NITO

NITO is Norway’s largest organization for engineers and technologists. NITO moved from Lakkegata in the Oslo suburb of Grønland, where the departments were spread across several floors and employees were tucked away in cubicles. A user analysis made it clear that their future workspaces had to facilitate openness and increased collaboration between employees and departments. The choice fell on the two top floors in Støperigata 1 in Vika in Oslo.

The employees are brought together by well designed, generous meeting places that are organized around the coffee bars on both floors, as well as a centrally situated internal staircase. The internal staircase is in the middle of the building and has been named ”the Oasis”. This is a common area that has the function to provide a break from the open office space, as well as give energy through its use of colours, materials and live plants. Here employees will find comfortable armchairs, and custom made benches, as well as a library with specialist literature. The oasis stretches from the fifth to the sixth floor and is marked by a two storey plant wall that ties together the two levels.

NITO’s expertise within technology, as well as a wish to use natural materials and a nordic expression, was the basis for the furniture and material concept. We were inspired by geometry in the patterns of nature, which materializes in the triangles that are a recuring shape in the custom made elements in the building. NITO cares about its members and wanted a warm and open expression, that was inviting and sober at the same time. We chose fresh colours and wood in the external zones, such as the reception and meeting centre, as well as internal common areas, while the rest of the building has a calm, warm colour palette.