GLIMT: When the space becomes part of the strategy

By Thea Johansen | Photos: GLIMT

A successful workplace is about far more than how a room looks. It can influence how people work, collaborate and feel, but also how a company is perceived, how its culture develops and how it attracts and retains people. For GLIMT, interior architecture is far more than the final layer of a building project.

With more than 25 years of experience in interior architecture, project development and execution, Camilla Aanensen, managing director and project developer at GLIMT, has experienced both sides of the process – from developing design concepts to seeing what happens when they meet budgets, technical requirements, suppliers and construction on site. It was one of the reasons why she established GLIMT: to connect design more closely with the businesses, buildings and people they are created for. “I wanted to combine the professional perspective of the interior architect with a much greater understanding of the business, the building, the people and the execution itself,” Aanensen says.

Today, GLIMT has developed from an interior architecture practice into a holistic Design & Build partner, with particular expertise in larger commercial buildings and complex workplace projects. Rather than separating design from the practicalities of a project, the company brings the different stages together, from needs analysis and concept development to floor plans, materials, lighting and furniture, through to pricing, coordination and execution. This is particularly valuable in larger projects, where design, economics, technical requirements, procurement and execution need to be considered together from the outset. “The whole is our product,” Aanensen states.

Managing director and project developer Camilla Aanensen.

Designed around people

That approach begins with a deceptively simple question: what does a space actually need to do? Before deciding on materials or furniture, GLIMT looks at the organisation itself. How do people work? What is not working today? Is the company planning to grow? What should remain, what needs to change, and what should the building communicate?
For Aanensen, understanding the people who will use a space is fundamental. “An office is not successful because it looks good in a drawing or on Instagram. It’s successful when the people who use it feel that it works for them,” she says.

That question has become increasingly important as working life changes. Hybrid work, new technology and artificial intelligence are reshaping how and where people work, while human connection, collaboration and belonging remain essential. GLIMT is increasingly interested in the research behind what makes workplaces support both performance and well-being. “We mustn’t just design for today’s way of working. We have to try to understand what the workplace will be in the future,” Aanensen explains.

Looking ahead does not mean choosing function over aesthetics. Lighting, acoustics, spatial planning and workflow are just as important to the experience as colours, materials and visual expression. “Interior architecture is about getting function, aesthetics, identity, experience and economics to pull in the same direction,” Aanensen says.

GLIMT: When the space becomes part of the strategy

Creating places that last

Longevity is another important part of the equation. Rather than replacing everything when a space is redesigned, GLIMT first considers what can be kept, upgraded or given new life. Quality materials and products designed to last are favoured over solutions chosen simply because they happen to be fashionable.

“Trends come and go,” Aanensen says. “The big changes in how we work are far more interesting.” Sustainability is also about making good investments: the most sustainable solution is not necessarily the cheapest today, but the one that functions well, lasts longer and can adapt as an organisation changes.

One project that brings many of these ideas together is the new headquarters of Haugesund Sparebank. Having moved into S77 in spring 2026, the bank now occupies a modern, BREEAM-certified commercial building in Haugesund. GLIMT created an interior that combines a professional expression with something warmer and more personal, bringing together plans, materials, colours, lighting, furniture, acoustics and identity.

The project placed emphasis on Norwegian design and, wherever possible, locally produced furniture. The client’s response has been particularly meaningful to Aanensen: the new headquarters has been described as having a hotel-like atmosphere while still feeling like home. For GLIMT, it is an example of how the connection between building, organisation and people can shape a successful workplace. “I want the client to feel that the investment has been the right one,” Aanensen says. “That the premises work better, that the employees thrive, that the company’s identity is clear.”

For larger businesses, the workplace is increasingly part of the company’s identity and strategy – a physical expression of culture, values and ambitions. GLIMT’s three words for its approach are therefore telling: holistic, brave and human. “Holistic, because all the different parts have to work together. Brave, because good design sometimes means challenging what has always been done. And human, because ultimately everything we create is made for people.”

For GLIMT, good interior architecture begins with understanding people, business and place – and creating workplaces that support both the organisation and the people within it.

GLIMT: When the space becomes part of the strategy