ELECTROLUX INNOVATION FACTORY

DEGW tackled this intriguing Industry 4.0 project by enhancing the site’s industrial appearance (and hence holding onto the premise’s most valuable features, such as the original vaults and floor) and contaminating it with the flexibility and “sleekness” of contemporary collaborative processes. 

Various thematic and business areas have their own bespoke and, at the same time, interlaced configurations in one spacious setting constructed out of just a few basic materials (concrete, glass, rough wood, sheet metal and synthetic/natural greenery) used for all the space’s surfaces, finishes and furniture. 

The layout, in sequence from the entrance, is: the self-service coffee bar area with adjacent kitchen area; the relaxation area with a showcase-gazebo whose wooden structure accommodates various functions within a homely-designed wireframe; a creative area on a synthetic lawn with a real tree in the middle casting shadow over simple seats surrounded by mobile open-shelved backdrops; an operating area with 24 open workstations and a more sheltered start-up area with 8 workstations. The sequence is completed by a conference area in the shape of a sauna and in informal flexy area. A wooden terrace extends from the creative area to the mansard “Terrace” with enclosed booths for concentrating in privacy set behind an expanded metal balustrade overlooking the laboratory below: a 250 m² “lab” where you can explore high-speed prototyping, 3-D printing and other systems such as COBOTS and wearable devices for workers at Electrolux factories. 

Exposed plants and systems, untreated surfaces and materials, openings, transparency and movable lightweight furniture make this Innovation Factory a “rugged” space that is both warm and sophisticated, where all the operations functionally and visually combine into a contaminated and flexible whole, which, with just a few simple adjustments, can be adapted to various needs: both present and future, because the project has left number of openings towards other adjacent spaces to cater for potential extensions. 

In the words of Giovanni Pacini, Global Director Digital Industrial Operations Electrolux: “The DEGW team grasped the spirit of the project perfectly and right from the start was equally enthusiastic about our challenge: creating the innovation Factory is a real enterprise and big gamble for our group. It was exciting to convert - in just a few months - this old abandoned factory into the vibrant and energised space it is today: ready to inspire and accommodate leading minds and provide the chance to focus together on a collaborative, digital future!” 

Photo credits: DEGW