Often having mixed purposes and priorities, offices require designers to really put their thinking caps on to create a space that is both visually pleasing and a business success. Vera Sant Fournier dug deep to unearth the needs of the Laferla Insurance employees, because, she tells Ramona Depares, their new office surroundings could be their primary source of motivation.

Designing functional and aesthetic work premises is not the straightforward business that designing a home may be. With different interested parties creating different needs, designer Vera Sant Fournier knew that she’d have to think out of the box to create something beautiful that promoted an efficient work ethic when she started focusing on the new Laferla Insurance offices.

Every staff member answered questions such as: what they needed and expected from their work station; what they needed at hand; which items they used frequently

“Most people are not necessarily always aware of their surroundings, but our subconscious does absorb everything. This is why even the design and layout of an office can contribute to the success or otherwise of a business. In order to promote efficiency and motivation, the staff is a definite priority to keep in mind when designing a work space,” Vera explains.

This is exactly how she approached this particular project. Situated in Valletta, this was already a key element to the brief: the building’s façade was a landmark in itself, a point of reference that many visitors to the city recognise immediately.

“I did not want to lose this element. The idea was to give the building a complete renovation, modernising it while remaining true to its location. We had to update the electrics and plumbing, the safety and accessibility and I wanted people entering Valletta to wonder about the building; to want to visit it. I believe I managed to achieve this; the stunning interiors are immediately visible through the glass at ground level on Old Bakery Street, and many people wonder about the building as soon as they get a glimpse.”

The biggest challenge to achieve Vera’s vision involved stripping all the interiors to the ground and discovering what lay beneath the surface. Considering the age of the building, a few surprises were to be expected. However, these were quickly resolved by the team of experts that the designer brought in for the purpose.

As happens all too often in Malta, and particularly in Valletta, one of the main problems involved the effects of dampness and humidity, which had been accumulating in the walls over the years. The issue was resolved after numerous brainstorming sessions, and once this was out of the way, the foundation for the design could start being taken forward.

“After sitting with the client to absorb their vision, needs and wants, I came up with a concept that involved an open-plan layout full of natural light. The latter was achieved by installing glass apertures from the ground level up to the mezzanine, using the corporate colour to keep it relevant to the company identity. The end result was elegant, contemporary and practical,” Vera says.

However, the final concept was only kicked off after Vera sat down with every member of staff, getting them to answer questions such as: what they needed and expected from their work station; what they needed close at hand; which items they used frequently to execute their work. Her research went as far as to take into account décor preferences and individual ideas about the concept.

“Finally, each piece was custom-designed by myself and built locally by Fino. Once I had the input from the staff and the directors, I was ready to produce the designs and plan each piece to fit the criteria. Without this step, I would not have been able to produce a project that met the requirements of both management and staff.”

The building itself is set on ground level and a mezzanine; the latter is characterised by custom-designed shelving that stretches the whole length of the office. Because of the particular nature of the business, which requires a very efficient filing system for the insurance policies, Vera made sure that a storage solution was implemented within the concept.

“The staff needed to be able to keep soft copies of insurance policies handy, so I designed three sliding panels in front of the shelving to break the monotony of straight lines and visible files. These three sliding panels sport visible stainless steel fittings, each measuring approximately 1.4 metres, to allow staff to modify the layout of the shelving according to their needs. No matter the positioning of these panels, the aesthetic aspect remains intact.”

Questions to keep in mind when designing office space

• Start out by making a list of priorities that are particular to your own business.

• Will the space be receiving visitors, or is it just for staff?

• What are the main duties of the staff?

• Is there anything that can help the staff perform their responsibilities more efficiently?

• How can you use décor, furnishing and lighting to motivate them?

• What tools or machinery does the staff need and how are these best positioned to ensure practical task execution?

• How can the space be made more inviting and pleasing to visitors, while bearing in mind the ethos and nature of the business?