Banque Palatine

Fontenay-sous-Bois // 6 000m^²

sectorBank

Palatine does not spare any effort when it comes to excellence.

The strength of this project lies in our exceptional understanding.

I am very satisfied with the architectural project carried out by Factory for our bank. Thanks to their expertise and close collaboration with our team, we were able to transform our work environment and envision a modern, welcoming, and bright space that perfectly reflects our identity and brand. The strength of this project lies in the exceptional understanding between the men and women of Banque Palatine and Factory. Our ability to work together harmoniously and effectively allowed us to bring our vision to life, involve our employees throughout the project, and create a place that perfectly meets the needs of the Banque Palatine teams.

Alexis MENON
Director of Environment and Procurement

Founded in 1780, Banque Palatine is a private national bank and a member of BPCE, the leading banking group in France.

With the same excellence and an unwavering passion for the profession for 240 years, Banque Palatine primarily supports professional players and mid-sized business leaders in a win-win financial partnership approach.

From financing advice to asset management and wealth management, the bank offers a wide range of tailor-made expertise for its demanding clientele. Banque Palatine also stands out for its sense of proximity and a culture of excellence that has guided its activities for over two centuries, driven by its founding motto: *“The Art of Banking.”

Reinventing Palatine’s workspaces and professional uses.

Faced with outdated professional spaces unsuited to the needs of its 600 employees, Banque Palatine sought to bring modernity into its work environment and consolidate its workforce, which had previously been spread across two separate locations.

Additionally, the objective was to create a more attractive workspace to encourage employees to return to the office, which was often underutilized in favor of remote work.

"A multi-expertise challenge to reinvent Palatine’s spaces and professional practices."

Banque Palatine chose to establish its new headquarters once again in the Val-de-Fontenay business district in Fontenay-sous-Bois, near its previous offices.

A major economic hub in this eastern Parisian district, the Joya building, with its 50,000 square meters of space, is a highly dynamic epicenter offering numerous infrastructure and services for employees. Restaurants, bakeries, and various shared spaces will be part of this glass colossus.

The bank has settled on the 6th and 7th floors of this brand-new, BREEAM- and HQE-certified building, becoming its first tenant.

Landmarks for a new haven.

This relocation marked a fresh start for Banque Palatine, requiring a comprehensive change management approach that engaged all teams.

Internal transformations necessitated an educational and collaborative approach, which we developed in partnership with *La Fabrique Spinoza* to address employee concerns and skepticism about these changes.

The first essential step in ensuring the viability of our architectural proposals was understanding employees’ needs, habits, and daily work realities. Palatine ambassadors voiced the concerns of the majority during workshops, helping us identify and collect the specific desires and requirements of different departments.

We focused on the modularity of spaces and circulation strategies to design smart offices suited to various job functions.

Coworking areas, open spaces, and the Café Club offer large, flexible environments conducive to telecommunication and collaboration, while concentration and confidentiality zones provide privacy for management and security-related roles.

"Functionality was at the heart of our thinking to serve and facilitate employee mobility."

The idea was to break down barriers between teams and relationships, offering spaces that everyone could claim as their own—feeling at home everywhere.

Functionality also played a key role in fostering mobility: personal lockers, portable battery stations, abundant power outlets integrated into desks and seating areas…

It was crucial to balance this sense of nomadism with the goal of reinforcing corporate culture, ensuring that despite flexibility, employees still felt a sense of belonging to *"la maison Palatine."

"It was essential to reconcile mobility with corporate culture to create a familiar professional environment."

Our mission was to identify spaces and new work habits while reconnecting the bank’s identity markers to its new offices.

The brand’s signature colors were incorporated into signage, architectural elements, and decorative features, fostering a warm yet elegant atmosphere. Creating *landmarks* meant re-establishing a sense of belonging for employees—an environment where they feel comfortable, "like home."

To achieve this, noble and raw materials coexist in a subtle palette of warm tones, organic textures, and black accents. Terracotta, wood, and greenery bring warmth to the spaces, while black, brass, and high-end furnishings exude sophistication. But how do you create *a true haven,* rather than just reference points? By reconnecting teams and fostering human connections.

"Breaking down silos to create adaptable spaces where everyone feels at home."

To strengthen the sense of belonging, every floor features tea stations, a private terrace, and the Café Club—a central hub for informal interactions and shared moments among colleagues.

Furniture inspired by domestic settings reinforces this welcoming atmosphere: portraits, bookshelves, armchairs, table lamps—all creating a personalized and cozy decor that promotes well-being.

This ambitious project involved numerous challenges and stakeholders, requiring constant coordination between decision-makers, employee representatives, the property owner, ambassadors, and regulatory bodies.

Compliance with BREEAM guidelines and new building constraints set the framework for our proposals while also addressing the specific demands of the banking industry.

Our Engineering team played a central role in the architectural project, ensuring compliance with environmental, energy, and legal regulations, as well as security requirements unique to the banking sector.

Ultimately, the mission was accomplished: employees are gradually embracing their new work environment with greater ease and confidence, step by step.

Summary sheet

sectorBank

area6 000m^²

placeFontenay-sous-Bois

delivery2024

Engaged Expertises

Workplace Strategy.
Experience Design.
Architectural Concept.
Refurbishment.
Furniture and Decoration.
Strategy and Property Search.

Employee well-being and health
Initiatives focused on the physical and mental well-being of employees, such as relaxation areas, fitness facilities, health and wellness programs, flexible work schedules, and leave policies.
Sustainability and CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility)
The company's initiatives to reduce its carbon footprint, promote recycling, use sustainable materials, and adopt environmentally-friendly practices.

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