The software company Trimble will be one of the first companies to move in OOPS in autumn 2021 when the office building developed by NCC will be opened in Hatsinanpuisto, Leppävaara. Trimble’s new headquarters is made to measure as a partnering project using the very latest digital tools in construction.
Headquartered in Tapiola since 2003, Trimble launched their new office project about four years ago. The new HQ was approached from the necessity to match the spaces with the employee growth rate and new business activities.
”It was evident that the old spaces no longer supported our activity and processes. We knew more space would be necessary for us all to fit under the same roof,” Managing Director Timo Keinänen says.
There will be over 10,000 square metres of space in the software company’s new headquarters. The company’s 450 employees are already looking forward to moving, and the expectations are high. The joint journey has been a long and interesting one.
”It’s exciting to see how everything planned will materialise the day we first enter the doors,” Keinänen contemplates.
Trimble’s 450 employees will move in OOPS’ new office spaces. Photo: Trimble
Trimble partners up with NCC
Trimble’s personnel participate in the planning work from the start. According to Project Manager Minna Arola, a questionnaire was first arranged to chart where the employees lived and where they wanted to work. Before long, a decision was made to stay in Espoo.
”We drew a circle with a 10 km radius to narrow down the search. We long-listed about ten alternative sites which we started to examine based on an accessibility analysis where one of the selection criteria was the time spent commuting by different modes of transport. We also made a space demand analysis to understand how much, and what kind of space would be required,” Keinänen and Arola say.
The above-mentioned tools allowed to narrow down the search even more, and the process came to a point where the company must decide whether to have an entirely new building for themselves or become a part of a larger entity. When the decision was made in 2019, the criteria that weighed more in the basket were, besides location, the modifiability, cost efficiency and quality of spaces as well as the sustainability aspects. The final acceptance had to be obtained from the parent company ‘across the pond’, after which the company was ready to partner up with the experienced and forward-minded partner.
”This is how we picked NCC’s development project OOPS, which was a perfect match with our values,” Keinänen summarises.
OOPS is located by the green banks of the Monikonpuro brook in Leppävaara. Photo: NCC
The VR headset opens a whole new dimension to site operations
According to Keinänen and Arola, the co-operation with NCC has been beneficial since it has offered interesting new opportunities in the field of construction. The partnership with NCC’s VDC (Virtual Design and Construction) Team has meant an exploration to testing and using new technology applications, software, and digital tools, some of them even for the first time in the whole world.
”New technologies can be used to simulate reality and create digital models in support of planning and design, construction and maintenance at all phases. Such tools have better analytics and data management features than manual processes. All this has required years of work, owing to which the new tools are mobile and easy to use,” Arola describes.
The Trimble XR10 VR headset was adopted for the first time in Finland at NCC’s office construction site.
As a good example he brings up the Trimble XR10 VR headset which was first introduced at a construction site in Finland by NCC, at the very OOPS site. The VR headset opens a totally new and user-friendly dimension to visualising site designs.
Office spaces are built for the employees
Trimble’s office solutions were made already in the pre-corona times, but they remain fully feasible and in compliance with the designs. Although remote work will increase in popularity in the post-corona era, the employees must still have a reason to come to the workplace.
Trimble’s personnel are actively involved in the design of their new office. Photo: Trimble
”Nowadays people are drawn to the office, above all, to meet the work mates whereas earlier they came for the work only. I’m convinced new spaces will add to the draw, since they lend themselves flexibly to many different working modes and demands,” Arola says.
The personnel are included in the change process from the beginning by inviting them to workshops, team work and discussions about how to furnish the video room, arrange service paths, organise the removal and many other matters related to the spaces. Before the pandemic broke out, weekly Friday meetings were held with the Finnish ‘pulla’ catering to include everybody in the discussion about the new office. Nowadays similar occasions are held via Google Meet with equally high numbers of participation, according to Arola.
Keinänen and Arola agree that the office plays an important role both from the business and recruitment point of view. ”When you want to have the best employees and talent, attractive workspaces are a competitive asset, among other things,” Keinänen concludes.
Timo Keinänen and Minna Arola Photo: Trimble
TOP 5 at OOPS:
- location, accessibility
- brand value, visibility, prominence
- modifiability of spaces, room for future growth
- sustainability aspects
- wide range of services, everyday flexibility
Read more at oopsespoo.fi