A colourful and harmonious new workplace for DB Schenker
DB Schenker offers global transport, warehousing and logistics solutions. When the company’s Malmö offices needed a complete renovation, DB Schenker turned to AJ Products to plan, furnish and decorate the premises. The new office has workspaces for over 100 employees as well as new conference rooms and a large, modern canteen area. From the new breakroom, employees can grab a cup of coffee while watching the conveyors where thousands of packages are loaded each day.
"We needed both to renovate and to refurbish the premises", says Malin Gejde, QRE Manager at DB Schenker. The renovation was carried out in three stages in collaboration with architect Linda Kärrstedt, culminating in major changes to the workplace and a successful end result. Prior to the renovation, employees worked in small separate offices. Now, most of the staff are in open-plan workspaces decorated in Nordic tones, such as white and beige, with plenty of light.
An acoustic solution
"Given that most of our staff were not accustomed to working in open plan offices, noise reduction was an important feature for us. We wanted to create a harmonious soundscape that would be undisturbed by the background noise that can often be a problem in open workspaces but would instead encourage cooperation and a sense of community", explains Malin.
To solve the noise problem, AJ Products developed an innovative and unique solution. Acoustic panels with a dark grey fabric finish were attached to the back of the white storage cabinets that were to double up as room dividers for the large open space. The sound absorbing panels mute irritating background noise and also act as a smart interior detail that highlights the modern Nordic design.
A focus on meeting areas and social spaces
Another of the requests from DB Schenker was for plenty of meeting rooms and social spaces. AJ Products furnished all of the conference rooms and even developed a special solution in the form of a height-adjustable conference table paired with bar stools. The new conference table is ideal for active standing meetings and has been so successful that it has since become part of AJ Products main product range! "One of our employees had recently attended a standing meeting at another company and was very keen on the idea. AJ Products came up with a great solution to meet our requirements", says Malin.
A colourful canteen
Malin’s favourite part of the new workplace is the large canteen area. The room is airy with high ceilings and large white tables surrounded by modern chairs in shades of green and yellow. A lot of the furniture throughout the office features the same colour scheme to create a uniform look. "It feels very well thought-out and there is a red line that runs throughout the entire workplace", says Malin. In the breakroom, there are comfortable lounge chairs as well as high bar stools overlooking the loading area where packages big and small roll down the conveyors on the start of their journey. "The new décor is a huge boost for us because the old workplace was looking very tired. It is much nicer now and we’re very happy", says Malin.
