Completed Projects

AstraZeneca, Brussels, Belgium

Size

2,900sqm

Brief

Following the analysis of the UK HQ, a review of the European HQ facility in Brussels was undertaken to establish if:

• With the projected headcounts, could the organisation remain in its current location and maintain the laboratory facilities, or 
• It had to acquire additional space or need to relocate, and 
• There was an appetite to change its current working practices and move towards an open plan agile landscape by certain departments adopting to desk share.

Approach

In order to understand if the current premises met the objectives of the brief, it involved:

A: Analysing the space through a desktop study, and its usage through a space utilisation survey to understand the potential

B: Interviewing the MD, COO and department heads to determine if there was a willingness to move from a cellular office to an open plan environment

C: Mobility profiling the organisation

Outcome

From the studies and profiling exercise the client was advised the current premises could support the projected headcounts and retain the laboratories if some departments moved to agile working and desk sharing in an open plan environment.

In order to retain the current lab facilities and not disturb the business through acquisition of additional space or relocation, the Board recommended adoption of ‘agile working’ for those departments that had a high mobility profile.