Vivendo is our exclusive partner in Malta. This group of companies specializes in the end-to-end provision of technical services, finishing, and furnishing, focusing on Workspaces, Hospitality and Wellness.
We interviewed Keith Bezzina, Sales and Commercial Manager, on the company design influences, the collaboration with Frezza and the challenges faced during di Covid-19 emergency.
1) Malta represents a perfect combination of Mediterranean and Anglo-Saxon influences. How does the working-place space planning reflect these two different souls?
The major influence in design and style of offices is very much Italian. Since being so close to Italy, you see its design influence being portrayed in all sectors., not only in interior spaces and offices. As a working culture, the Mediterranean social aspect is prevalent throughout, people tend to prefer interactive offices with open-plan spaces, same for meeting rooms; being able to stop for coffee and a conversation with a colleague tends to be a part of everyone’s day here. Work ethics, methods and processes are driven from Anglo-Saxon roots; however, I’d say this is diluted – it is one of our biggest strengths when it comes to foreign investment and has exposed us to other international cultures and way of working.
2) Vivendo opened the new show room a few months ago. How was the showroom conceived and designed?
The brief for the Vivendo showroom was to have an avant-garde space for the market in Malta by being unique in its experience. We do not just see it as a showroom, but it is a living space, so much that it is our own very workspace for our employees every single day. It is agile, flexible and transparent, we have many different nooks and corners where anyone can come and work. Instead of just focusing on how to display our products, our intentions were to create a hub for like-minded clients and architects who are most welcome to use the space. We also have a built-in auditorium specifically to make the showroom more interactive and functional for events. In terms of design, we went for an industrial look, with open ceilings, also giving us opportunity to get creative with different acoustics solutions, an important category in our office solutions.
3) What are the benefits of choosing Frezza as a strategic partner for your projects?
We love that Frezza are very versatile and up to date with their product designs- they also bring out new products very often which brings more options to the table. They are a reliable partner in two key categories for Vivendo i.e. medium to high-end office furniture and partitions. The quality in their partitions is unbeatable and we have become leaders in that market, thanks to their support. Their high-end design, quality and logistics help us attract architects who are strong influencers in our business.
4) What opportunity does the COVID-19 crisis give interior designers to rethink work spaces?
Luckily, we have not been hit as hard as the rest of Europe and worldwide. We are fortunate enough that in Malta, the COVID-19 pandemic was controlled to a point where it did not last as long, and we were not on a full lockdown. Therefore, we have seen minimal impact on the transition of returning to the office so far. It has opened the doors to home office solutions where many companies especially those in technology, have now adopted a hybrid solution, where they work from home and from the office.
5) Smart working recently became a compelling need to facilitate the continuation of Companies’ activity. What is the approach of Vivendo to this new challenge for Companies and employees?
We continue to provide information, insights and solutions in functionality of offices to improve overall better productivity and wellness at the workplace, wherever your own workplace may be today – could be hot desking, a café, a hotel lobby or your home. For example, we also collaborate with other market leaders in related fields, such as Physiotherapists, who can assess home offices of clients so that the right ergonomic tools are implemented. We have always focused on the culture that you can work from anywhere with the right tools in places without disruptions.
Find out more about Vivendo in the official website: https://vivendo.mt/