A few months ago, in September 2021, the Belgian bank Beobank opened the doors of its brand new headquarters, located in the Quatuor complex in the northern district of Brussels. Visible from afar, it is impossible not to notice the D Tower, which has become "Beobank House". The new working environment is the result of the collaboration between Colliers Belgium and Beobank.
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At the heart of this large-scale project: efficiency, flexibility, collaboration, conviviality and well-being, the key words of this magnificent project which has mobilised our teams since 2017. It has taken four years to achieve the result we see today: 18 floors, or more than 20,000 sqm, fitted out to reflect the DNA and values of the bank, and thus create a friendly, flexible, high-performance and stimulating working environment, focused on interaction and well-being.
The analysis phase carried out by our Workplace Strategy experts began in 2017, with interviews with the various stakeholders to define the vision and concept, followed by the calculation of the sharing ratio and the development of a programme of requirements. Beobank is thus moving towards the New Ways of Working and a more flexible working environment, more in line with its corporate culture.
Our team of interior designers then worked on the project to draw up the macro-plan: the various departments are distributed in the "core" areas of the different floors, but employees can also choose to sit in the "collaborative" or "silent" areas, depending on the type of work to be done. Other typologies separate these different areas, such as brainstorming rooms, bubbles or standard meeting rooms.
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3D overview of a typical floor
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During the design and look & feel phase, our experts worked closely with the Beobank teams. About ten design workshops were organised with different interlocutors on various subjects such as the general concept, the reception, the design and moodboards of the different floors, the coffee corners, the furniture and the concept of the "Beobank Village".
This type of workshop was also organised around all the technical aspects: from the reception of visitors to the logistical flows, via services, audiovisual needs, car parks, etc. The results of these workshops were then passed on to the building's developer by our Project Manager for the smooth continuity of the work, minimising the impact on the schedule.
For the entire duration of the project, i.e. four years, a single team was dedicated to the project and acted as Beobank's contact person. Colliers Belgium's role was to represent our client with the developer, but also to supervise and manage its private works before the move: installation of furniture, customised carpentry work, modifications to partitions, monitoring of IT installations, etc. Finally, our teams also supported and guided Beobank in the organisation of its move.
As soon as you enter “Beobank House”, you enter the world of the bank. The ground floor has been designed as a large luminous space that would be like the continuation of the city towards the interior: street lamps have been placed, as well as benches, themselves shaded by real trees planted in this vast entrance hall. In the centre, a "double skin" creates a perfect illusion, like a second façade, this time on the inside. A coffee corner has also been set up as a terrace where visitors can help themselves to drinks.
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At the heart of the building is the "Beobank Village", spread over two floors connected by tiers. This meeting point was designed and created so that employees can visit it throughout the day and move around freely. The spirit of the "village" can be found here, with the "Bistro" restaurant, the "Barista" bar, a dome arranged like a house with large communal tables, a training centre, an auditorium, and a pleasant terrace for outdoor dining.
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On the other floors are the office areas for the more than 600 employees. The design of each area was designed to reflect both the visual identity of Beobank and its values. Our interior designers developed mood boards with different colours and atmospheres for each zone, illustrating the bank's values: "Human" for the “core” zones, "Efficient" for the collaborative zones, "Simple" for the quiet zones and "Positive" for the coffee corners.
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Particular attention was paid to the well-being of the employees, for example with the presence of real plants in the common areas, and, in particular, to ergonomics: electric sit-stand desks for all, double screens, ergonomic office chairs, etc. All these aspects (design and functional) were established following furniture workshops and visits to suppliers during which our team was able to guide and advise Beobank.
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With the support of Colliers Belgium, every aspect of “Beobank House” was carefully thought out. Our teams were able to draw on a wide range of expertise and tools to guide and advise Beobank on this new, forward-looking working environment. Check out more photos of this great project on our Pinterest account.
