AIS completed the design for the offices of a private global asset management company located in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

As an organisation that challenges businesses to reach higher standards, our client upheld this same attitude when it came to the design and build of their own workplace. Located in the iconic Rembrandt Tower in the Amsteldorp neighbourhood of Amsterdam, their new workplace is a full refurbishment of an existing space based on their organisational design standards. These guidelines allowed our concept to maintain a consistent aesthetic with the client’s other offices around the world.

We took particular care to involve the employees throughout the design process, using different strategies such as town hall meetings to make all teams feel involved.

For this refurbishment we created a more open and light space compared to our client’s previous layout which was heavily compartmentalised. We worked to create a more comfortable open plan environment that allowed for collaboration within identifiable zones. Individual phone booths help support privacy and the ability to take rest, and the lighting throughout was updated to be more energy efficient and provide a more comfortable level of light to work in. The meeting rooms are generously sized with acoustic panels and write-on surfaces visible to a camera, supporting collaboration with other global offices. Additionally, we introduced varied furniture options as well as more tactile fabrics and vegetation where possible.

Our initial objective was to fully understand our client’s design guidelines and the reason behind every requirement. We then merged this with our knowledge of the region and the expectations and wishes of the local people. We put their needs at the heart of the design, looking at ways to increase collaboration and informal gathering over traditional fixed meetings. The resulting workspace improves upon cooperation both internally and with their global partners.

With this project, our client upped their game regarding hospitality, adding an open and inviting front-of-house coffee point for guests as well as the staff pantry. The staff pantry was an important addition to this refurbishment as staff had previously been forced to lunch somewhere else externally, or at their desk. Creating this working pantry with plenty of seating allows them both to take real breaks for lunch and to have meetings in a more informal surrounding, opening up for ad-hoc meetings away from the desk area. The large moss wall with integrated AV is placed to allow all-hands meetings, and with extra chairs stored in the furniture store, the pantry can house the whole company for presentations and events.

For this project we partnered with our client from concept design through to handover. By managing landlord restrictions as well as creating a temporary “swing space” on the building’s 5th floor for the duration of the project, we were able to keep the programme short and reduce disruption wherever possible. The installation was carried out in a very considerate manner due to the requirements to work with existing M&E to reduce cost and scheduling impacts. And despite the limited availability of mandated suppliers over a busy seasonal period, we were able to deliver the workspace on schedule.

Design: AIS

Photography: Tom Fallon

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