Living Offices| S05E02 | Natixis
Porto, Portugal [Go to PT Version]
Office File
Company: Natixis inPortugal
Locatiom: Porto, Portugal
Total area: 11 000 m2
Year: 2017, renewed in 2020
Capacity: 1000 people
Industry: Information Technology & Services
Office Design: Tétris Design x Build Portugal
Natixis, a French multinational company dedicated to financial services, which specializes in Asset and Wealth Management, Corporate and Investment Banking, Insurance and Payments. In 2017 they opened their first office in Portugal, in the center of Porto, and renovated this space in 2020 bringing a new contemporary image.
Natixis in Portugal has the mission to invest every day on transforming and developing innovative solutions in traditional banking, for business, but also for the bank’s work culture. The Porto office reflects this mission.
The welcome area that receives everyone who enters the three-story office, has the auditorium and the dining area. The first impact we felt when entering this area, was being welcomed by the natural light and immediately looking up at the glass staircase and seeing the different floors, having a glance at their different areas.
The company’s agile culture is reflected in every floor we visit. Spaces adapted to the concept of flexible work, with various areas prepared for different times of the day and ways of working.
On this floor there are two multi-functional and welcoming spaces that serve as meeting points: the auditorium and the Purple Café. These common areas combine large spaces, designed for informal meetings, moments of pause, but may also be used for work.
The auditorium area is an open space and has several functionalities. Used for internal or external events with larger numbers of people, for conversations between teams, or on-boarding activities. In the auditorium area is surrounded by open booths and closed meeting rooms, which invite to have informal or more formal meetings, and can complement the activities that will take place in the main open area.
In this open space, sound comfort was intentionaly cared for, by using wooden and acoustic panels that serve functions of soundproofing and decoration.
The Purple Café serves as a cafeteria and canteen, and is used throughout the day as a space for meals and breaks. Created in 2020, this space has the capacity to receive everyone at the office, throughout the day. The canteen services are available all day, and those who brought a meals from home, there is also places to heat their home made food.
Light is important, and the balance between natural light and artificial lighting provides a sense of well-being and comfort.
Work area
Over different floors, the teams are organized in open space work areas, distinguished by colors and the names of different iconic places in the city of Porto: Ribeira, Alfândega, or Bolhão.
The work islands, illuminated by the glass facade of the building, are divided by glass panels and decorative elements of wood or colorful vinyl, simultaneously preserving transparency and light, and maintaining the feeling of privacy without losing the connection between everyone.
The choice of materials, such as wood and carpeting, create a sense of closeness and comfort, showing the concern both with design and functionality of the space. From the ceiling to the floor, the different colors and materials define work and circulation areas, which intuitively guide us to each space visited.
The pops of color and the messages with words that define the work culture are visible in various places. These are part of the decoration in walls and windows, keeping present the feeling of what unites people here.
Meeting and focus rooms
The way the open space is organized, creates the feeling that there are spaces of privacy and proximity. Each hallway leads us to find the corners witch are the colorful open cabins.
Meeting rooms with glass walls also divide the space while offering privacy and maintaining communication with the other work areas.
Used by all the collaborators, to facilitate the use of these meeting rooms, all can be pre-booked in the online agenda, while the corners are used with flexibility.
All the rooms have high-quality equipment for a remote connection with clients or with colleagues in Paris.
On every floor we are guided through the space assisted by the color and light code. A constant in the office decoration and flow.
Labs
Creating spaces for special moments of collaborative work in teams was thought out with intention. On each floor there are the Labs. Spaces that provoke creativity, outside the box thinking. This is visible in the decorative thematic specific each one of these rooms.
Every single detail of the Labs was thought with care, and it is impossible not to be impressed by the attention invested in each space. From Idea Lab, Green Lab or to the Focus Lab, each space challenges us to be and think in a different way.
Some of these spaces are used for employee training moments, specially designed to be flexible, with furniture that easily adapts to the needs of each session. We can almost say that there is a space for every moment, every type of organization that you want to have.
Social Areas
We all know how a few moments to take a break can do wonders! Social spaces where everyone can relax and have fun are a constant on all floors, showing the concern with the quality of these moments. A caring organization knows that there are moments in the day when collaborators need to pause: either because people are tired, have had a late night to finish a project, or just want to take a few minutes break.
At Natixis, several areas have been created where everyone can relax: in the outdoor terrace, playing basketball or ping-pong.
Os espaços verdes são cada vez mais usuais nos escritórios contemporâneos. O jardim urbano é um projeto comunitário, que nasceu num terraço que não estava a ser utilizado. Hoje, este jardim é mantido por quase 70 colaboradores voluntários.
The pantry and dining areas are places not only for meal times, but also for more informal moments to meet each other throughout the day. These spaces are highlighted by decorative elements such as colorful panels, made by local artists, that transmit the joy of the space. The words in vinyl on the windows, keep reminding the best of the work culture lived here.
From the smallest to the largest spaces, each are filled with diverse decorative elements, materials, and colors that fill up the room with joy.
Sons do Escritório
“Since the first moment of the (recruitment) interview, I was immediately very impressed, because we already had a very large office, with very different spaces (…) I was very surprised with the office and very eager to join the team.”
Joana Costa Lima
“I like that I don’t have to think too much about the space where I want to go. If I have a need to be with three people to talk, it’s pretty spontaneous to find space where to be.”
Eduardo Basto
“I think that what provides the feeling that we are among colleagues, is the building itself. The fact that it’s so open, so relaxed, so familiar, I think it makes people more open to having other types of relationships with each other.”
João Reis
