Network-friendly office design for Huawei: “Vandebroek never said ‘no’.”

Brussels, the habitat of many European diplomats. In this setting, we also partnered with Mo Ka Design Studio. The challenge: the office interior design for the EU Public Affairs department of the electronics giant Huawei. A total renovation with a high sense of welcome.

Office design in function of meeting

“Central to the total renovation of this originally classic office was the idea of hospitality. As a future meeting place for European officials, we wanted to create an environment that invites people to work together,” explains Kris Swiggers, co-founder of Mo Ka Design Studio.

“Apart from the flooring and ceilings, nothing was retained from the existing interior.  Mainly luxurious materials were used, such as walnut wood, marble and bronze accents. These were complemented by greenery decoration.”

“Together with the new layout – we switched from smaller workspaces to a large open space and a central lounge lobby – we wanted to create a network-friendly environment.”

Top-level collaboration

“Given the status of the client, the location of the office building – right in one of Brussels’ top districts – and the fact that we like to challenge ourselves, we started to look for a partner who feels comfortable with such level of projects. That’s how we quickly got in touch with Vandebroek.”

“They reassured without hesitation, but in full modesty, that complex realizations are totally their cup of tea. This immediately appealed to us. Moreover, they are also very aware of what designers expect. And they also proved that during this project.”

“The designs were made by our internal design team. The interior designers of Vandebroek were responsible for the further technical elaboration and all works on site. From electrical wiring to the construction of new walls and complex custom-made furniture.”

"All of a sudden, the window had to be installed elsewhere."

This was definitely not an obvious project, Kris stresses. “During the works – which lasted barely six weeks – the office employees remained on site. So there was quite a bit of morning and evening work involved to disturb them as little as possible. We also had to divide the works into two three-week phases. In between, employees moved from one side of the office to the other.”

“Moreover, during the works we suddenly had to reorganize ourselves. A door and inner window had to change places at the very last minute. Vandebroek handled this very flexibly.”

“We also noticed this flexibility in the daily collaboration with our firm. No matter how demanding our designs were, they never said no. Apart from a few structural, invisible adjustments, everything went 100% according to design.”

"Thinking along cost-effectively"

“Throughout the project, we managed to respect the pre-set budget. Also for this, we could rely on Vandebroek’s creative input. So – if necessary – they suggested a number of interesting and more affordable alternatives, but with the same high-quality feel to them.”

“An example of this was the interior lining of the custom-made wall cabinets. Initially, the client wanted fabric interior walls. At Vandebroek, however, they pointed out to us that this solution was very pricey and also very difficult to maintain. They convinced us to choose a special laminate version that fitted perfectly within the overall concept.”

“The same goes for the interior doors.  The original fake wood look was replaced by a walnut veneer covering. This was more economical than installing completely new doors and has a similar quality look. Finally, the floating sideboard in the kitchen was also reinforced invisibly, because we were a bit worried about its stability. Vandebroek solved this very nicely without losing the intended effect.”

“We are very pleased with a partner who looks beyond the technical plans and continues to look for opportunities until the project is completely finished.”

An overview of the works:

• Electrical works
• Installation + finishing of the walls
• Refacing of the doors
• Floating sideboard in the kitchen
• Wall cabinets with special laminate covering
• Installation of glass sections
• Production and installation of a central counter

How can we bring your office interior to new heights?

At Vandebroek we have tons of experience in office design. What we stand for: craftsmanship, a heart for carpentry, flexibility and thinking along until the very last step. Now we would like to hear your story. How can we prove our added value for your project? Contact us and we will be happy to schedule a first encounter.

Photo Credits: Evenbeeld / Mo Ka Design Studio