Julius Baer in impressive new offices

Tuesday 22 March 2022

Julius Baer Guernsey has moved into purpose-built offices at Admiral Park.

The wealth management firm says client experience, staff mental and physical health and lessons learned during the pandemic were all considerations when planning its new home.

The Swiss group now occupies the top three floors of the four-storey building at No. 1 The Plaza.

Following growth in recent years, Julius Baer required larger premises to accommodate its teams of around 150 staff.

In February, the team were greeted with a welcome pack, including environmentally-friendly branded products, a cookbook from local charity GROW and a pre-loaded Puffin Pass for use on buses.

The new office was designed to provide staff with a modern workplace that enhances their wellbeing.

It has breakout areas to encourage collaboration, self-contained pods for focused working and sit-stand desks for physical comfort.

There is also a state-of-the-art gym for staff and a staff hub which is light, modern and welcoming and which has quickly become one of the favourite spaces in the new office.

Pictured: Collaboration and comfort are at the heart of the new office.

Stephen Burt, Julius Baer Guernsey’s Branch Manager, said: “During Guernsey’s lockdowns, it became apparent that our team members can work from different places and in different ways.

“We wanted to translate some of that flexibility into the office environment and encourage colleagues to work in a way where they feel happy and productive.

“That might mean taking your laptop away from your desk into a quiet space for a while, working in the staff hub for a change of scenery, or having a team meeting in a boardroom setting.”

The office is equipped with brand-new desks, chairs and IT facilities.

Auburn Gardens were appointed to fill planters around the office with greenery and indoor plants, which have been proven to boost mood and purify the air.

Pictured: The office is claimed to be amongst the most energy efficient in the Bailiwick.

Staff are encouraged to use active travel to get to work – with a large bicycle rack and staff showers provided – and the building itself is measured by the Building Research Establishment’s Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), which is marketed as the world’s leading and most widely-used environmental assessment method for buildings. 

Clients will also benefit from the new offices.

“Our client zone is designed to be very similar to other branches of the bank around the world, so our clients will feel comfortable and familiar when they come to visit us in person," said Mr Burt.

“Overall, we’ve got a modern workplace here which already feels like home. It will be a brilliant location for our growing team here in Guernsey and is a statement of our commitment to the island.”

No. 1 The Plaza was built by Comprop using contractor JW Rihoy & Son with additional works, design and consultancy carried out by a number of sub-contracted and additional parties including C8, Axis Mason, FME and Colin Smith Partnership.