La Parisienne Headquarters, Paris

This full floor work space was designed for the oldest insurance company in France. A very specific brief had been put together by the client, where they desired a ‘peaceful, see-through and fresh’ space that would not only respond to contemporary work practices but also allow new, and at times unexpected, team interactions.

Studio Razavi Architecture created a variety of work nodes that would allow teams different setups specifically tailored to their procedures (at times highly confidential) as an insurance company. The materials used were not common for workspaces and the designers used them sensibly to establish a core identity, combining wood, carpet and glass partitions. Pine was the wood of choice because of its imperfections. Natural lighting was used as much as possible along with generous felt covered surfaces to provide an acoustically efficient environment. ‘Program islands’ were placed right in the centre of the floor plan, concealing the existing structure and creating space for a reception, stand-up meeting rooms and storage.