Lenovo

Lenovo's decision to relocate their Parisian office was driven by several factors, including the outdated design of their current space, which no longer aligned with the company's evolving identity. Although they considered relocating to other locations, the chance to secure the top floor of their existing building presented an appealing and convenient opportunity, providing an improved view within familiar surrounds and minimal disruption to employees.

Located in the western suburbs of Paris, Rueil-Malmaison has become the preferred neighbourhood for service sector companies and Lenovo's office benefits from proximity to a thriving business community, cultural attractions, transport hubs, and recreational facilities.

This strategic location enhances the office's role as a hub for innovation and collaboration, fostering connections both internally and externally.

Our design approach aimed to maintain a sense of community by incorporating design elements from the UK project to Lenovo’s Parisian office, while infusing the space with local nuances. Consistent use of metal features and timber, along with a harmonised colour scheme, ensured a cohesive aesthetic across both spaces. While basic finishes remained consistent across the two workplaces, we incorporated touches to infuse the French office with its own unique identity, creating a sense of familiarity between the two offices, while preserving their individuality.

Learn more about our expert design and build services in France.

Regular site visits helped us understand how natural light moved through the 6th floor, and various consultations with the local team helped develop a lighter, softer design that incorporated many existing structures and finishes. As the space plan developed, the central core around the lifts became a natural meeting hub, book ended with two vibrant coral corridors; the purpose was to create a memorable and stimulating experience, something unique to Paris and a talking point that drew attention to the Client Demonstration Space by the Landing Zone. The corridors also signify the transition between the client spaces and the quieter, focused work spaces.

Lenovo’s workplace refurbishment faced its own set of challenges. Coordinating furniture left by the previous tenant posed logistical hurdles, but we succeeded in incorporating more than half of the pieces from two different spaces with new pieces, aligning to our sustainability principles.

The unusual footprint and complex layout of the existing space presented another obstacle, requiring meticulous planning to meet Lenovo's specific requirements for meeting rooms, workstations, and other facilities. Our solution involved retaining existing partitions and strategically matching them with new elements to optimise functionality.

Lenovo is fully committed to environmental leadership across all aspects of its business operations, encompassing operational practices, product design, recycling initiatives and office spaces. With a robust sustainability and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) strategy, Lenovo strives to be a socially and environmentally responsible organisation in all aspects of its work.

Following the success of the Farnborough project, Lenovo have once again selected Area as a design and construction partner. This partnership aligns with Lenovo’s values, ensuring that their office space not only reflects their brand identity but also stands as a benchmark for environmentally conscious design.

As a certified B Corp, our entire business model revolves around best practice in ethics and environmental sustainability, and we hold ourselves to the highest standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. Throughout this project, we have prioritised partnerships with suppliers who share our values, aiming to minimise the emissions across the value chain.

Our commitment to sustainability not only optimised our budget but also emphasised a core objective of reusing and recycling wherever feasible. This philosophy is ingrained in our approach, reflecting our dedication to environmental consciousness. In addition to conserving significant elements like partitions, meeting rooms, ceilings, and carpets, we placed a high priority on preserving even the most minute items, such as podiums, artworks, and planting troughs. This approach effectively minimise waste, reducing both disposal requirements and the demand for new manufacturing, ultimately decreasing our environmental impact.

In our collaboration with Waste to Wonder, we extended our commitment to sustainable practices by joining forces with the inspiring "Emmaus" initiative. This initiative provides formerly homeless individuals with the opportunity to reintegrate into society through structured living and work environments. Our work with Emmaus focused on recycling and donating goods to individuals or families in need.

As part of our efforts, we have donated office equipment with a fair market value of almost £14,000. Beyond the monetary value, these contributions have led to significant reductions in carbon emissions, totalling an impressive 15,265 kg. In line with our commitment to reach our science-based short-term and long-term targets validated by Science Based Target initiative (SBTi), we contributed to the global effort to mitigate greenhouse gas levels, ultimately safeguarding the planet for future generations.