Business in the spotlight: SV Collection

SV COLLECTION: “WE’RE TAKING A SURPRISING APPROACH IN OUR THINKING AND DESIGN”

From offices and public spaces to universities, SV Collection designs them all. A fixture in the project design world for 44 years, the company is committed to innovation and furniture collections that enhance human experience and functioning. Commercial Director Patrick Schelvis invited us for coffee at their self-styled ‘clubhouse office’, where he told us all about the firm’s philosophy.

Weg en Bos 28 2661 DH Bergschenhoek Nederland

T +31 (0)10 211 20 50 E info@sv.nl W www.sv.nl “Ideally, we want an office to operate like a clubhouse”, Patrick says with a smile. “Your sport club’s clubhouse is somewhere you like to go, to hang out with friends and kick back. But you’re also there to perform and, above all, it’s a place you enjoy being.” That’s a feeling we should experience in the workplace, too, argues the commercial director. “You should feel that same kind of bond with your company and colleagues.”

ENERGIZING

According to SV, those connections are more important than ever. “In this market you have to be sensitive to what your employees want. The battle for talent is fierce, and a bigger pay cheque or a company car won’t cut it anymore these days.” More important, Patrick says, are opportunities for individual development and interpersonal bonding. So how do you achieve that, as an employer? “The work setting should be energizing while also leaving room for concentration and quiet when needed. And you also need to make room to have fun together.”

VIEW TO THE FUTURE

Simple as it sounds, organizations often don’t quite know how to translate this philosophy to an interior. That’s precisely where SV can help. “We look at the organization from the inside and zoom in on who they are, what they want to accomplish and how they envisage the future.” Based on these considerations, SV draws up a plan and translates the company’s values into a physical layout keyed to its wishes and in a style that fits its aspirations. They also carefully select sustainable (and refurbished) furniture with a view to the future, Patrick explains. To ensure that everything is still working optimally, SV visits clients periodically. “Interiors have to be kept up. You service your car, boat or house regularly, too. This check is super important, and the personal touch is what sets us apart.”

SPECIAL PROJECTS

Office design is not the only area where SV is making waves. “We’re trying to take a novel approach in our thinking and our design, and that’s bearing fruit. We’re taking on all sorts of other spaces now as well.” SV’s interiors can be found everywhere from the head offices of KPN and Hallmark to the Erasmus University Rotterdam Library, Boijmans van Beuningen Depot, all Moore DRV offices and Rotterdam’s municipal offices. “Our work is incredibly wide-ranging and we cover the whole country. That’s what makes this line of work fun and keeps it challenging.”