Today we're going into the office
BT has moved into the Budapest ONE office building
BT (British Telecommunications) has been present in Hungary since 1999 with its Central and Eastern European regional office. In issue 183 (2023/3) of OCTOGON magazine, we reported on the interior design of their office in the Budapest ONE office building, as well as the bespoke furniture pieces created by Kozma Bútor.
The global company established a European service centre in 2007 by opening offices in both Budapest and Debrecen. And then came the news: employees in both the capital and Debrecen would be moving, although while the BT teams in Debrecen would have to wait a few more months before taking possession of their new premises, those in Budapest were already moving into Budapest ONE. Beyond the expiration of existing leases, however, there are more complex reasons behind the relocation(s).
In the international professional press covering office spaces and interior design, it was already reported in 2019 that BT was preparing for major changes. The introduction of the company’s new logo in the same year was clearly a symbolic part of this transformation. Compared to previous versions, the clean-lined, minimalist logo established purple as the company’s primary brand colour. Although purple had already been the “core colour” for seven years at that point, the public still largely associated the company with blue. This was undoubtedly influenced by the previous logo design, which incorporated several colours, including the blue that had identified the company for decades. However, the change was clearly driven by broader motivations related to modernisation and generational shifts: the demand (and necessity) for a more technologically advanced office building with improved spatial possibilities, as well as the arrival of Generation Z in the workplace.
We have only recently begun to explore how the flexibility characteristic of Generation Z, and the new ways and sources through which young people acquire information, will affect our culture as a whole. However, we can already observe the changes their arrival has brought to the world of work. It is clear that rationalisation and, as a consequence, the introduction of hybrid working models became widespread during the Covid period, both in the organisational structures of the smallest local businesses and in global corporations. Yet the author believes that Covid merely accelerated an inevitable transformation: as the number of Generation Z employees increased in office-based roles, traditional expectations of work being tied to a specific location and fixed hours became increasingly questioned. It is evident that new norms will require new types of office environments – and based on BT’s new Budapest office, it is clear that the first examples are already here.
BT’s Birmingham office, opened last year – also designed by the architectural firm TP Bennett, like the Budapest office – served as a flagship example of the company’s “Better Workplace Programme”, which, quoting BT CEO Philip Jansen, aims to “bring our colleagues together in excellent workspaces and transform the way we work.” In other words, BT sees office environments as playing a crucial role in this transformation.
The design of the Budapest BT office was guided by the concept of “smart working”, a remote and flexible working practice, where the focus is no longer on a single physical location but on the activity itself. Translated into the context of the BT office, this means that the spaces and integrated technologies must support collaboration, flexible use of space, hybrid working, and the creation of communication links based on a “Teams Connect” approach. Accordingly, the four-floor office was designed around an open-plan concept. On each floor, continuous open spaces form the foundation, while architectural features (columns, structural grids, curves), grid-like and acoustic partitions, and island-like seating arrangements divide the areas and indicate functional boundaries. There is no direct connection between the individual office levels, meaning they are primarily accessed via the central lifts or staircases.
With the exception of the ground floor and first floor, all other levels follow a similar system, and as we move upwards, the space becomes increasingly enriched with details, colours, and functions. The BT office begins with the area next to the central reception desk, featuring its own reception counter and several independent training rooms. Due to its size and the glass partitions surrounding the training rooms, this area still recalls traditional, segmented office layouts. At the same time, the exposed ceiling, varied lighting solutions (fluid-shaped bespoke lighting elements, mesh pendant fixtures, spotlights), the cathedral-like acoustic glass walls of the training rooms, and the lightweight furniture from Boss Design, characterised by soft curves and upholstered in monochromatic fabrics, become recurring elements throughout the already open-plan office floors.
Each office floor begins with a unique, pavilion-like recreational area: through its circular layout and purple foliage-like elements, the designers referenced the company’s logo. The non-dedicated workstations are accompanied by glass-enclosed, bookable meeting rooms equipped with camera-based interactive smart systems. Every floor includes a “relax & refuel” area – the largest of which is located on the second floor – as well as the previously mentioned seating islands. These elements follow the curves of the space, creating subtle divisions through partitions, changes in flooring materials, and other design details. There is already a foosball table and a children’s play area, while a 3D printer is planned for the future. Dedicated rooms for mothers with young children will also soon be introduced, allowing employees arriving with babies or small children to have all the necessary facilities for comfortable working.
Because when almost everything is accessible remotely, and with a personal laptop we can connect to workplace systems virtually anytime and from anywhere, we no longer go to the office for the same functions and services as before.
We GO TO the office – we no longer simply COMMUTE TO the office.
Professional Pride, Progressiveness Rooted in Traditional Values
Interview with Zoltán Kozma, Managing Director of Kozma Bútor
Kozma Bútor has been operating in the field of interior construction and fit-out for thirty years, and today delivers even the most prestigious projects at a highly professional standard. Their latest project was created for British Telecom, whose headquarters were established in the Budapest ONE office building, developed by Futureal. The interior design of the leading telecommunications company’s offices was created by the British design studio TP Bennett and Demeter Design Studio, while the execution of the bespoke interior elements is credited to the specialists of Kozma Bútor. We spoke with the company’s owner and Managing Director, Zoltán Kozma, about the company’s work philosophy, history, present and future.
Dear Zoltán, congratulations on your recently completed project. Could you tell us a few words about the journey that led you here?
It has been a long journey – one that, without exaggeration, reaches back to the previous millennium, as our company began operating in the early 1990s, initially producing residential furniture. Even at that stage, our commitment to excellence and our professional dedication were already evident. As a result, following requests from satisfied private clients who were also involved in office construction, we gradually expanded into the field of office fit-out.
The key players in this relatively closed market quickly recognised our company’s strengths, which led to remarkable and rapid development. Over the past ten years, we have increased our annual turnover tenfold, while placing great emphasis on maintaining the quality and reliability we had already achieved.
Today, we execute the high-quality projects of the most renowned Hungarian and international designers, and we have managed to establish strong partnerships with many of them. Each successful project takes us further, and I am proud that our satisfied clients and designers regularly return to us.
You mentioned that the key players in the sector quickly recognised your company’s strengths. What exactly did you mean by this? What is the reason behind this level of client trust? Is there a secret?
I believe we could highlight several qualities: precision, a high level of technological expertise, progressiveness, empathy, and cost-efficient execution despite the use of premium-quality materials. However, I think the roots of all these qualities lie in the fact that we are genuinely proud of what we do and are willing to make serious sacrifices to achieve the best possible results.
Therefore, if I had to name one key factor, I would first mention professional pride in the truest sense of the word.
During the expansion of our team, one of my most important tasks was finding colleagues for our newly created positions who share this mindset and are able to work according to these principles. This leads me to the second essential factor: a strong team.
Our interior designers, sales representatives, production specialists and on-site installation teams all work with this same attitude. Naturally, when defining roles and selecting colleagues, we placed great emphasis on personal abilities and competencies as well. As a result, although we are primarily a fit-out company, we are not afraid to take on design-related challenges either.
Could you mention some projects where you were involved as designers as well?
Borealis has already entrusted us with design-and-build projects for the second time. However, due to my personal involvement, the Zeiss Vision Center on Váci Road is a particularly memorable project, as the creative team allowed me to “interfere” with the design process as well.
Another very special partner of ours is Medicover Zrt., where we developed a close and continuous collaboration with the designers during the creation of the brand identity. We consider a significant part of the current design elements to be our own creation.
In general, it is characteristic of our company that we define the boundaries of projects flexibly in order to achieve the highest possible technical quality in execution.
Was there a similar example during the British Telecom project?
The Social Hub Booth furniture elements required an extremely close and sensitive collaboration with the dry construction specialists. In order to achieve the desired result, we took responsibility for the execution process all the way back to the structural construction stage. I believe the result speaks for itself.
Naturally, this is just one example, but it also reflects our general approach: we always strive for cooperative, constructive collaboration and joint problem-solving with all participants involved in a project.
This attitude has resulted in increasing recognition of our work within the professional community. As a consequence, in 2019 the TransferWise office, which was completed by our company, received the prestigious Office of the Year award, and several of our other projects have also reached the shortlist in various competitions.
In light of this, how do you see the future?
We look ahead with optimism because we believe that this type of work will bring long-term results. The afterlife of the British Telecom project is a very good example of this. The companies involved in the project included: Demeter Design Studio – design. We had not worked together before, but thanks to our mutual positive experience, we have since completed or started several successful projects together. Futureal – general contractor. We had not previously collaborated with them either, but following this project, we received invitations to participate in several tenders. Colliers – project management. We had already completed numerous projects together before, and this cooperation has continued after the BT project as well. And last but certainly not least: British Telecom – client. We had not worked together before, but as a result of the successful collaboration, we were also entrusted with the fit-out of their new office in Debrecen. These examples clearly demonstrate that work carried out with dedication, humility and at a consistently high professional standard may be more costly in the short term, but ultimately proves more successful by building the future in the long run. We will continue our work with this philosophy, believing that quality work will always bring results, and that we will successfully deliver outstanding, high-level projects in the future as well. At the beginning, you asked whether we have a secret. This reminds me of a quote by Kazinczy that was displayed on the wall of my secondary school classroom and has stayed with me ever since. It may also serve as the perfect closing thought for this interview:
“Do good, and do it well. That is the great secret.”
Total area (leased area): 8,349 m²
Design year: 2020
Completion year: 2023
Design: TP Bennett, Demeter Design Studio
Custom furniture and interior fit-out execution: Kozma Bútor