A Look Inside Camptocamp’s New Lausanne Office

Michal
Technology
10 months ago

Technology company Camptocamp recently hired workplace design firm Studio Banana to design their new office in Lausanne, Switzerland.

“A flagship workspace reinforcing Camptocamp’s culture of respect, sharing and transparency through attractive, friendly and flexible meeting and working areas inspired by the alpine ecosystem. Strategically designed to both break silos and improve the team´s well-being, the new configuration allows for a wide range of dynamics promoting synergies between departments and boosting collaborative thinking and interaction while also offering private areas to facilitate concentration.

Although in Camptocamp there’s a strong level of cohesion, Studio Banana detected that the different teams were very diverse in their activities and specific requirements. From quiet introverted spaces granting concentration for developers, to coworking areas open and visible for town halls, presentations or ideas exchange, the new design had to be adaptive and inclusive enough to fulfil the specific preferences and ways of working of each team.

Nestled on the 3rd floor of the QG Center, the design emphasises the physical movement and the fluid conviviality between zones and teams. A warm and welcoming central circulation links the east and west sides and its distinct satellite spaces, integrating individual to shared offices, specific rooms and “buffer” areas.

Various exposures to natural light and a nuanced palette of materials and colours evoke the different facets of an alpine ecosystem and reinforce the link to the origins and identity of the company.

Le Plateau (the Plateau) is the backbone of the project, a fluid semi-open central space connecting all Camptocamps functional areas and teams. Its characteristic climbing-wall finish pays homage to the mountaineering origins of the firm. From fly-by desks or meeting rooms to coffee break areas and a playroom, it offers a wide range of amenities for collaborators to relax, entertain and collaborate.

When heading to Le Sommet (the Summit), employees and visitors find themselves in a place specifically designed for community-building. This area integrates the cafetería, gives access to the terrace and offers a gathering space for colleagues to sit down and enjoy the views while having lunch or a coffee.

Enriched with vivid colours and flooded with invigorating southern natural light, L´Adret (the sunny side) offers a dynamic environment for project teams to work and thrive while exploring new digital solutions. The inverted mountain landscapes fixed on the ceiling of the different working areas feature the profiles of five mythical Swiss climbing peaks and are a subtle reference to Camptocamp’s leading position in the Open Source GIS (Geospatial Information System) field.

On the other hand, l’Alpage (alpine grazing pasture) was conceived to facilitate calm concentration and relaxation. In this area, facing the morning sun and a privileged panorama of the Alps, collaborators can work in silence, retreat to a focus room or rest in the lounge corners.

L´Ubac (the North face) caters to different employees’ working rhythms through a flexible environment. Benefitting from expansive views and a cooler colour atmosphere this area makes the most out of the stable natural light from the North to promote a sense of serene flow.”