Estel | Flash Battery, expressing the spirit and identity of the company through architecture and interior design

If there is one thing that distinguishes Flash Battery, it is certainly innovation. Product innovation in the form of increasingly high performance lithium batteries, but also innovation permeating the company, rooted in the corporate culture.

And it was a close affinity with this approach that led Flash Battery to choose Estel as partners for the interior design of their new headquarters in Sant’Ilario d’Enza (Reggio Emilia).

The building was designed by Studio Bocchi as the concrete representation of the ascension from a young start-up enterprise to a successful company of international scope. The design approach exhibits an integration between the conception of the interior spaces and the architectural aspects, with some key points stipulated clearly and pragmatically right from the start: simplicity, flexibility of spaces, attention to company image, and the creation of pleasant and functional work environments. Within this scenario Estel’s “Smart Office” emerged as the perfect fit, thanks also to a “fourfold” design team comprising Flash Battery, the two architects Francesco Bocchi and Francesca Raffaini, and Estel’s own interior space planning design team.

The internal spaces are characterised by a glazed central atrium, which floods the two office floors with natural light, and creates a green internal courtyard to welcome visitors at the main entrance.

“We wanted an environment that reflected us as a dynamic, innovative, hi-tech company”, explains Giulia Gibertini, Head of Marketing and Communication at Flash Battery, “it was a question both of size, because over the years we have grown and needed more space, and of image, because we wanted our building to broadcast the same close attention to detail that we dedicate to all our customer projects and batteries”.

For this statement of identity and communication through architectural space, Estel successfully gathered all the needs of Flash Battery employees and included them in a co-design process that highlighted the technological strengths present in the company. They provided an authentic accompaniment for customers in search of non-standard solutions.

“We recognised our own company spirit in Estel”, observed Giulia Gibertini, “because we are two companies that share something: the desire not to be conventional, but rather constantly reinventing ourselves. But the big WOW moment came when we visited their showrooms: we realised we were dealing with a company that was futuristic in its own particular way, and we felt an immediate affinity. We were struck by the clean, typically Italian design, and very astute use of colours”. The abundance of natural light and transparent glass-walled spaces inside our offices underline the attention to wellbeing and productivity implicit to the project. This openness of vision and transparency that derives from the use of glass has been good for the company and its staff, transmitting the idea of a deep alignment, where there are no hierarchical roles but a combination of people collaborating towards a shared aim.

Workstations alternate with common areas, spaces for exchanges and collaboration, phone booths, sales meeting areas, and relaxation zones. The various spaces are flexible and available for use by anyone, in a continuous cross-contamination that generates value. The decision was made to adopt solutions like mobile walls, retractable screens, and equipped islands, so that environments can be transformed as required, making space available inside the company for events or courses. 

Each floor is a different colour, a detail that emerged while conversing with Estel, in order to characterise the spaces and help orientation. The starting point was the strong colours of the Flash Battery logo, which were adapted to achieve the ideal shades. The ground floor is red for a warm welcome, communicating quality and energy. The first floor is in shades of green, the thinking zone housing R&D, services, and our designers. Finally, the second floor is in blue shades, inspiring security and concentration, more management oriented and housing the CEO, sales area, marketing, and administration.

All the meeting rooms were renamed with symbolic designations for the company, retracing the evolution of Flash Battery in its most important stages: Kilowatt, Kaitek (the original company name), Kaizen (constant improvement), Garage (the classroom, because Flash Battery really did start in a garage).

“This is truly the company we dreamt of, with attractive, high performance offices. Because performance and looks are the same key words that guide our product development.”

Giulia Gibertini, Head of Marketing – Flash Battery Srl

A result that is the outcome of a thorough analysis that captured the real needs of the company, above and beyond any explicit requests, incorporating them into the project. A transformation that everyone – owners, collaborators, customers – can perceive in the new settings: lively spaces, comfortable, designed in detail, where even a coffee break becomes a moment for dialogue and sharing ideas.

The Estel interior designs that brought life to the Flash Battery offices:

• 6 Collaborative Rooms
• 2 Baobabs
• Dolly chat
• Lounge zone for coffee breaks and informal meetings
• 56 Workstations
• 3 Coffice areas
• 180 m² of glass walls
• 65 m² of equipped walls