Last week in our current office: what moving means for the family

On January 25th, the team of the head office (including me) had the chance to visit for the FIRST TIME the new construction of La Maison Lavande x La Fabrique des filles. I can tell you that the nervousness, the excitement & the feverishness were palpable (!!!) 

I was impressed & touched to see how much they thought about us, the employees, the big family of La Maison Lavande. Each decision, each room, has been thought out according to our well-being & that's verry precious. 

In 2021, we wrote a blog post here to announce the purchase of our new land. Today, we're writing one to mark our last week in our current offices — it's crazy to think we're there.

I talked to the family to find out what all this change means to them & obviously, it means a lot. —

It marks the progression and sustainability of the company or our companies at La Fabrique des filles & La Maison Lavande. It is the accomplishment of a long and big work that we will finally be able to share with the great families of La Maison Lavande and La Fabrique des Filles. 

Equipping ourselves with facilities that match our ambitions and are dedicated to the well-being of all employees is a challenge. Without the involvement of each member of the big family of the Fabrique des filles and Maison Lavande, we would not have had this desire to always go further. 

Decisions based on employee well-being :

The well-being of employees is always put forward at La Maison Lavande. A working environment focused on nature, functional facilities & meeting everyone's needs are essential. Being well and happy in your environment is essential. That's why you want to go to work in the morning. As we were leaving a bucolic rural environment, it was important for us not to end up in a cane. We really wanted to keep a link with nature so already the choice of land overlooking agricultural land allowed us to think of a building that would make us forget the colder and duller side of an industrial district.

Fenestration and light were at the heart of the architectural choices. We wanted all workstations to be able to see outside and enjoy the daylight. The design is inspired by biophilia to provide comfort and peace of mind. In our new facilities, there is a lot of vegetation: plants, trees and even a garden at the foot of the stairs. The whole building is largely fenestrated to give a view of the countryside and give natural light. We also thought of a lighting system controlled by external photosensitivity that allows us to always have a comfortable light. 

The production rooms of the Girls' Factory are partly automated to reduce strenuous tasks. The dining room has nothing to do with a traditional factory cafeteria, it looks like a restaurant where the break time will become pleasant and friendly. The choice of materials is unusual for a manufacturing space or commercial offices, we really wanted to focus on the sustainability of these, local sourcing as much as possible and beauty. It was really important for us to have quality, beauty & durability. The online store will finally have the space to meet the demand as well as the warehouse that will be able to stop playing Tetris. 

The common & individual areas have been designed to meet the expressed needs of employees; More closed spaces for training, small team meetings or calls, creative spaces that allow exchange and refresh ideas, bright spaces to promote well-being, comfort, terraces giving access to the outside and a shaped space to facilitate access to training for all. We spend so much time in these workspaces that it was super important for us to think in terms of the beauty and well-being of the employees.

What are the small stresses that accompany this change ?

We feel excited when we think about our moving, much more than stress. We've been working on this project for nearly two years. Seeing it finally come true is a victory in itself. Our next victory will be to see each employee find his place and his little happiness. We want so much that everyone likes it and adapts to it as best as possible. We will listen and try to accompany everyone in the stresses that this great change can bring.  

The big family is so eager to finally be able to reunite its two entities. La fabrique des Filles and La Maison Lavande were not far from each other, but this distance greatly complicated our operations. By bringing everyone together under one roof, we gain synergy. It is also very motivating for employees who will live together, get to know each other and all work together towards a common goal.

And all this is possible because of you, of your support. Words fail us to tell you how grateful we are — thank you very much. ❤️