The Bespoke Approach to EMEA Workplace Projects
In a sector where standardized solutions are still the norm, Allure takes a different position: every project starts from scratch, with a bespoke approach built around the client’s needs and ambitions.
Arthur Bosquier, Project Director at Allure, has led projects across Europe, from Paris and Milan to Luxembourg and Hamburg. Drawing on that experience, he explains what this bespoke approach looks like in practice, and how bringing together the right expertise enables Allure to respond to the unique challenges of every project, wherever in Europe they arise.
Having led projects across a wide range of European markets, what have you learned about the early stages of a project? What separates a successful start from one that struggles to gain momentum?
Our client’s challenges always become our challenges. That’s why we start every project from scratch, with a bespoke approach. That means we will always be looking for a deep understanding of our clients before anything else: their industry, their brand, their culture, their people, how they operate and what they stand for. That understanding becomes the foundation for every decision that follows.
Moreover, every project needs to be deeply anchored in its local environment and ecosystem. Whether the project is in Brussels, Madrid, Luxembourg, or Milan, what we bring has to be relevant to that specific context. There is no universal answer to what a great workplace looks like.
Given Allure’s positioning, each project you lead in the EMEA region brings together different markets, stakeholders, and technical challenges. How do you build a team capable of handling this complexity?
To execute complex, high-impact projects that meet the highest standards of our clients, we typically form an elite, highly experienced core team. And we draw on our network of subject matter experts to address the specific challenges each mandate presents, be it ESG, IT infrastructure, client experience and hospitality, and so on.
This allows every project to benefit not only from the expertise of the team on the ground, but also from the collective knowledge and experience built across our wider European network.
Some of the recent challenges we have tackled: a C-suite hospitality lounge, a futurist R&D innovation lab for a large fragrance firm, and a TV studio production room for a major entertainment group. Very different environments, very different demands but the same bespoke approach every time.
Once you’ve built that understanding of the client and assembled the right expertise, how do you ensure those insights are carried through into the design itself?
Our first gesture is always guided by a detailed analysis of the environment or buildings we are working within. Our role is really to reveal and elevate the iconic structures we are privileged to build into, while not forgetting their roots and the legacy they carry. It’s common for us to engage with the architects involved in the original base build, to preserve and extend the initial vision.
That continuity helps create a smoother design process and ensures the project remains true to both its architectural intent and the client’s needs.
As Arthur sees it, creating meaningful workplaces across Europe is not about applying a proven formula, but about bringing together the right expertise around each unique challenge. For clients, this means having a partner who can bridge the gap between global ambition and local execution.
