Entra is a Norwegian real estate company. The company used to be state-owned but has recently been privatized and is now operating in the commercial real estate market. One of Entras main properties is the 26-floor landmark Postgirobygget in the centre of Oslo. It is Norways tallest office building and home to Entras head office. Entra used to be located on the buildings highly desirable top floors. As part of the privatization process and in order to save money, Entra decided to move to the ninth floor, and lease the top space to clients. The projects motto was Moving down, will raise us up!.Strategic objectives Functional requirements Technical requirementsEntra wanted to revamp itsThe functional brief (calledBecause of the limited scope own office in a radical waya zoning program in thisof the projecta fit-out of one to underline its ambition toproject) asked for the creationoffice floor, with only a few be a leading and innovativeof shared work areas, a quietpossibilities to make changes to provider of office space.zone, different kinds of meetingthe buildings structure or hvac Many of their customersrooms and multi-rooms. Itsystemthere was no need for are considering adoptingalso explicitly asked for a largea formal technical brief. It was activity-based working, andshared space, referred to asobvious from the start, however, Entras management felt thatSentrum, which was to becomethat the technical topics of the company should be frontthe primary meeting spot in theacoustics and lighting would runners in this development.office. The brief stated: Thebe crucial for the success of the The brief for the project thereforeSentrum should become theproject because of the openness explicitly mentioned that Entracentral place in the office, theof the space and the limited wanted to create a showcasesocial heart tying together thedaylight penetration (due to the office space that could be usedorganization and the differentdepth of the floor). These issues for learning and communicationparts of the office. It should be awere addressed by bringing in with customers. natural meeting point, as well asspecialized consultants early on An additional objective wasthe place where Entras visitorsin the design process. that the project should enhanceenter the office. On a practical collaboration within Entra.note, the brief acknowledged In the existing situation, thethat this area could (and should) Entra organization was spreadat times be noisy, because over two floors, which wasthere would be people chatting not particularly conduciveover coffee and small events to internal interaction.like presentations. The brief Furthermore, most of the stafftherefore noted that the area were working in open-planhad to be acoustically separated offices with few breakoutfrom the work areas, so people options. The new office concept,can chat without having the in which employees wouldfeeling that they are disturbing be able choose freely betweentheir colleagues. Furthermore, different kinds of shared workthe brief explicitly mentioned settings, was designed to helpthe provision of great coffee as improve staff satisfaction anda critical detail for making the interaction (which it in factspace a success.did, according to a recent post-occupancy evaluation among staff).