Living Offices| S04E06 | Alter Solutions
Lisbon, Portugal [Go to PT Version]
Office File
Company: Alter Solutions
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
Total Area: 750 m2
Year: 2019
Capacity: 60 people
Industry: Tecnology
Office Design: LemonWorks
Alter Solutions is a technology consulting company created in 2006. The mission of this organization is to help its clients to face technical challenges, offering innovative solutions adapted to their needs.
With offices in Paris, Versailles, Dusseldorf, Brussels, Porto and Lisbon, the Alter team has been gradually growing over the years. The Lisbon office, located in Avenida da República, is a reflection of the company’s growth. Opened in 2018, the office began by occupying only one floor with approximately 250m2.
After two years, space has tripled. Today, the office already occupies three floors with a total of 750m2. The teams are distributed over the floors according to their size and the type of work they do.
The Office
On the first floor we find the main reception, a quick interview area — with three garden houses — a training room, a meeting room and two work areas: an open space area for the operations team and a more private area for the finance and human resources teams.
On the second and third floor the space is organised differently. The second floor is occupied by the commercial and recruitment teams, and the third floor by the internal software development teams of the nearshore unit.
Work Areas
To facilitate communication between everyone, the work areas operate in open space. The teams are organized in work islands, each with the capacity to host groups of 8 people.
Green elements and natural materials, such as wood, have a strong presence in this space. For those who work in this office, the use of these materials and good natural lighting are the aspects with the greatest positive impact on their daily lives.
One of the great advantages of working on the top floors of an office tower is the view over the city! With windows in every wall, from their desks the employees have a panoramic view of the city, they see Avenida da República, Campo Pequeno, Luz and Alvalade Stadiums and, of course, the Tejo River.
The shades and coatings used in the decoration create a warm and peaceful environment. The technical carpeted flooring helps absorb noise from work areas and allows the hidden passage of electrical cables.
The work islands have a comfortable area so that everyone can have their work materials and, of course, some personal objects that give life and personality to the office.
The walls closest to the work areas have been covered with whitewall vinyl. It is next to these walls that the teams gather for speed meetings where the next steps of the projects are planned.
Meeting Rooms
The consulting service developed by Alter Solutions is based on a relationship of trust and close contact with the client. The meetings are part of everyone’s daily routine, whether it’s to hold interviews, team meetings, trainings, video conferences or meetings with the client.
To accommodate all these needs various types of rooms have been planned. Each floor has a larger meeting room to accommodate groups of 8 to 16 people. These rooms are also used to hold internal trainings.
For meetings with smaller groups there are four rooms with capacity for 4 to 8 people. The name given to each room was chosen by the collaborators and is related to an iconic place in the city of Lisbon, such as Jerónimos, Rossio, Cais do Sodré or Alfama.
Each room has a distinct decoration. If in the Jerónimos room we find a more classic and formal environment, in the Oceanário room we have simpler and more relaxed furniture. The aim of the design project was to create different spaces that would meet the needs of the employees.
Interior garden
Informal meeting spaces are used for quick conversations between colleagues. The garden houses are designed for these quick moments but also to be used as a creative workspace for small groups. Each house has separate lighting and electrical sockets to charge computers or gadgets.
Kitchen
Distributed over the three floors, there are two kitchens and several snack corners. The main office kitchen, designed in the petit café parisienne style, recalls the French origin of the organization. The employees have at their disposal fresh fruit, coffee, water and some snacks.
To avoid wasting plastic there are reusable water bottles and glass mugs. Outside the mealtimes, the dinning table is used as meeting space and the stool as individual focus space.
Lounge
Each office floor has one (or more) lounge spaces. These spaces have been decorated with vintage furniture and resemble small living rooms.
These spaces work as a complement to the kitchen, it is here that the teams gather in the breaks after lunch or during the afternoon. The type of lighting in these spaces helps to create a warmer and more welcoming atmosphere. Orange, the company color, is present in the floor design of these areas and in some pieces of furniture.
Vinyl whitewall is the ideal support for employees who want to share their talent and creativity! For videogame fans there is a small area with sofa, puff’s and game console.
Plantas do escritório
Sons do Escritório
“The view from the office is remarkable, both for those who work here and for those who come to visit us. The decoration of the space reflects Alter’s young, practical and transparent spirit. In this office I can start the day in a meeting room, go to my desk and finish the day with the team talking on the sofas.”
Ana Sim Sim
“The natural lighting and the vertical gardens make me feel like I’m working in a Lisbon garden. As I spend many hours here, I like the comfort this office gives me. The garden houses encourage us to have more relaxed and close conversations with our consultants.” Beatriz Cid
