In Østbirk, a former warehouse has been transformed into a research laboratory for the Danish window manufacturer, Velux. The LKR Innovation House is a hotbed of light, nature, wellbeing and communication, but also offers individual curtained-off areas for its staff to retreat to.
A giant horizon of gable roofs spreads out overhead, interspersed with rectangular roof windows and circular light fittings shining like the full moon in the night sky. Below sprawls an array of trees, platforms, dining tables, benches and sumptuous lounge-like landscapes. “Homely, isn’t it? Apart from the circular economy, the wellbeing of our staff was, by some margin, our top priority with this project”, says Esben Lundsgaard Haubjerg. “We didn’t want to create a traditional workplace. We wanted to make something almost village-like, a place to be and enjoy. And if the feedback I’ve heard from the teams is anything to go by, I’d say that’s exactly what we’ve done!”
Located in Østbirk in Denmark’s Central Jutland Region, not far from Aarhus, the LKR Innovation House was erected in the mid-1990s as a storage warehouse for the central and northern European market. The locally produced roof windows were exported from here to Germany, the UK and Scandinavia. “The warehouse eventually became too small for our needs”, explains Haubjerg, Head of Velux’s Global Facility Management Department. “We also urgently needed a new research centre, as at that point, the 500 or so staff in Østbirk were spread across several locations, and that was having a negative impact on our communication channels.”
Plans were put into action quickly. Instead of tearing down the warehouse, the functional supporting structure and wooden façade were largely maintained. Planted atria were cut into two areas, and the skin of the roof was peppered with some 400 roof windows to provide better lighting. The perfect way to advertise the company’s own products. Underneath these windows – almost as if someone had slotted a giant’s own tables or shelves into the hall – a secondary structure was created that now houses the laboratories, workshops, office areas and meeting rooms. Supporting all of this is the old concrete floor, on which you can still see the tracks left by the HGVs and forklifts in the building’s previous incarnation.
“The hall was in such great condition”, says Haubjerg, “that we decided not to tear out anything unnecessarily and to keep the patina to reflect the building’s history and tell the story of the place.” Together with the untreated wood, warm colours, good lighting, haptic comfort of the surfaces and, of course, furniture that helps to maintain the staff’s physical health, this has all created a space that appeals to people on both a physical and psychological level. A blend of exemplary comfort and industrial ruggedness.
“Initially, there was a bit of resistance from the teams when we brought in the ergonomic swivel chairs and height-adjustable desks”, says Haubjerg. “Change always creates a certain amount of discomfort. But now we get such a lot of positive feedback from our colleagues that we know we made the right decision.” Another of these initially unpopular measures, remembers Haubjerg, was the elimination of the car park at the front of the building. “At the start there was a bit of pushback. Today, however, we no longer look out of our office windows over a sea of metal, concrete and asphalt, but onto a landscaped area of grass, shrubs and trees. I don’t have to tell you what that does for our sense of wellbeing or for the company’s economic output, do I?”
The planning for the LKR Innovation House – the initials stand for Lars Kann-Rasmussen, the long-serving Chairman who grew Velux into an internationally renowned company with 12,000 employees around the world – was carried out by the Danish bureau Praksis Arkitekter. The interior design for the 14,000-square-metre office hall was the responsibility of BRIQ, Holmbris B8, Friis & Moltke Design, Spant Studio Architects and Danish architect Kasper Mose. The high number of partners involved was down to the company’s desire for greater diversity and heterogeneity during the workday. It wanted not one single office, but an ecosystem of productive creativity.
“Tall ceilings, authentic materials, natural ventilation, good sound absorption in the ceiling, great lighting from the vertex, and suddenly a hall that was once good for goods has become a space that’s good for people”, says Mette Tony, Founding Partner at Praksis Arkitekter. “You wouldn’t see this level of quality in a new-build office for economic reasons alone. But here at the LKR Innovation House, it’s standard.” One of the highlights of this build, however, adds Tony, is the differentiation between the working areas. There’s something to suit every taste, every style of working. “Some sit in the large office, others in the gallery, still others nestled away in quiet spaces between the beams, hiding away behind curtains. Having so many options is fantastic.”
Wojciech Czaja
Impressions.
