements and thus contribute to increasing the productivity and well-being of the team.
Photos: Constantin Meyer
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Together with you, we design spatial office solutions and planning approaches for your office. In cooperation with our architects and interior designers, we accompany your project from conception to implementation, so that you can continue to work productively and relaxed in the future. The smow project planning team can be reached Monday to Friday between 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. on 031 981 40 67 or by email at project@smow.ch.