Avalanche Studios
Stockholm and New York. Despite global success with games like Mad Max, the Just Cause series, the Hunter and Renegade Ops, a significant start-up mentality has prevailed in the office.
- Client
- Avalanche Studios
- Location
- Kv Nattugglan, Södermalm, Stockholm
- Project start
- 2013
- Project complete
- 2015
- Photographer
- Per Kristiansen
- Project size
- 3 000 sqm
- Lighting design
- Node Ljusdesign
- Architect
- Studio Stockholm
The premises did not reflect the greatness of the brand, and the wonderful staff that have made the company so successful did not have the ultimate working environment. Something that we changed when we were assigned this project was to develop a completely new concept for the company’s new premises in Södermalm.
Challenge
- Designing an inspiring, creative world-class workplace that reflects Avalanche Studios’ premium brand and the genre in which they operate in: open world.
- Find the right premises that will live up to the company’s high standards for location, technology and security.
- A requirement of being able to control both daylight and artificial light.
- Must have many functions in a limited area.
- This is the first time the company is investing in improving their work environment and taking a firm stance on their office design.
- Identify a new position and with the help of the new office transfer the brand from a start-up mentality to a premium one.
- Create an office where the concept will endure over time and evolve together with the employees.
Process
- Help with the building search and evaluation of the premises according to the industry’s requirements for ventilation, cooling, electricity, equipment and safety.
- Offer strategic assistance with the contract for the premises.
- Perform analytical work to map the employees’ personalities, values and sources of inspiration.
- Transform Avalanche Studios’ familial atmosphere and rock attitude into the physical environment. Create a pimped futuristic dystopia with a twist of rock star style.
- Design office workstations that consist of pods where game developers work in groups of 12.
- Design an open floor plan with many social spaces for meetings and creative discussions.
- Create shared collection shelves where employees can display their inspirational gadgets.
- Create a design that is characterised by physical materials, in contrast to Avalanche’s digital world.
Result
- An office as big and dynamic as the company’s games.
- A strong and personal office concept that distinguishes itself from other gaming companies in the industry and reflects Avalanche Studios’ values, history and future visions.
- A rough and permissive environment based entirely on the employees’ values. The employees embody the whole culture and identity of Avalanche – the grass roots are the inspiration for the concept.
- The studio’s employees are very positive about their new office.Efficiency has increased thanks to a flexible and dynamic approach.
- The project was nominated for the competition “Sweden’s best-designed office in 2016”.
