Volkswagen D’Ieteren Finance, Kortenberg Project

Grow by working in cross-functional teams as part of a long-term partnership

Volkswagen D'Ieteren Finance is a joint venture between D'Ieteren (the Belgian importer of the Volkswagen Group's car brands) and Volkswagen Financial Services (the Volkswagen Group's global financial services provider).

VDFIN‘s management wanted to move their 200 employees to the Kortenberg site and introduce a new way of working. With a view to :

• Implement the hybrid and activity-based working model within the company.
• Create workspaces that reflect the company’s values and objectives.
• Provide the best possible support for the activities of the various employees and business lines of today and tomorrow.
• Stand out from the crowd, be modern and assert their identity.
• Stimulate exchange, interaction and collaboration between employees.
• Develop more connections with the D’Ieteren Group.

With this in mind, we set ourselves the task of :

• Analyse the way in which VDFIN worked.
• Define the vision & ambitions of their future way of working.
• Define the concept, the programme, the moodboards.
  What activity should be carried out where and why?
  What surface area is needed for each type of activity?
  Which area needs to have the right atmosphere and energy level?
• Define the gap between the current and future way of working.
• Create support for the new way of working at all levels of the company.
• Design the interior fittings for the new site (macro and micro concepts, 3D, materialization).
• Design the directional and decorative signage.
• Monitor the site.
• Acquiring values, with the aim of having a common language with D’Ieteren Automotive.

To create and implement this new way of working, it was extremely important to define a shared vision and involve all employees. But also to create mental, physical and virtual environments that are aligned with each other and in harmony with the vision, values, culture and needs of Volkswagen D’Ieteren Finance as well as the requirements of the market.

Out Of Office’s ambition has been to ensure that every employee feels at home at VDFin and thrives by working in cross-functional teams as part of a sustainable collaboration (empowering employees, taking ownership of work, taking initiative, stimulating a forward-looking mindset, bringing together expertise, open communication, inclusion and diversity, retaining expertise, attracting high potentials).

From a design point of view, the project is structured around different types of space, some open for collaboration, others closed for individual work and meetings.

The collaborative spaces have been treated with three different atmospheres to link form to function and energy level. There is the “Connection Space” (dynamic, industrial, trendy, created with wood, metal and tiles), the “Team Space” (cosy, creative, focused on work, created with wood, carpets and fabrics), and the “Spiritual Space” (calm, concentration, softness, created with wood, carpets and curtains).

These three atmospheres are connected by “the Line”. A long corridor crossed the building from one side to the other. We decided to use this architectural feature of the building as a pretext for experimenting with it. The floors, walls and ceilings are treated differently depending on the zone you are in (materials, lighting, colours, specific atmospheres for each zone). The corridor is also punctuated by vertical elements that give it structure.

Finally, there are a number of enclosed spaces. These include meeting rooms, phone booths and closed offices. We gave the enclosed spaces a unique, more minimalist treatment, with small details that change according to the zone. Curtains for extra privacy, and always small glass openings to keep things connected.

In collaboration with D’Ieteren Immo.