The Finnish Geospatial Research Institute (FGI) conducts the kind of research that places particular demands on the working environment. When the institute grew too big for its premises in Masala, Kirkkonummi, it found a new location in Otaniemi, Espoo. The new premises include specialised spaces, for example, for calibration activities and research related to self-driving cars. Collaboration with other research institutes is easier now that the premises offer more flexibility when needed.

The Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) no longer needed all the space it had at its old facilities in Espoo, and the facilities were also in need of modernisation. Fortunately, it found new facilities only 400 metres away. GTK wants a pleasant workplace to promote its personnel’s wellbeing and to express its world-class expertise.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment wanted to renew its ways of working and use space more efficiently. Combining four locations under one roof on Aleksanterinkatu brings significant cost savings.

Statistics Finland’s premises had become too large, so the nine storeys of individual offices in Kalasatama were reduced to a couple of storeys of open-plan space. The 700 employees now have a modern, light-filled activity-based environment, with work stations for various purposes.

The State Treasury and the Finnish Patent and Registration Office wanted to update their working methods and improve space utilisation. Now their new type of multi-locational work environment is the envy of others. Moving to the same premises and using shared services considerably reduced costs.

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd has launched its operations at the nuclear safety house gradually. The house was built using the Senate Properties key project model.

Activity-based spaces bring radical changes to the way we work. Perhaps the most visible change is the paperless office. Almost all documents, archives and even some meetings are moving into the digital world.

The staff at the Ministry of Justice were involved in the participatory work environment development project. The abandonment of boundaries is reflected in the atmosphere, and the operations run more smoothly.

A well-planned work environment makes working more efficient and enhances job satisfaction and general welfare at work.

The new arrangement of the work environment has made it easier to get to know colleagues and improved the atmosphere, communications and the team spirit – and it has meant saying goodbye to paper documents.