Novo Nordisk
General Contractor — Vector Mais
Project — Vector Mais
Area — 600m²
Location — Quinta da Fonte
Founded in 1923 in Copenhagen, Novo Nordisk is a global healthcare company that employs more than 44.000 people in 80 offices and markets its products in 170 countries. For the renovation of its office in Quinta da Fonte, the pharmaceutical company hired Vector Mais to design, build, and supply furniture to offer local employees the best working conditions.
Following the company's internal guidelines, the renovated workspace includes three areas that complement each other: a quiet area where the employee performs individual activities in total concentration; a dynamic area where a team member can perform an individual action, but with the possibility of interaction with colleagues; and a collaboration area where users meet informally to work as a team.
These areas have adjoining lounge spaces, phone booths, and informal meeting spaces, contributing to a diversified space occupation and proactive use. Making a parallel between Lisbon and Copenhagen, the Vector Mais team developed a project that fuses Nordic minimalism with the warm tones of Portugal, creating a welcoming, functional and inspiring office. With lots of natural light, plants, and quality materials, the workspace offers a serene atmosphere, increasing employees' quality of life and productivity. Through great attention to detail, the development of bespoke carpentry solutions, and a careful selection of furniture and lighting, it was possible to create an office adapted to human needs, where comfort and well-being are fundamental factors.
Anja Salehar
General Contractor | Novo Nordisk Portugal
“We achieved this result because we worked with a partner who deeply understands the impact of space-person interaction and shares our values and ambitions for sustainability”.
How important is the new office?
The new office reflects two grand ambitions: on the one hand, that of living more and more the Novo Nordisk Way – the set of guiding principles that underpin all the decisions we make and define our culture; on the other, to fulfil our commitment to sustainability and implement, in every small decision, our environmental strategy Circular for Zero.
How do you assess the work of Vector Mais throughout the project?
We believe that now we have a working environment catalyzing better productivity, greater collaboration and more sustainability. We achieved this result because we worked with a partner who deeply understands the impact of space-person interaction and shares our values and ambitions for sustainability.
Vera Lucena
Interior Designer | Vector Mais
“The development of this project could not have been more exciting! The client has given us fantastic tools and an essential factor: trust. Undoubtedly, the initial empathy that turned into a relationship of solid trust between Novo Nordisk and the Vector Mais team was decisive for the success of the final result”.
What was the client's briefing, and how started the whole process?
Novo Nordisk, a Danish pharmaceutical company, came to us intending to carry out a profound change in the facilities it has occupied for about ten years. They presented us with a complete program, which mirrored the change they intended to make numerically. But it was when we studied the latest internal manual, developed to change the company's culture and optimise office use, we were amazed! The information in the document allowed us to understand the company's essence. From an organisational point of view, the corporate vision was aligned with the latest international trends, focusing on humanisation, flexibility, collaboration, and sharing of ideas to offer its employees a functional and comfortable space to perform their daily functions and activities. The interpretation of this universe was vital to develop the concept, which began to be structured in the blueprint, and later detailed with great enthusiasm.
What elements do you highlight in the project?
We believe that creating a stimulating and personalised atmosphere promotes users' physical and mental well-being, strengthening human and institutional ties. In our opinion, it is the first step for employees to adopt the company's goals and values naturally. It will be reflected in productivity in the future, while in the present, it can be felt in the teams' commitment, creativity, and motivation. In the case of Novo Nordisk, Quality and Sustainability were the two guiding principles for all decisions. From the outset, we ensured that the choice would fall on local and international suppliers that had a clear commitment to protecting the environment. The selection of materials and products was made with care, as always, but even more attentive. Floors, covering materials, ceilings, paints, partitions, furniture, lighting, fabrics and accessories all tell a conscious story of production and effort to achieve a circular economy.
