Zurich Nordic is the local arm of Zurich Insurance Group, one of the world’s leading insurance companies with over 63 000 employees. Zurich has been operating in the Nordic market for 150 years with offices in Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen and Helsinki, also serving the Baltic market. Zurich Nordic is a leading provider of commercial insurance solutions, as well as a wide range of risk management products and services, for businesses in the large corporate and middle market segment, supporting companies with local and global presence in more than 200 countries and territories.
Reflecting its purpose to ‘create a brighter future together,’ Zurich aspires to be one of the most responsible and impactful businesses in the world. Its core values Optimism, Caring, Reliability, Togetherness, Forward-Thinking and Results Orientation guides its employees and informs every action they take. With Zurich, employees can expect to work on challenges that will help them grow and to collaborate with a diverse and inclusive global team.
When renovating Zurich's Helsinki office, the aim was to create a workspace that is attractive and supports the well-being of its users. That's why plants were made a prominent part of the concept of the entire space.
"The work environment is important to us at Zurich. After the pandemic, we have developed our offices so that the physical work environment is adapted to our way of working. Our ambition was to create a workplace that suits everyone and where there is space for all types of tasks."
Naava's diverse plant selection was chosen for the office designed and furnished by Martela. The Zurich Insurance office was brought to life with versatile solutions: instead of a white wall, the open workspace is decorated with a large plant area created from green wall elements, and potted plants were placed both as decoration on the floors and as privacy between workstations.
Naava One product models were chosen from Naava's green furniture collection, from which a large green wall was created by placing several modules side by side. Naava's green walls combine the aesthetics of nature and the researched well-being effect with modern technology. They improve the air quality of the space, increase humidity and absorb sound, which supports employees' concentration and coping in everyday life. In addition, the selected potted plants bring life to the space and a connection to nature throughout the office.
"We have a hybrid workplace, meaning our employees have the opportunity to work from home two days a week. For us, it is important that there are spaces in the office that are calm and allow for concentration, that there are spaces where there is an opportunity to exchange ideas, and good meeting rooms."
Zurich's Helsinki office is a good example of how thoughtful green and spatial design can make a working environment more attractive, comfortable and responsible - exactly the values that Zurich wants to reinforce in all its operations.
Plants and green walls also serve as a concrete message to both employees and visitors: Zurich invests in the environment, well-being at work and sustainable development. The end result is a modern, fresh and inspiring workspace that supports the well-being of personnel and makes everyday life smoother.