Lenovo Group relocates its UK headquarters to a vibrant business district. Not only does the new facility provide employees and customers with state-of-the-art facilities, but it is also a testament to sustainable and innovative design and construction practices that reflect Lenovo's values and commitment to a responsible and eco-conscious future.
Design: Area
Address: Farnbrough, United Kingdom
Area: 1,839 sqm
When: 2023
Photo by Area
Tags: Sustainability, Lenovo, Sustainability, Green Building Certifications & Exemplars, Social Values, Lenovo, Unique Architectural Style, Collaboration, Brand Presentation
Lenovo Group relocates its UK headquarters to the vibrant Farnborough Business Park. The new premises not only provide state-of-the-art facilities for employees and customers, but also offer stunning panoramic views of Farnborough Airport. This case is presented by the Area design team.
As the lease approached expiration, Lenovo began exploring options for relocating its offices. The recent global pandemic has prompted them to re-evaluate the way they operate and recognize that their pre-pandemic practices are no longer meeting the changing needs and preferences of their employees.
Lenovo had worked with the Area design team to renovate their former office in Basingstoke, so they were confident in the design team's expertise to once again transform their new headquarters in Farnborough into a vibrant, forward-thinking workplace.
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Incorporate a unique architectural style and location
The striking façade of the Sir Norman Foster-designed headquarters is a source of inspiration in its own right. The building blends perfectly with the aviation-focused environment of the Farnborough area. This visual metaphor of flight and innovation became the foundational theme concept of the design, permeating every aspect of the office's aesthetics and function.
Lenovo's headquarters building was divided into east and west wings, which created a design challenge for the design team. The designer's main concern was that employees might naturally isolate themselves in separate wings, limiting interaction and collaboration between cross-functional departments.
To enhance cross-team collaboration and interaction, the designers strategically placed a large pantry on one side and a small pantry on the other. This deliberate arrangement encourages people to move naturally between the two sides. In addition, the print area is deliberately only set up on one side, which further stimulates the flow between the two wings, promotes more chance encounters and exchanges, and stimulates innovation and collaboration.
By taking advantage of the building's unique architectural attributes and the appeal of its aviation-centric location, the designers were able to address the potential isolation issues and enhance the overall appeal of the office. Lenovo's new headquarters presents an innovative layout that not only encourages connectivity, but also reflects the local environment, enhancing the overall employee experience.
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Incorporate Lenovo's brand identity into your workspace
As a well-known brand, Lenovo's vision for its new headquarters was to seamlessly integrate its brand into the environment. As a result, in the reception area, a striking luminous LED logo warmly welcomes employees and visitors, setting the tone for the brand's presence in the workplace.
In order to make people think of Lenovo's brand without making the whole space seem too oppressive, the designers carefully curated a color palette that harmonized with Lenovo's current brand. This color transitions from dark gray to subtle purple, infusing the environment with a softer, more welcoming vibe. The clever colour palette of grey pink, light blue and grey creates a warm, vibrant atmosphere. In order to maintain a strong connection with Lenovo's brand image without compromising the overall aesthetic, the designers strategically added "striking red" accents throughout the space, which is one of Lenovo's brand colors. These reds adorn the entire space, ensuring a unique association with the Lenovo brand without over-flooding the red, keeping the overall workspace calm, harmonious and stylish.
To divide the seating area, the designers used pink and light blue felt panels made of PET compressed plastic. These felt panels have sound-absorbing properties that create a calm, relaxing atmosphere. Designed with Lenovo's unique alpha pattern as the theme, the felt panels serve as decorative partitions for spaces without forming physical barriers, echoing the essence of the Lenovo brand – the open and collaborative atmosphere they create resonates with Lenovo's mission to encourage interaction and diverse ways of working.
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Committed to sustainability: Minimize environmental impact
Sustainability is at the heart of Lenovo's global strategy, impacting everything from products to operations and workspaces. With a strong sustainability and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) strategy, Lenovo is committed to being a socially and environmentally responsible organization in all aspects of its work.
By choosing a building partner who shares Lenovo's philosophy, Lenovo ensures that their office space not only reflects its brand, but also serves as a model for sustainable design and construction. As a B Corp company, Area's commitment to sustainability aligns with Lenovo's values. Area firmly believes that promoting energy-saving, labor-saving, and material-saving campaigns is a fundamental responsibility of the company. To uphold this commitment, the design team prioritizes principles such as durability, reuse, remanufacturing, and recycling. These practices guarantee the indispensability of products, components and materials in the circular economy, reducing waste and environmental impact.
"With Lenovo's UK operations growing further, our move marks an exciting next step for Lenovo. We want to make it a smarter workplace for all and give our team a space to be creative. The fantastic work that Area has done in designing and delivering our office spaces has given us a sense of purpose and belonging. Stephen Higgins, Director of EMEA Real Estate, Lenovo Group
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Sustainable development through a partnership with the organization "Waste to Wonder".
In partnership with Waste to Wonder, the project has achieved remarkable results in the reuse of used equipment and furniture. Waste to Wonder specializes in the recycling and reuse of products, freeing them from landfills, resulting in significant environmental and social benefits.
Waste to Wonder's mission is to minimize the environmental impact of discarded products. Through innovative recycling and upcycling processes, they avoid a range of items ending up in landfills, significantly reducing the carbon footprint associated with waste disposal. This aligns with the design's focus on climate protection and further demonstrates the designer's commitment to eco-friendly design and architectural practices.
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Social Impact: Empowering communities through education
In collaboration with Waste to Wonder, the designers have further committed to sustainable practices in conjunction with the "School in the Box" initiative. This initiative ensures that the positive impact of our work extends far beyond the office space. Our shared mission is to provide unused desks and furniture to schools in need.
The items, valued at around £320,000, have found new uses in Joint Action for Children in Cameroon. In addition to the material value, this initiative also saves 35 tons of carbon, which is very commendable. This initiative not only frees reusable furniture from potential waste, but also ensures that educational institutions have access to the furniture they need for free, creating a conducive learning environment.
This successful partnership demonstrates Area's commitment to diverting waste from landfills while making the most of it to make a positive impact on the community. Its significance goes beyond the immediate scope of the project's construction and demonstrates the shared belief that sustainable development should improve the lives of individuals and communities.
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To be a beacon of sustainable design
Lenovo's new headquarters is located in a BREEAM Excellence certified building with SKA Gold certification for its interior environment, demonstrating its commitment to sustainable practices from design to construction.
The SKA rating system includes more than 100 best practice criteria across a wide range of sustainability categories, including energy, CO2 emissions, waste management, water use, material selection, pollution control, well-being considerations, and transport strategies.
Lenovo's new headquarters received this certification as a reflection of the highest standards of sustainable design and construction adherence by all participating teams. These certifications also show that Lenovo's new headquarters is not only a great place to work, but also a beacon of sustainable practices and environmental responsibility.
In the face of the acceleration of global environmental degradation and climate change, sustainable design has become one of the essential solutions to discuss environmental problems and respond to the planetary crisis. As designers, we not only need to create one work of art after another, but we also have a forward-thinking vision to play an important role in global sustainability.
"Design is a social act of designers, and it should have the nature of social ethics. ”
At the end of the 60s of the 20th century, the American design theorist Victor Papanak published "Design for the Real World", which put forward the concept of design ethics.
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