Rudus flexibly reduced its premises

Article originally published on Business Garden website.

New ways of working permanently reduced the space needed at Rudus’ headquarters. The company decided to stay in its current premises in the Ultimes Business Garden, now The Front, as the space was used more flexibly and quickly. “We also looked at other premises, but The Front proved to be the best option for us,” says Mikko Vasama, Managing Director.

Hybrid work is here to stay. New ways of working have reduced the need for office space in many companies, including Rudus, a manufacturer of stone-based building materials. Rudus moved its headquarters to Pitäjänmäki in Helsinki in autumn 2017, and staff have enjoyed the bright, fresh and modern multi-purpose space at The Front.

Approximately 80 Rudus employees work at the headquarters, which houses the company’s support functions, finance department, the Southern Finland regional unit workspaces, as well as administrative and senior management offices.

“We have had the entire fourth floor of the first part of The Front at our disposal. With the rise of telecommuting, we realised that not all of our employees are in the office five days a week – and we no longer need such a large space. In autumn 2023, we started to think about downsizing our workspace,” says Mikko Vasama, CEO of Rudus.

Negotiations for more efficient square footage with the experts at The Front went smoothly and easily. Rudus’ people were consulted and their wishes were taken into account in the plans.

“We used the data to calculate how many people have visited the office since the pandemic and what the occupancy rate has been. The result was that our space requirements have been permanently reduced by about a third,” he says.

Different options explored – The Front property as a whole the best

According to Mikko Vasama, Pitäjänmäki is an ideal location for Rudus. It is easy for our own staff and customers to arrive from different directions and by many means of transport: train, express train, bus, car or bike.

“It was clear to us that we wanted to stay in the region. We also looked at other premises, but it quickly became clear that The Front was the best package for us. Rudus already has a comfortable, functional and modern working environment in the building. It is important for our staff that there is ample parking space. The Front also has good lobby and other facilities, as well as a quality café and lunch restaurant. We could not find such a good and functional package elsewhere.”

The Rudus office was designed and built from the outset to be easily adaptable. According to Vasama, the reduction of the square footage was easily achieved.

“The project went smoothly. I appreciate the service-oriented approach of our Business Garden contacts: they were immediately genuinely interested in our changing needs and started to address them efficiently,” he says.

The office is increasingly attractive

During the renovation, the premises were modified based on the wishes of the employees and practical observations. Although the space is more compact, there is still a separate workstation for each person in the multifunctional space.

Mikko Vasama says that efficiency in square footage was achieved by reducing the size of the service centre and removing underused dining areas in the lounge area. Both were replaced by workstations. The informal space is still there: Rudusians can enjoy a cup of coffee and socialise on the comfortable, large sofas in the entrance lounge.

“We used glass walls to increase the number of quiet spaces – something our staff had been asking for. Although we now have a third less square footage, we have more space for concentrated work. This is something we are really happy with.”

According to Vasama, Rudus has a good balance between telecommuting and working from home. Management trusts that the teams are the best experts in their field and organise their own working week in the best possible way. The most important meetings, negotiations and meetings take place in the office.

“My observation is that office visits have increased all the time. People want to meet each other, exchange insights and news face to face and have lunch together. Socialising strengthens the team spirit and increases well-being. The office also has good ergonomics, ventilation and lighting – something not everyone has at home.”

Stylish premises are your business card

An impressive moss wall, colourful textiles, large windows and freshness. According to Mikko Vasama, a stylish and atmospheric office is an important business card for a company.

“It’s a pleasure to invite our customers here. But of course the most important thing is that our own staff are happy and work well. Our staff have had a great time at Ultimes. If we were to ask for a school grade, yes, it would certainly be very close to an A. Especially our employees who have previously worked in other offices have said that our modern, comfortable facilities and varied lunch menu attract them to the workplace.”