Office Snapshots » Zurich

Unilever Switzerland Offices – Agile Working in Action

Stephen Searer — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:00:27 +0000

The last couple weeks have been full of discussion on hotdesking, whether or not is is worth it, and even seeing an example of it at the Microsoft Amsterdam Offices. Today we’re going to be looking at Unilever, which has adopted a similar, but more expansive workplace philosophy known as Agile Working - otherwise known as work from anywhere, whenever you want, as long as you get your work done.

Camenzind Evolution helped Unilever develop a workplace in Switzerland that is well-suited to their agile working goals. Camenzind has also completed project for Google in Moscow, Zurich, and Stockholm, as well as for Credit-Swisse.

The design of the switzerland space is meant to give ample room for productivity in all forms; small and large meetings, individual work, collaborative projects, and teleconferencing. Teleconferencing has play an important role in maintaining face-to-face relationships throughout the company’s global workforce.

As with hotdesking, employees in this agile work environment are not assigned specific workstations, which among other benefits can help reduce real estate overhead. In Unilever’s case, by around 40% [1].

The space’s bright colors and bold patterns give it a vibrant and living feeling, as opposed to many other stoic designs we’ve seen. Some of the conference spaces are adorned with company brands like Ragu, Omo, or Heartbrand, while other spaces are given company mottos for inspiration.

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Swiss Life’s ‘Cocoon’ Office – Zurich

Stephen Searer — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 12:30:44 +0000

Camenzind Evolution is officially 3/3 on creating wonderful office spaces. The first two were Google’s Zurich and Stockholm locations, and this time they have another hit with Swiss Life‘s ‘Cocoon’ – located in Zurich, Switzerland. This office is not only pleasing to look at from the outside, but is an excellent example of how good design can create a very usable interior space.

Instead of packing employees into small cubicles, this Swiss Life location is filled with large offices and work areas that allow employees to work both independently and together. One of the many fabulous features are the glass walls that offer visual openness alongside audible privacy. The fact that every office has a huge exterior window gives so much natural light you might wonder if they even need lamps. The views of beautiful Zurich can’t hurt morale either. The Cocoon was also designed to eliminate barriers of communication between the various inhabitants.

With the large open atrium and spiraling pathway, it is difficult to know how many floors the Cocoon houses. is it only one? Or do you count the number of elevator stops? While they don’t have many of the frills other offices we’ve shown offer, it is probably better in the long run to work in a well-designed and pleasing atmosphere.

(click images to enlarge, left/right to navigate)

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IMAGE CREDIT: Various images shot by Ferit Kuyas, Nick Brandli, and Romeo Gross. Images sent and used courtesy of Setfan Camenzind, of Camenzind Evolution. Please give credit where credit is due.

Looking for a job at a place like Swiss Life? See the latest salaries and jobs: Regional Director Salary, Sales Director Salary, Sales Executive Salary, Quantitative Analyst Jobs, Marketing Manager Jobs, Regional Manager Jobs

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Google Zurich Offices

Stephen Searer — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:00:10 +0000

We’ve posted Google offices before (China, Mountain View, Santa Monica, New York) and they’ve all been great. Today’s post is no different. The Zurich offices are located in Switzerland, which is one of my favorite European cities. They have a great public transit system and the city is just clean and nice. You should go there sometime.

These offices are complete with a firepole, a slide, thinking gondolas, serenity eggs, foam-filled meditation bathtubs, and fishtanks. Pretty swanky if you ask me.

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IMAGE SOURCE: Images found here. Originally found via Valleywag. Link sent by Ben.

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Beecom HQ

Jose Ramirez — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 13:30:09 +0000

With a logo like that, you know Beecom means business. Beecom, headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, is a software boutique that develops custom webapps for other companies. And do they also do consulting, hosting, and business process outsourcing? Why yes, yes they do.

Despite that cold logo, Beecom’s offices are very welcoming. Cozy, even. Note the warm lighting, the earthy tones, and the deciduous trees outside. Really, though, it’s the Guns n’ Roses banner that brings it all together.

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IMAGE CREDIT: Images taken and sent by Fabian Hediger at Beecom.

Looking for a job at a place like Beecom? See the latest salaries and jobs: Human Resources Generalist Salary, Software Engineering Director Salary, Engineer Salary, IS Manager Jobs, Support Engineer Jobs, Business Development Manager Jobs

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