NTN-SNR

The project aims to transform the site into a welcoming innovation hub—a center that fosters collaborative intelligence at every stage of the production process. As a true showcase for the brand, it embodies proximity and cohesion, reflecting the DNA of NTN Europe. Due to its impressive scale, the building serves as a strong landmark within the surrounding urban fabric. Visible from the ring road boulevard at the South-West gateway to Annecy, the new headquarters acts as a prominent signal at the city’s entrance.

A Simple and Unique Object

Throughout the project, simplicity guided the architectural intention. Half of the total surface area is dedicated to workspaces, while the other half consists of shared spaces designed to encourage co-activity, the flow of people, information, and projects. Each floor clearly and fluidly reflects its primary functions:

• The ground floor brings together most of the site's shared employee functions and serves as the interface between public space and the building’s interior. The main entrance is immediately identifiable from the new site access.
• The first floor is dedicated to the Business Units, while the second floor houses the entire Headquarters.

A Bioclimatic and Responsible Design

Bioclimatic design was considered from the master plan stage, with a building morphology that includes terraces protected by overhangs, as well as exterior landscaping that replaces sealed, sterile ground with green pedestrian paths and parking areas shaded by trees in summer.

At the heart of the office and laboratory spaces, two atriums covered by sheds equipped with natural ventilation openings and exterior blinds controlled by the BMS help maintain thermal comfort and natural lighting while minimizing air conditioning and mechanical ventilation consumption.

Finally, the timber construction with CLT slabs and timber-frame façades not only acts as a carbon sink—anticipating the 2028 carbon neutrality trajectory of RE2020 by five years—but also contributes to the hygrothermal regulation of interior spaces and enhances the well-being of occupants in this resolutely eco-responsible new headquarters.

Special attention was also given to the outdoor spaces, with the development of a parking area designed to support soft mobility, accommodating bicycles and electric vehicles among others. The area is extensively landscaped to harmoniously blend the site into its surroundings. The ground surfaces will allow for full rainwater recovery.

Efficiency

There are numerous ongoing developments in the tertiary and technological sectors, and programs are evolving as well: a logistics building must be able to transform into a production facility, a factory into offices… The design of spaces must anticipate these future changes as much as possible, allowing those who need it to easily adapt. The pursuit of high flexibility and the ability to reconfigure or even transform spaces is now an architectural prerequisite, requiring new construction standards.

Atmosphere and Materials

In direct connection with the architectural concept, the interior atmospheres are intended to be bright, understated, and welcoming. Each space is designed to encourage collaboration, comfort, and focus. The main materials used throughout the project include wood (oak finish), light tones, and shades of blue introduced subtly in meeting rooms and furniture, for example.

Space planning is above all the result of a collaborative process with NTN. It initially enabled the creation of a coherent whole at the building scale, focusing on the articulation between departments and the interactions among different professions. Numerous workshops were then held to precisely address the needs and uses of each area.

All office spaces, arranged along the façades, are organized in a ring around a collaborative hall bathed in zenithal light. This is the vibrant heart of the project, housing shared and communal areas that foster informal cross-functional exchanges—the foundation of corporate cohesion.

Efficient Workspaces...

All office areas offer the same types of services and work postures. Micro-architectures group together nearby collaborative spaces, individual storage, reprographics, etc. In addition to a flex-office layout and numerous shared workstations, these consistently deployed features help blur the boundaries between zones and, like interconnected vessels, absorb the company’s future evolutions.

... Serving User Well-being

Connected to a collaborative hall located at the heart of the building, the workspaces are complemented by a company restaurant, a cafeteria, and a concierge service, all aimed at improving daily life and contributing to user well-being at work. On the upper floor, an atrium enhances these relaxation areas with large tiered seating designed for coffee breaks or informal presentations.