Ahrend provides interior and furnishing design for Miele.

Continuous improvement

Since its founding in 1899, Miele has been promising to become "ever better" ("Immer Besser" in the original German). This German manufacturer of household and professional appliances does everything it can to be better than others and continuously improve itself and its products. To be close to its Dutch retailers and customers, Miele has a headquarters in centrally located Vianen that includes an experience centre. Some 160 people work here in a two-storey building with a total area of 1,400 m2. That building was in need of restyling and redesign.

Royal Ahrend office project interior view of Miele in Vianen FP185

Inspiring and productive

The goal of the redesign and of the assignment was: to create a beautiful, inspiring and productive environment that integrates hybrid working into the organisation. Martijn Jacobs, account manager at Ahrend, therefore involved interior designer Bastiënne De Haan-Merks in the pitch. "We presented several interior design proposals. Miele went for the proposal where we also incorporated some building modifications." This proposal satisfied the high standards Miele sets itself, its employees and partners: quality and perfection.

‘Miele and Ahrend pay extraordinary attention to sustainability and quality’

Linda Zonderop Head of Facility Management & Purchasing at Miele Nederland

Royal Ahrend office project interior view of Miele in Vianen FP198

Royal Ahrend office project interior view of Miele in Vianen FP195

Royal Ahrend office project interior view of Miele in Vianen FP184

Sustainability

In addition, sustainability is high up on the agenda at Miele. Miele is a member of the UN Global Compact initiative for a reason. "This sustainability is reflected in many areas: from reusing everything from glass walls and office chairs to LED lighting and recycled carpet tiles. Miele also makes sustainable choices when it comes to materials and fabric. This extends the lifespan of furniture by years. Sustainable deployment is also a key concern for employees, so every Ahrend Balance desk is electrically height-adjustable. This makes work more dynamic and supports employee well-being."

Quality and perfection

The office design includes several zones: from concentrated work in Ahrend Qabin Chat and Call boxes, to collaborating at the Aero conference table equipped with Well meeting chairs, to meeting informally in the pantries on Ahrend Charge and Engage benches. Martijn: "With this new working environment, Miele is ready for the future where hybrid working will become increasingly important. And the design, layout, look & feel and furniture selected all support key Miele values. sustainability, quality, and perfection. At Ahrend, we are proud and honoured to have been able to contribute."

Miele on Ahrend

"The reason for the refurbishment is the new hybrid working. When we decided to embark on this transition, we visited reference projects, brainstormed with our Miele architect and consulted our staff. We compiled all the must-haves & nice-to-haves and this revealed that (one of the) four Cs should play a role in every choice: Connect, Co-working, Conference, Concentration.
With our schedule of requirements, we hit the market. Ahrend's sketch designs stood out. We also noted that we have things in common: more than a century of international entrepreneurship and an extraordinary focus on sustainability and quality. Sustainability and quality are also of paramount importance in our partnerships with Ahrend and other suppliers. This helped us to complete a full refurbishment in four months on a tight schedule and provide our staff with a premium working experience every office day."

Linda Zonderop, Head of Facility Management & Purchasing at Miele Nederland