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Health in the Workplace: How can interior design help?
The role of office design in improving employee health and well-being should not be underestimated. Create a workspace that prioritises health and fosters a positive work culture Lire plus
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The Steelcase Flex Collection encourages collaboration
Tele-working is here to stay and there are various methods for collaborating digitally. However, it is often better to be physically present in the same space as your colleagues when you are working together, e.g. brainstorming. Lire plus
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Flexi-workstations or fixed desks: what suits your company?
It’s the year 2023 and we are done with over-populated offices where everyone has their own corner and works under artificial light against a grey background. And rightly so. Lire plus
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Partition walls in the office: the benefits
When you think of partition walls in the office you may have a vision of small, dark corners. Not exactly what you imagine in a modern office, right? Luckily, it doesn't have to be that way. Lire plus
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Acoustic panels and other ways to limit noise in your office
There's nothing worse than realising, after a whole day in the office, that you have only completed half the jobs you had planned. There may be various reasons for a lack of productivity and everyone has a bad day every now and then. Lire plusMore inspiration?
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What you need to cover when designing an office
Your office design is a major consideration. The appearance of your office gives a first impression to customers and suppliers and, in turn, affects your business image. Lire plus
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Renovating your office? A handy checklist
Is it time for an upgrade because your current design is no longer modern or because it no longer suits your image? Or would you like to divide your space up differently now that your employees often work from home? Whatever your reasoning, renovating your office is no mean feat. Use this checklist to ensure you don’t miss anything. Lire plus
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Stimulate creativity with office design!
A well-designed office not only focuses on ergonomics and employee well-being, it also stimulates creativity. Lire plusFan of Steelcase?
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Stimulate creativity with office design
A well-designed office not only focuses on ergonomics and employee well-being, it also stimulates creativity. Lire plus
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Office design? It has to be tailor-made
Your office design has a huge impact on the well-being of your employees and largely determines how often they (if they have a choice) will choose your office building over their ‘home office’. Lire plus
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Flexible working: adapt your office accordingly
Among the office trends of 2022, hybrid working has emerged as an important factor. Many businesses have embraced working from home but some employers are encouraging their staff to come into the office at least once or twice a week. Lire plus
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Sustainable furniture for your office: 3 focus areas
In our overview of office trends for 2022, sustainability is a top criterion. Employees, but also customers and partners, are increasingly considering the environmental impact of their offices. Lire plus
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The advantages of a co-working space
It goes without saying that your office design and layout has a huge impact on your team’s well-being. By choosing ergonomic office chairs, you reduce the risk of neck and back issues, for example. But did you know that co-working spaces also have a positive effect on your team (and on your wallet)? Lire plus
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A breakout space in your office?
A landscape office has its advantages. It encourages collegiality and communication: colleagues only have to roll their chairs together for a short meeting. However, an office must also accommodate focused working and that’s not always easy with an open office because this tends to go hand-in-hand with a noisier environment. Lire plus
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Turn your office into a smart office
From online meetings to working in the cloud: technology has become an integral part of our professional lives and offers many benefits, including greater efficiency and connectedness, particularly when it comes to hybrid or new working methods. Lire plus
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3 features of an industrial, modern office
While there’s no accounting for taste, many employees seem to feel at home in an industrial, modern office, and will happily spend time there. The inspiration for this type of office design comes from factories, workshops and warehouses, all very ‘sterile’ environments, that can be transformed with a few well-chosen, minimalistic and functional elements, into comfortable and productive workplaces. Lire plus
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Integrate standing desks into your office
Are you reading this while standing at your desk in the office? There is a pretty good chance you are, as standing desks are popping up all over the place. The concept is pretty self-explanatory: a standing desk allows you to stand up to work instead of sitting down in an office chair. Lire plus
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Efficient online meetings: 3 tips
Hybrid working has now become an integral part of our professional lives. The trend has not only affected our office layouts but also our meeting methods. Lire plus
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The impact of office design and layout on your team
As our current working methods are nothing like the working methods fifty years ago, office design ideas have also undergone a significant revolution over the past few decades. Lire plus
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The best colours for the office
There are a number of unwritten rules when it comes to colour choices. It is usually only children, for example, who like to use fuchsia pink or giraffe yellow crockery. And we usually steer clear of bright blue plates as this colour subconsciously makes us think of rotting food. Lire plus
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Choosing office furniture: 3 focus areas
Your office furniture must not be boring. Ideally, it should showcase the identity of your business, both to visitors and employees, and create an inspiring, comfortable and productive working environment in which team members can perform at their best. Finally, the best types of office furniture also excel when it comes to sustainability. A real puzzle? We will focus on the various aspects below. Lire plus
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Hybrid working: impact on your office design
The days when everyone expected to have their own desk in the office are (luckily) behind us. Lire plus
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Office trends: how will we work in 2022?
In this article about office trends for the new year, we will be casting our eyes over what this means for working in 2022. Lire plus
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This is how to design a working space for lawyers
When you are designing a new office or renovating an existing workspace, you must consider a range of issues. Lire plus
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What is an ‘agile work environment’ and why is this important?
The concept of agile working is nothing new. This working and organisational method emerged years ago in many companies with a view to encouraging the autonomy of employees and anticipating customer wishes more quickly. Lire plus
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Setting up your conference room? 3 focus areas
Although we are more frequently working from home and Skype, Teams or other online meetings are becoming the norm, sometimes you simply can't beat an in-person meeting. Lire plus
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Choose the perfect ergonomic office chair
Office chairs come (quite literally) in all shapes and sizes It isn’t easy finding that one chair which will offer your employees the perfect seated posture, among the huge range of chairs on offer. Lire plus
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Acoustics in offices and working areas: source of irritation?
What might be seen by one person as a busy, sociable office, with colleagues who are constantly receiving phone calls or using the coffee machine, might be regarded as a huge source of irritation for another. Lire plus
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Customised office design: not an unnecessary luxury
Does an unwelcoming and dark office where acoustics are a disaster and which fails to provide inspiration encourage collaboration or socialising? It goes without saying that you certainly won't attract new, talented recruits in today's climate or retain your existing, valued employees with this type of environment. Lire plus
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Alternativ launches a new department!
Following the arrival of Romeo Mogos, audiovisual consultant and specialist in the integration of technology tools in professional workplaces, Alternativ is launching a brand new department. The aim is to respond to companies’ demands for a more - and better - connected work environment than ever before, particularly to support the transition to the hybrid work model. Lire plus
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Is your office NWOW-proof?
Flexible working hours, flexible workspaces, the option of working from home, a clean desk policy... these are all part of the NWOW or the New Way of Working. Lire plus
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Office design makes the move worthwhile
Over the past year or so, employers have discovered that team members who work from home can be trusted and won’t simply spend all day ironing or watching TV. Employees, in turn, have discovered the benefits of not having to go to the office every day and have enjoyed being able to take the kids to school or fit in some sport. The key message is that a balance must be found. Tele-working has now become essential but constantly working from home can dampen team spirit, hinder communication and Lire plus
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Office set-up: focus on ergonomics and design
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Returning to the office, rethinking the office
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The talented people behind a great project: Alexis
Last December, Argo Law inaugurated its new offices at the new POST X site. Argo entrusted Alternativ with the management of 1,500 m² of rented space from start to finish (Design & Build). But who are the talents working at Alternativ in fact ? Please meet Alexis D’Archambeau. Lire plus
Realisations
Enhancing your brand image
A change of office often presents a great opportunity to give your brand image a facelift. This is something that Alternativ has demonstrated brilliantly with the design and fit-out of the new offices for Argo Law at the vibrant Post X site in Antwerp. Lire plus
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Support and guidance throughout the project
Alternativ commissioned by the insurance broker, Howden Belgium, to design and fit out its new offices. Lire plus
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Growners: a modern vision of offices for the world of the future
What impact has the pandemic had on office furnishings in the urban space? Will homeworking live beyond the crisis? How do we encourage employees to come back to the office? Is the future of city business precincts at risk? According to Eric Bastin, CEO of Growners, the business office needs to remain a place where people can socialise as well as work. He offers SMEs practical solutions for planning the acquisition of offices that are in step with the world of tomorrow. Lire plus
Realisations
A working environment that supports the identity of the space
The Crowne Plaza Brussels – Le Palace and the Indigo Hotel – Brussels City have a shared sales and bookings department that dovetails perfectly with the Art Nouveau ambience of the former and the plant-inspired decoration of the latter. Lire plus
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Together again: the future of shared spaces in the office
Why do we miss the office? And will we still love it when we return? Lire plus
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What’s next: skip the status quo — drive for change
So, what is the future of work and the workplace? It’s not a return to the status-quo nor is it an extreme solution predicated by aggressive cost-reduction. A new approach to the workplace is required – one that is compelling and safe for employees and smart for the business. Lire plus
Realisations
A building site and an unwanted intruder, but still the same boundless energy!
In the old days, The Lexitech offices looked a bit like a set from Mad Men; today, though, they boast 320 square metres of cutting-edge office accommodation. Yes, the Lexitech translation agency has nothing but praise after working with Alternativ – despite the intrusion into the project of a guest nobody was expecting (or wanted): Covid-19! Lire plus
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Partitions in an office: an obviousness at Mecanalu
This year, things are moving at Mecanalu! After revamping their website, our partner in partitions is releasing new products! Let's discover it. Lire plus
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Thinking Outside (and Inside) the Box
In September 2018, Steelcase Inc. announced it acquired Orangebox Group Limited, a UK-based designer and manufacturer of furniture for the changing workplace, the latest in a rapid expansion of innovative products designed for the new ways people work.
So, how innovative furniture maker Orangebox led the way to work beyond the desk?
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Designing the Post-COVID Workplace
Going back to work, for most people, is going to feel a lot different than when they left. And what if we see this as an opportunity to make the office even better? Lire plus
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Want to boost employee engagement and wellbeing? Have a cup of coffee
More and more companies are devoting real estate to in-house cafés and other informal gathering places where a cup of coffee is so much more than just a beverage. Lire plus
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What Workers Told Us About Collaboration
Global study reveals universal conditions needed for successful collaboration. Here they are! Lire plus
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Six dimensions of wellbeing: a work from home checklist
Due to this unprecedented situation, the change has been sudden, in a sustained moment of uncertainty, and has disrupted employee routines and support structures. People who are used to working from home are not necessarily used to their homes being a coworking facility for the whole family. People who are used to living alone are not necessarily used to being alone all week, around the clock. Teams who are used to connecting virtually are not used to doing so while worrying about the future a Lire plus
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10 tips from BuzziSpace to brighten up your workspace
Today, people across the world are spending a considerable amount of time working in enclosed spaces. Creating a bright and happy environment can help with motivation, productivity, and well-being at work. Here are a few ideas to brighten up your workplace. Here are some creative ideas for creating a bright and happy work environment. Lire plus
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Suddenly Working from Home?
Four ways to help you stay productive — and sane. Working remotely is on a lot of people’s minds today especially in light of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) health crisis and the desire to rethink travel as a means to reduce carbon footprints. For some people, this is a regular practice, but for many, it’s a new way of working — and presents new challenges if you are trying to manage in a small space while juggling family who are home as well. Lire plus
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Six ways to help stressed out workers
A new, in-depth study has a powerful message for employers. “Working conditions really do matter,” says the report’s lead author.
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Why We Go to the Office Is Changing
Worldwide, the time people spend driving to work is rising. New data shows the average American spends over 27 minutes each way commuting. Since 1980, people have lost an amount of time equal to an additional full work week per year just traveling to and from work. And, this is a global problem. Lire plus
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Engaging the Five Senses
It turns out workplaces that focus on the intangibles —sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch—are workplaces better equipped to boost employee wellbeing.
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Proud to be Gazelles 2020 and of our article in Trends Tendances!
We are pleased to announce that the new Trends-Tendances is out! You will find the portraits of three Brussels Gazelles, including our company! Article in French and in Dutch... Lire plus
Realisations
Working in symbiosis
In December 2019, the Antwerp-based firm GSJ advocaten joined Post X, moving into nearly 3,000 m² of office space furbished by Alternativ. The task at hand was daunting: create an open workspace that was conducive to collaborative work, while respecting the principle of confidentiality that governs the legal profession. Design & Build mission accomplished. Lire plus
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Alternativ, nominated for Trends Gazelle 2020!
We are proud to announce that Alternativ Workspace Solutions has been nominated for the Trends Gazelle 2020 award for the Brussels region. This award honours the fastest growing companies in Belgium. Lire plus
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VodafoneZiggo creates agile headquarters
The Dutch telecom and entertainment company created a new workplace in The Netherlands designed for an agile process and culture. Questions-Answers with Michelle Siau, the agile transformation coach at VodafoneZiggo. Lire plus
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A Day in the Life of an Agile Team
To understand how their place supports the fluid nature of agile work, we’ve shared what a typical day looks like for Kim and her team. Follow them in their space designed to foster a more agile culture, help them move faster, test and execute on new ideas and get closer to their customers. Lire plus
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The Human, the machine & the creativity
Robots, AI, automation—many jobs will change as a result of these technologies. Some may even disappear. But if history is right, most changes will be good ones. Lire plus
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Six Education + Work Trends from Generation iGen
The first generation to never live without tech at their fingertips is shifting the landscapes of education and work. Can you imagine growing up with modern technology since the day you were born? iGen can. Lire plus
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A Startup Mindset: pushing boundaries in large organizations
Innovation. Ten letters packed with expectation and possibility. Ten letters sparking creativity, driving decisions globally and propelling startups into a world of burgeoning, billion-dollar valuations. The marketplace is captivated by innovation, leaning heavily on the promise of disruption to deliver new, inspiring products and services. Lire plus
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Introducing Flex Collection: a creative & agile studio
“A lot of environments today throw everyone into the same general space and say ‘collaborate.’ And, we’re surprised when it doesn’t work and people feel frustrated. Teams do not have the control they need to move easily from activity to activity. They don’t have the ability to reconfigure their space at will if their team make-up, needs or priorities change.” Lire plus
Realisations
There’s no such thing as a small job!
Quentin Bolle has been Operations Director at Skylane Optics for the past year. The Belgian multinational, which has retained its family-run feeling, is based at Fraire in a beautiful square-set complex of traditional farm buildings. Not only did the available space need to be optimised, but the offices also needed redesigning and the whole place given a general revamp. Whatever it is asked to do, Alternativ always believes there’s no such thing as a small job and every requirement put forward Lire plus
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Welcome to the Piazza of Martex: an open space environment
Martex interpretation of the office evolution, intended as a place of sensory wellness and relationships, is inspired by the concept of the italian town square: “la piazza”; a space full of diversity and sensory stimuli, which transferred to the work environment allows a personal interpretation, according to attitudes and needs. The urban metaphor is the interpretative key that best explains the change we are experiencing, because the square is a meeting and exchange place, the nucl Lire plus
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Fast Company awards SILQ for Innovation by Design
Fast Company’s 2019 Innovation by Design Awards honored SILQ™, a Steelcase chair that transforms seating through design. 2019 Innovation by Design Awards honor creative work at the intersection of design, business and innovation. Lire plus
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Introducing Flex Collection: an office rebellion
Steelcase Flex was inspired by teams working in spaces not designed for team-based work who became impatient with their static space and hacked their offices. Here are five ways renegade teams hacked their space: Lire plus
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For Framery, happiness is serious!
To conclude the International Week of Happiness at Work held last week, focus on one of our committed partners: Framery. Some companies start with a clear vision. However, this was not the case for the founders of Framery and it took them years to understand what they were actually doing. Today, Framery is now one of the fastest growing companies in Europe, and is positioned as the world leader in the acoustic booth market. Lire plus
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Wellbeing through workplace design
Stressed at work? Take a breath. You are not alone. While the World Health Organization (WHO) is just now recognizing burnout, a result of stress, as an “occupational phenomenon,” the conversation around wellbeing at work is not new. The good news—there are more ways than ever to help people think, feel and move better at work. Lire plus
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Explore the future of work with Steelcase x Microsoft
Nowadays, designing a culture of collaboration at work is essential to increase the ideation, innovation, employees’ skills, and remote teams’ efficiency. It's why Steelcase and Microsoft have been working together since 2017 to explore how a thoughtfully-designed ecosystem of places and devices can support the new ways teams and individuals are working. They work together with a shared commitment to put people at the center of how place and technology intersect and empower individuals Lire plus
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Introducing Flex Collection: the solitary genius, a shattered myth
The companies that are thriving have learned teamwork— and a culture that supports it—is the only way to make innovation happen. But teams, faced with an unprecedented level of complexity and an intense need for speed, have changed radically in just a few years. Lire plus
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Need a summary of NeoCon 2019?
Neocon, the most important event of the year for the commercial design industry, was held in Chicago last June. Unfortunately, you were unable to participate in this exhibition this year? Here is a summary! This year, Steelcase is bringing new solutions to NeoCon that empower teams, announcing new alliances and launching Steelcase Marketplace in US, a new way for designers to create inspiring spaces with ease. Lire plus
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The new Bolia collection has arrived!
This month, our partner Bolia presented their new collection "New Scandinavian Design", paying tribute to their Scandinavian design heritage and Nordic nature. Each design is a sustainable, durable and creative interpretation of their roots, expressed by talented designers from around the world in their own unique way. Inspired by the changing seasons of Scandinavia, the natural, honest, pure elements and discreet color schemes, this new collection has been created to be passed on from genera Lire plus
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Enter into the European hub of Steelcase: the Learning + Innovation Center (LINC) in Munich
In November 2017, Steelcase announced the opening of its new Learning + Innovation Centre in Munich, capping a multi-year planning effort and bringing together employees from across the region in a 14,400 square metre space designed to promote learning and spark innovation. As organisations recognize the importance of face-to-face interactions and shift back to centrally-located business hubs, Steelcase opened this location to propel growth within its own organisation – and to give customers a Lire plus
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Introducing Flex Collection: make room for modern tribes!
We all want to be on the team that disrupts our industry, rather than the ones who didn’t see it coming. We want to be the people who come up with the most novel ideas and anticipate our customers’ needs before they even realize they have them; the ones who bring an idea to market so fast and flawlessly our competitors’ jaws drop. Steelcase therefore acts: by following new working methods, they created Flex Collection, in order to create dynamic spaces conducive to innovation. Lire plus
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A great recognition for Alternativ !
All over the world, the 800 partner dealers of Steelcase meet high standards of quality and performance. However, those dealers who have been awarded the accolade of Platinum Partner by Steelcase – a programme created in 2015 – stand out from the others in terms of the investment they make in their growth, their health and their business in order to deliver exceptional added value to the people and spaces they guide and advise on. Lire plus
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The Future by the Future
Millennials – and how they want to work – have been making headlines for years. But, as Gen Z starts entering the workforce and the war for talent tops the list of what keeps leaders up at night, the question becomes: How does the workforce of tomorrow envision the future of work?How do future generations want to work? Ask these students.
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5 Reasons Teams Struggle
To better understand their challenges, Steelcase recently studied teams in Europe, the Middle East and North America. Here’s what we discovered. Lire plus
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A New Kind of Work
Many teams today are adopting design thinking methodologies and agile behaviors to structure their work. By understanding their activities and behaviors, we can design spaces to help these teams work in new ways. Lire plus
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New Work. New Rules.
How hyper-collaboration is redefining teamwork and me work? Why Teams? Why Now? Speed. Complexity. Disruption. These are the things companies need to deal with every day if they want to survive and grow. They have to innovate — and this requires a culture that fosters a new breed of hyper-collaborative teams. Lire plus
Realisations
Looking for new space ?
Tobania, the 100% Belgian Business & Technology Consulting firm that specialises in digital transformation and solutions, is experiencing a real spurt in growth. And growth means hiring new staff and hence the creation of new offices that reflect the image of this young and dynamic company. Lire plus
Realisations
KPMG at the gates of Brussels Airport: the Best Place to Work!
More and more prestigious companies are setting up in the immediate vicinity of major airports. This is the case of the new headquarters of KPMG. The auditing, accounting and consulting firm occupies nine floors of the PassPort Building of Brussels Airport, in fact. Designed and equipped by Alternativ, the offices give pride of place to the quality of life at work and to ecology, without forgetting modern technologies, however. The breath-taking view of the runways gives employees wing! Lire plus
Realisations
Stay faithful to your values!
This one of the credos adhered to by Alternativ, whose professionalism and creativity have won over many a client. Like Yves Smeets, General Manager of Santhea, which again entrusted us with designing and fitting out an office space of 400 m2 in Avenue des Dessus-de-Lives à Loyers at the Namur Office Park. Lire plus
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What types of workspaces do you intend using?
Creating workspaces that provide inspiration is good for the health of staff, customers and businesses generally. But workspaces need to be designed to suit the type of work that will be carried out in them. Which stresses the importance of catering for a wide range of fit-outs and designs in your office. For instance, you’re likely to need space for a War Room, corpoworking, a lab and so on. To enable you to properly understand how these new concepts can be incorporated into your offices, Lire plus
Realisations
The issue is communication
The Trenker pharmaceuticals group is one of those family stories that we all love. An independent, versatile company that looks ahead fearlessly to the future. So, to deal with the fast-growing volume in the production of dietary supplements, Trenker decided in October 2017 to bring together its three operating companies at a new location based in Nivelles. The move provided an opportunity to create a new working environment designed and implemented by Alternativ in which interpersonal communica Lire plus
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And what if Agile Working was meant for you?
What is Agile Working? The word “agile” means: quick-minded, lively. Insert it into the world of work and agile can mean responding more quickly, can’t it? That’s right. In fact, Agile methods are defined as taking an iterative approach to work (i.e. making progress by repetition rather than in a linear way) and being incremental (bringing added value to every “scrap” of a project). It’s an empirical and flexible method that involves the client from the beginning to the end of t Lire plus
Realisations
The Tree of Life: more than just a symbol!
We spend a huge amount of time at the place where we work. So, that being the case, we really need to feel good when we are there. Everyone agrees that psychological wellbeing has an impact on individual and collective performance. Which is why, at the request of BAM Contractors, Alternativ took on the assignment to turn the company’s reception area into a bustling, pleasant and inspiring place. Lire plus
Realisations
LolaLiza : How do you boost creativity?
By daring to use change as a springboard for renewal! Ever-responsive, the Belgian fashion brand, LolaLiza, has just played a real master card by investing in a new head office, closer to Rue Neuve, the retail nerve centre of Brussels, where all of the company staff now work on the same floor… Lire plus
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How does biophilia influence work at the office?
Biophilia is a concept based on inviting nature inside a living space, an office. The latest fad? Absolutely not. Several studies have shown the positive impact introducing natural elements in the office on the well-being and productivity of the employees. A word of explanation. Lire plus
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