Designing for a particular product to be showcased in a company’s workspace presents opportunities to weave something concrete – the product – into the larger fabric of a workspace.
Thales, a company developing cutting-edge aircraft connectivity and in-flight entertainment solutions for the aviation industry, asked A&D firm Ware Malcomb to help create an environment where both employees and clients can interact with the product and each other.
In a new 61,000 square foot building on Thales’ Irvine, California campus, Ware Malcomb sought to create that space by transforming the work environment into a dynamic space for a diverse work demographic, in particular a younger generation of engineers.
“We’ve worked with Thales for about 12 years previously, but this is a pretty big fundamental change for them,” said Ted Heisler, Vice President, Interior Architecture & Design of Ware Malcomb.
The new building is more “open office” than Thales had ever previously occupied. In their previous space, occupants were in 25% private office / 75% open, and now that ratio is at 10% private office / 90% open.
At the heart of the two-level office is a full service cafeteria with professional kitchen and work café, where employees can dine, hang out and collaborate. The work café includes a coffee bar and a bunch of seating options, and is a space that zeroes in on Thales’ intent to build a community at work.
“This work café is meant for people to meet internally,” said Mr. Heisler. “It’s a really dynamic space with a lot of soft seating where people can meet and work together informally. There’s a big group of engineers in this building; and many times engineers are not as collaborative, but this space is wired to create more interactive collaboration throughout the day.”
The new offices also house a Customer Experience Center, where Thales’ client base of major airlines are invited to participate and experience Thales’ solutions first-hand. The space is designed to accommodate Thales’ international clientele, enabling them to set up their own work space in small conference rooms, enjoy access to a coffee bar, snacks and refreshments, a business center and multicultural prayer room. The new space features product displays, video walls, and breakout lounge areas with flat screens.
The Customer Experience Center also includes a demonstration area that helps Thales show clients its services that enrich the travel experience; set elegantly into the middle of the space is a life-sized aircraft fuselage equipped with all of Thales’ newest solutions.
Ware Malcomb’s in-house branding studio put together a comprehensive branding package that fits Thales perfectly. The space features a cohesive design integrating “artwork made from legacy inflight entertainment airplane parts, Thales corporate colors for a connection to the brand, wayfinding signage reflecting the Thales vernacular, and an oceanic palate of blues, greens, and clean white emulating a Southern California aesthetic” – all flowing through the office environment, Customer Experience Center, lab, work café and outdoor patio.
“With the branding piece, we generated a lot of innuendo pointing towards flight and aviation, because it’s the heart of what they do,” said Mr. Heisler. And many of the solutions are interactive because the leadership wanted to continue to create a meaningful dialogue with employees.”
Ware Malcomb employed a seamless integration of people, product, and place for Thales – a workplace that indeed has the power to build a community and nurture innovation among young engineers and the diverse work groups that support them.
