The challenge
Allen & Overy has been a prominent name in the legal profession for over 40 years. Its Belgian headquarters is located in the heart of Brussels, operating from a beautiful, old monastery building. Although the monastery was renovated about 15 years ago, it no longer meets the demands of hybrid work. The organization wanted to explore different scenarios and, based on our study, decide whether to renovate or stay. In any case, the goal was to create a more open working environment that would foster collaboration and knowledge exchange. The traditional workplace concept had to be seriously reconsidered. As leadership in law firms is shared among the partners, brainmove developed a customized methodology, specifically focusing on engaging and activating the partners.
Our approach
brainmove began by developing a clear vision for the desired new way of collaboration. We organized several inspirational sessions with the partners. These sessions encouraged the partners to discuss employees’ expectations and the strategic importance of a new workplace concept. We prompted them to reflect on the importance of the work environment through strategic, thought-provoking questions. Through a profiling exercise, we were able to objectify office activities, average occupancy, and peak load periods. Visualizing the expected workplace occupancy always has a clarifying effect. Our data analysis led to an objective discussion about the feasibility of a more flexible approach to the work environment. brainmove then analyzed and evaluated the possibilities of the current building. This involved truly “out-of-the-box” thinking, exploring far-reaching proposals such as relocating the entrance, rethinking the entire interior structure, and moving the cafeteria.
The result
The data we gathered enabled us to calculate several future scenarios. We took into account possible growth and developed a future-proof workplace mix. The partners were inspired by the possibilities of a new workplace concept and engaged in discussions around it. brainmove’s study allowed the client to make important decisions regarding the future of the old monastery. The framework for an innovative workplace concept was set.