AstraZeneca creates a wellbeing-first work environment

The global, science-led biopharmaceutical company has installed the latest generation of living walls from Finnish indoor nature technology company, Naava, as part of the workplace-wellbeing-first design of its new relocated offices to the business and innovation hub of Espoo’s Keilaniemi region.

One major goal of the relocation was to reinforce AstraZeneca’s community culture by attracting people back to more frequent on-site work as part of a continued hybrid work model. This attraction extends to the offices’ nature-inspired interior, purposefully designed to promote comfort and wellbeing by harnessing biophilic design’s stress-relieving, productivity-enhancing effects.

The biophilic interior includes 11 green walls located in larger communal areas and meeting rooms, and as functional space dividers between work zones. The walls’ living plants purify the air, removing harmful chemicals to give an indoor air quality equivalent to that of the Nordic forest, as well as providing calming, stress-relieving visual, ambient and acoustic stimuli.

Jaakko Viitala, Country Director for Finland at AstraZeneca commented: “We’re proud to unveil our new offices in Finland. We believe the site reflects the culture of our workforce, and our commitment to providing our people with the best possible working environments. The interior design and even the location itself were chosen after listening carefully to peoples’ preferences. As such, we’ve succeeded in creating a working environment where people feel happy and inspired, and their well-being is a priority.”

Eeva Niemelä, Head of Project Business & Design at Naava added: “As humans, we’re not biologically programmed to spend our lives indoors; we are naturally and instinctively an outdoor species, and our affinity with nature is in-built. It’s little wonder that when we spend so long confined to sterile, over-sanitised offices, our wellbeing begins to suffer. We become fatigued, our productivity is reduced, and our stress levels increase. Reconnecting people with nature indoors alleviates these effects; it is restorative, elevates our mood, and promotes the creative thinking we need to succeed in our daily work tasks.”

One interior design challenge was to create a balanced environment catering for different working styles. Employees wished for a combination of collaborative spaces and designated quiet thinking zones, with a free-flowing, natural transition between areas that still felt cohesive and inclusive.

Niemelä continued: “Most traditional office designs no longer meet the changing needs of employees, and are unable to accommodate new work behaviours. Naava worked closely with AstraZeneca to understand what working environments people find most comfortable. We then created several design iterations using 2D floor plans and 3D renderings to bring the ideas to life. The final design was implemented to create the most human-friendly environment possible.”

The office’s Keilaniemi location is itself a balance between technology and nature. The area is a business and high-tech hub, home to several of Finland’s most well-known global companies as well as many of its fastest-growing startups. In addition to its commercial importance, Keilaniemi’s scenic environment incorporates several walking and cycling paths, strengthening the location’s popularity with AstraZeneca’s employees.

Viitala said: “The office location is more attractive for many reasons. We’ve moved from overlooking a busy motorway to an area with sea views that is easily accessible on foot or by bike. These additional nature-inspired benefits all contribute to creating a workplace experience built on wellbeing, where our talented people can thrive. The new location is also very well connected, promoting the sense of community alongside other leading innovators.”

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