TotalEnergies – Brussels

Previously located on the outskirts of the city, the new headquarters now sits in the heart of Brussels, along one of the city’s main pedestrian routes. The project aims to become a landmark within the urban landscape. It is housed in a BREEAM-certified, carbon-neutral building and respects the architectural vision of CONIX RDBM—namely sobriety, minimalism and transparency, ensuring maximum natural light throughout the space.

The project represents 17,000 sqm of gross floor area across 8 levels. Designed to accommodate around 1,000 employees with 600 workstations, the layout follows the principles of Activity-Based Working.

It brought together our Consulting (Workplace & Change), Design & Build (Studio, Fit-out) and Digital teams.

Interior design concept

Three key principles guided the project:

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Conceived as a flagship project reflecting the brand’s identity and values, Kardham’s Studio created a warm and welcoming atmosphere through the careful selection of materials. The design reflects both TotalEnergies’ energy transition and its broader corporate transformation, drawing on one of its core values: a pioneering spirit.

Clarity & transparency
Transparency and clarity are at the heart of the architectural approach. The design introduces visual sequences, perspectives and layered uses to reinforce openness while maintaining coherence with the architectural intent.

Innovation
Driven by innovation and performance, Total continues to evolve as TotalEnergies. In the same spirit, the project integrates a wide range of innovations, from micro-zoning and new ways of working to the use of sustainable materials.

Atmosphere

A warm and understated ambiance is achieved through the use of high-quality materials, a diversity of textures and a strong attention to detail.

A color palette has been developed in line with TotalEnergies’ architectural guidelines, combining soft and more vibrant tones with wood to create a welcoming and convivial environment.

Each floor is associated with a specific color, representing one of the Group’s energy sources. Materials are adapted accordingly, with consistent elements including wood, flooring finishes and bichromated steel.

Change management tailored to a strategic and cultural context

Our teams worked with TotalEnergies to define a long-term change management strategy and oversee its deployment—from strategic framing with the executive team to post-occupancy feedback mechanisms involving all employees.

Management teams were strongly engaged, both in defining needs and in translating the new workspace design into their day-to-day practices for leading hybrid teams. Hackathons, videos and peer workshops enabled managers to fully understand the transformation and prepare to leverage the new headquarters as a resource—supporting their role as coaches, both collectively and in individual relationships.

Employees were informed and actively involved in the project through:

• surveys and pulse checks to gather feedback on the project, communication level and support needs
• information webinars
• co-design workshops to define new workplace guidelines
• videos to help employees envision the new experience
• onboarding tools to facilitate orientation and adoption of new habits

Both strategic and practical, the entire change management program was delivered in French and Dutch, with the support of our Belgian partner Veerle Van Dyck.