All it takes is one glance at Billund, Denmark’s newest office campus to quickly identify which company will be taking residence there. Fully equipped with giant LEGO bricks on the roof and integrated into the facade, LEGO Group recently opened the first phase of its new campus, which, when completed, will span 581,250 sf and house 2,000 employees.
Designed by C.F. Møller Architects, the two buildings were inspired by a painting in Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen’s (the LEGO Group owner) office of a boy holding up a building he made with LEGO bricks. The goal of the design was to express LEGO Group’s core values of imagination, creativity, fun, learning, caring, and quality.
The interior space is highlighted by colorful textured walls resembling LEGO bricks and decorated with LEGO creations of familiar faces such as Spongebob Squarepants, Winnie the Pooh, and LEGO “minifigs” dressed as firefighters, police officers, etc. And while the spaces look like all fun and games, they were designed to help employees produce their best work.
See Also: Chicago’s long-gestating luxury condo tower nears construction
“In the same way you build with LEGO bricks, we took elements our people love and brought them all together to create something unique,” said Anneke Beerkens, Senior Workplace Anthropologist, LEGO Group, in a release. “For example, employees told us that they wanted the freedom to choose an environment that suited them best for whatever they were working on, but also liked to stay close to teammates. So we built team ‘neighbourhoods’ which are a mix of individual and collaborative workspaces designed to create a caring environment where people can do great quality work.”
Sustainability was also a key tenet of the design. 4,150 solar panels cover the roof of a nearby parking garage and produce more than 1 million kWh, which will supply half of the energy needed to power the campus. Additionally, the new buildings’ rooftops are covered with Sedum plants, which absorb water and CO2, and rainwater will be used to irrigate parks in the campus area.
The full eight-building campus is slated for completion in 2021. A large central area, dubbed the “People House” will feature a large auditorium, fitness center, arts and crafts workshop, cafe, and accommodation for employees visiting from out of town.
Related Stories
Government Buildings | Oct 27, 2023
A spurt in public spending bolsters AEC firms' government building practices
Nonresidential public construction spending, while only about a quarter of private-sector spending, has been growing at a much faster clip lately. In June, it was up 13.8% to $411.4 billion, with commercial and manufacturing the biggest subsectors, according to Commerce Department estimates.
Office Buildings | Oct 19, 2023
Proportion of workforce based at home drops to lowest level since pandemic began
The proportion of the U.S. workforce working remotely has dropped considerably since the start of the Covid 19 pandemic, but office vacancy rates continue to rise. Fewer than 26% of households have someone who worked remotely at least one day a week, down sharply from 39% in early 2021, according to the latest Census Bureau Household Pulse Surveys.
Biophilic Design | Oct 18, 2023
6 ways to integrate nature into the workplace
Integrating nature into the workplace is critical to the well-being of employees, teams and organizations. Yet despite its many benefits, incorporating nature in the built environment remains a challenge.
Office Buildings | Oct 16, 2023
The impact of office-to-residential conversion on downtown areas
Gensler's Duanne Render looks at the incentives that could bring more office-to-residential conversions to life.
Government Buildings | Oct 10, 2023
GSA names Elliot Doomes Public Buildings Service Commissioner
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced that the agency’s Public Buildings Service Commissioner Nina Albert will depart on Oct. 13 and that Elliot Doomes will succeed her.
Products and Materials | Sep 29, 2023
Top building products for September 2023
BD+C Editors break down 15 of the top building products this month, from smart light switches to glass wall systems.
Office Buildings | Sep 28, 2023
Structural engineering solutions for office-to-residential conversion
IMEG's Edwin Dean, Joe Gulden, and Doug Sweeney, share seven key focuses for structural engineers when planning office-to-residential conversions.
Mixed-Use | Sep 20, 2023
Tampa Bay Rays, Hines finalize deal for a stadium-anchored multiuse district in St. Petersburg, Fla.
The Tampa Bay Rays Major League Baseball team announced that it has reached an agreement with St. Petersburg and Pinellas County on a $6.5 billion, 86-acre mixed-use development that will include a new 30,000-seat ballpark and an array of office, housing, hotel, retail, and restaurant space totaling 8 million sf.
Giants 400 | Sep 18, 2023
Top 90 Office Building Engineering Firms for 2023
Jacobs, WSP, Alfa Tech, and AECOM head BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest office building sector engineering and engineering/architecture (EA) firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking includes revenue for all office building work, including core and shell projects and workplace/interior fitouts.
Giants 400 | Sep 18, 2023
Top 120 Office Building Construction Firms for 2023
Turner Construction, STO Building Group, AECOM, and DPR Construction top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest office building sector contractors and construction management (CM) firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking includes revenue for all office building work, including core and shell projects and workplace/interior fitouts.
