Transformation with a focus on eliminating wasted space and bringing employees together
NCC’s head office in Gladsaxe Company House, a building known for its sustainable profile and DGNB Platinum certification, has been rebuilt after the company experienced changing needs and therefore needed less desk space and more space for gathering. With the spread of working from home and many employees on construction sites, it became clear that five office floors were unnecessary. By introducing hot desking, it was possible to make do with three floors instead of five – and at the same time create a better framework for community and meeting places.
Previously, the five floors were not separated, and the building lacked natural gathering points. The solution was to enclose the central atrium two floors higher than before, thus creating both a functional and structural central element. KI was responsible for the load-bearing structures in the transformation project, including the closure of the atrium with a new deck that connects several floors and forms the framework for the building’s social gathering point.
Technical and logistical challenges
The transformation presented a number of technical challenges: complex geometry, existing conditions that did not always correspond to expectations, and the need to ensure high comfort in the interaction between new and old structures. We carried out advanced calculations and dynamic analyses of, among other things, the natural frequencies of the deck to avoid annoying vibrations and ensure optimal comfort.
The establishment of the new deck itself also placed great demands on logistics. Several of the steel rafters were both long and heavy, and it required careful planning to get them into the building. A crane was lifted into the building and used to hoist the elements into place – a solution that illustrates the close interaction between technical design and execution strategy.
Project manager Mikki Graffmann summarizes:
"This project has been a textbook example of why we love our work at KI. It requires professional immersion and the ability to see the project as a whole – and not least close cooperation with the client and partners to achieve the goal."
When collaboration creates value
At KI, we are proud of the trusting collaboration with NCC and the other parties, where professional respect and direct communication were key elements throughout the project. NCC's Henrik Maltha Kampmann put it this way:
"How great it is to have a competent project organization that understands how to work together, quickly, clearly and efficiently."
Thank you for the collaboration with NCC and Holbæk Ny Maskinværksted. It is together that the best solutions are created - and at KI we do not deliver the easiest solution, but the best. Our commitment to projects such as Gladsaxe Company House confirms our ambition to be among the industry's most skilled professionals, who create value through technical creativity, professional immersion and an uncompromising focus on quality.
Image credit: NCC, Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects and KI.
