The new office of Hilti's Polish branch, designed by AKA Studio, reflects the company's values of teamwork, commitment and sustainability
with the team in mind
Hilti, headquartered in Liechtenstein, is a renowned company providing advanced solutions for commercial construction. The new office of the Polish branch, located in the prestigious Royal Wilanów building, was designed by architects from AKA Studio. - The guidelines we received were clear. The management wanted the new space not to be too technical or directly associated with the construction industry. Our task was to create an arrangement that would be friendly and pleasant for employees, conducive to teamwork and enjoyment of being together. The goal was to create an inclusive workplace, and the key to achieving it - the open, but also zoned nature of the space - comments arch. Karolina Kowalik.
Hilti office by AKA Studio
Photo: Celestyna Król/AKA Studio
space dedicated to employees
Hilti Poland's office was designed as an open space with an interesting arrangement procedure, symbolically dividing it into two parallel parts. This effect was achieved by transferring the irregular shape of the building to parts of the ceiling and floor. The ceiling, including installations, in the open part of it was painted in an anthracite shade, taken from the brandbook. The white solid ceiling, on the other hand, surrounds the building from the façade. To accentuate the common areas, such as the cafeteria area and reception area, this layout was broken by introducing other materials on the ceilings and floors. In the design of the Hilti office, we relied on natural colors in shades of green and navy blue to build inner peace. At a time when well-being is crucial, these colors give the impression of being closer to nature. In addition, we introduced a lot of wooden elements, perfectly warming the office interiors- adds arch. Karolina Kowalik.
Hilti office by AKA Studio
Photo: Celestyna Król/AKA Studio
reception and social areas
The most characteristic element of the entrance area is the reception counter, which resembles a concrete monolith. Its simple, architectural shape is matched by a decorative lamp, which completes the composition, adding visual lightness. Behind the reception desk is located a cafeteria area, designed for more or less formal meetings, conducive to the integration of employees who do not work at the headquarters on a daily basis, but occasionally visit the office. - The investor wanted this zone not to be associated with typical office areas, but more like a hotel lobby. Attention is drawn to bold solutions and the use of strong colors in the upholstery of furniture, which add energy to the meetings. It is noteworthy that in accordance with the principle of reuse, as much as 90% of the ceiling lamellas were recovered from the previous office. They were used in various zones as openwork partitions and decorative ceilings," says arch. Agata Łapuchowska. The presence of fabrics is also strongly noticeable in the interior, whether in the form of colorful upholstery of armchairs and sofas, or draped curtains, marking the boundaries of the cafe. The kitchen, on the other hand, which is connected to the dining room, is an enclosed room, allowing one to completely disconnect from work and change the environment and its stimuli for the duration of the meal.
Hilti office by AKA Studio
Photo: Celestyna Król/AKA Studio
work zones and meeting rooms
Common work spaces have been punctuated with areas for quick meetings, where you'll find, among other things, a circular-shaped seat designed specifically to meet the needs of marketing employees. Upholstered in yellow, with a color-matched rug and table, it provides a counterpoint to the calm grays. Acoustic privacy is provided by meeting rooms located throughout the office along the workspace. Provision is also made for larger training rooms for large groups with wide-angle monitors and appropriately placed webcams. The entire office is equipped with lighting controls, intelligent room reservation systems and occupancy sensors to provide comfort and flexibility in the use of each space. The project used high-quality sound-absorbing materials in floors, ceilings, partitions and acoustic panels. There were also whiteboards and screens to facilitate collaboration in teams. Hilti's new office space also featured natural greenery in the form of openwork plant shelves located throughout the open space.
