The objective for the Orange Campus, set in the town of Balma near Toulouse, was to reinvent the way people work. 1,200 employees were spread across 14 buildings in different parts of Toulouse, no longer suitable for today’s work methods.

The Orange Campus now features four office buildings with an inner avenue that interconnects all the buildings and forms the heart of the campus. The combined surface area is 17,000 sqm.

Kinnarps’ mission was to create open areas for more collaborative working, bring the employees together, and create a flagship site for Orange’s expertise.

The very essence of the project stems from a biophilic approach. ​Biophilic design seeks to connect our biologically encoded need to affiliate with nature and adapts those ideas into modern built environments. Three hectares of land were formerly an industrial area, and more than half has now been turned into green space.

“Swedish design uses colours that can easily fit into different environments and has comfortable products.”
Representative from Orange

Orange was committed to working with environmentally and socially responsible companies which recycled waste, reused furniture, and employed recycled materials. Criteria that match the values of Kinnarps perfectly.

“The local Kinnarps representatives were highly attentive, available and adaptable. We spent a lot of time working together. They gave me a great deal of professional advice on product types and choice of materials, fabrics and colours. The fitters did excellent work right up to the installation, and they were available and meticulous – both very important qualities for me.”
Chrystèle Bourdarias, Project Director, Campus Toulouse Est

The product references for the furnishings were carefully selected by an internal multidisciplinary health and safety committee consisting of consultants from Kinnarps, occupational therapists and doctors.

It was important for Orange to involve its employees in choosing furniture. Prior to the project, the staff was therefore able to try out and take part in choosing the furnishings, thanks to a 500 m2 pilot space set up for six months.

“In the working groups with the employees, we worked on several interior design solutions and, overall, the Swedish design received the most votes.
It corresponds to our aspirations and brand values: sobriety, softness, and authenticity.”
Representative from Orange

The final development created approximately 30 different spaces with over 1,000 workstations.