The new Amsterdam office of Diageo, global leader in spirits and beers, reflects their vision of ‘Celebrating life every day, everywhere’ by creating the ultimate experience of their brands and products and an atmosphere of creativity, passion and relaxation. Life in this office is set around the Diageo Celebration Street. It is the vibrant centre where everybody comes together. The perfect spot to experience the brands with all your senses by smelling, touching and tasting products. It’s an invitation into another world, where everybody is welcome, feels at home, can discover, learn, browse, interact and commit. Imagine a lively street with bars, shops, restaurants, clubs, offices and houses. That’s Diageo’s Celebration Street; with an amazing bar in the heart of the office, a square with terraces to meet your colleagues for a coffee in the morning or a cocktail at the end of the day. In the shop you can buy presents for your friends or organise tasting events. There are different venues for collaboration and connectivity with your colleagues. Depending on your needs, mood or work you can choose the best place that suits your activity at that moment. There are small and large break out rooms, phone and concentration booths, large sofas in a residential setting and train seats where you can hop on and off. The further you walk away from the main street, the quieter it gets and more privacy is provided. New workspace generation The Diageo office in Amsterdam is the perfect example of a new workspace generation. With a blend of spaces that houses more than only traditional office facilities. Well-being is of vital importance, knowing that work is more than just sitting behind a desk and having a meeting. The layout of the office contributes to this human-centred vision with an informal lively meeting area at the heart of the office, and more silence and privacy when approaching the outer areas. Based on the liveliness, vibrance and level of privacy, three zones can be identified. The colour palette in these zones reflect the activity and behaviour of people. There is an optimal blend of spaces that contribute to the improvement of work results, the concentration of the employee, the collaboration between teams and the socialisation amongst one another. The vibrance and liveliness of the Celebration street characterizes the high intensity of this area. As a result the bar, the shop and the living room are situated in this zone. These are the ideal spots for informal and larger meetings and events. The colour palette is a combination of different tones of red, pink and green. Red in particular is a very powerful colour that generates energy and inspiration. So the bar is the perfect location for a drink, chat, coffee, but also (in)formal townhall meetings. On both sides of the bar you find a passageway which serves as a pedestrian crossing. The wooden slats and seats on the side make you stop for a while to admire Johnnie Walker or you just ‘Keep Walking’. And of course there is the memory lane with the history of Diageo’s founders. The heritage of the 8 largest brands of the company are prominently displayed on the wall in wood. The types of wood refer to the different barrels used for each brand. A little further down the street you’ll find the co-working zones. With its fresh and bright colours like dark blue, white, green and a touch of gold, this is a perfect area for opening up communication and motivation sessions. Planned and unplanned meetings, dynamic break out spaces, working from your desk or phone calls can take place here. The restaurant is also part of this zone. Outside lunch hours the area provides enough privacy to check your email, meet with colleagues or conduct a video call while enjoying a cup of coffee. For more concentration work we arrive further away from the Celebration Street. Lighter tones of green and pink, create a relaxed, focused and calm feeling. You can work here all day in silence or sit down for a moment to check your email or get some focus work done quickly. The New Home of Diageo Brands An impressive and welcoming entrance is the gate to the Diageo world. You step into Diageo’s Celebration Street which guides you along all brands this great company has. A glance at the bar shows the most important assets of the company: the people and the different spirits and beers. The Amsterdam office is the home of many nationalities. Therefore an international and inclusive ambiance has been designed to make people feel comfortable and can be the best version of themselves, regardless their role, personality and background. Looking closer to the details in the design, you’ll notice that the office is located in the Netherlands and is the central point to connect people locally. This is the place where you meet, collaborate and socialize with your colleagues. The diverse meeting rooms are the perfect spot to immerse into all different brand worlds. Besides these references and the presence of the brand(s) identities, the layout of the new office responds to the requirements of a high diversity of workplaces. Breath the Brands – Feel the Products In and around the Diageo Celebration Street the brands, the products, the culture and the people are present and alive. But don’t forget the detailed subtleties that ask for a closer look. In the middle of the square a statue – a bottle display in the shape of a cocktail shaker - arises, marking the place and its surroundings. Every brand is known for the shape of its bottle, one is even more beautiful than another. In the acoustic panels in the restaurant all these contours have been visualized. The meeting rooms reflect the look and feel of the most important brands. For example there is the ‘Zacapa – el Patio’, ‘Le Club Ciroc’ and ‘Tanqueray at No.10’ meeting room. Each room is as unique as the brand itself. With reference to the 4 Corners of Scotland with their Scotch distilleries train seats have been created in the shape of copper barrels. Images of the early days and a quote on the wall brings you back into the brands history. ‘We are Global – We are Local’ Subtle design decisions reminds you are in the Netherlands. One great example is the Dutch name of the restaurant ‘De Kantine’ (Dutch for ‘the canteen’), written in the font of the name plates of the bridges of the famous Amsterdam canals and used for the shirts of the soccer players of Ajax. The bar area also pays homage to the Netherlands; the mosaic tiles are laid in a pattern of the Amsterdam coat of arms. The famous Dutch painter Mondriaan is also present with reminders of his renowned paintings in the history wall and glazed partitions. Sustainability & Well-being One of the project objectives of Diageo was to support sustainability and well-being. We’ve interpreted and based our design on three pillars; building related elements, used materials & loose elements and the human experience. The decision to stay at this location was the reason for an upgrade of the installations to improve the indoor climate, which was far from good. There was high waste of energy, dissatisfaction of the temperature, air quality and thermal comfort. With the installation of a new climate system and ceilings in the meeting rooms, temperature regulation is easier and energy reduction is realized. New LED lighting has been placed and sensors have been installed. Reuse was an important part of our design. For example, 60 to 70% of the workplace furniture, benches for the restaurant and the larger meeting room tables have been reused. By the selection of our suppliers and subcontractors, their sustainability strategy was one of the main criteria. For example the production process of the joinery supplier is energy neutral and they have implemented a sustainable waste management policy and the largest part of the used carpet is Cradle 2 Cradle. In the design biophilia plays an important role, for its positive impact on the indoor climate due to a perfect balance between oxygen and hydration. The smaller sizes of the open areas with intimate corners, the use of soft and healthy materials and colours, reinforces the fit of the space to the function, with a great impact on the human experience and well-being of the users. If a space speaks the same language as the activity to perform there, a healthy and happy atmosphere is created. The diverse and inclusive new Diageo office, with its flexibility and ability to adjust to changes in headcount, way of working and the balance between different workplace profile, is certainly future proof.