Interview with Nicolas Maugery, Architect and Founder of YAD Space

Faced with the upheaval in work practices, office architecture is undergoing a major transformation. For over ten years, Nicolas Maugery, architect and founder of YAD Space, has been designing spaces that far transcend their purely productive function to become true hubs of culture, social connection, and belonging. From Enedis headquarters to Ubisoft offices, including hybrid and heritage projects, he champions a sensitive architecture, rooted in use, materials, and narrative.

Could you introduce yourself and explain the philosophy of YAD Space?

I am an architect by training and the founder of YAD Space, an agency created in 2014. Its creation came about almost out of necessity. At the time, I was also co-founding the media group Melty, and we needed office space. Still an architecture student, I designed these spaces myself, with a deliberately unconventional approach: an indoor meadow, repurposed signage, custom-made furniture, and above all, a clear desire to break with traditional institutional and security-focused codes. These offices quickly attracted attention. Melty's partners and clients, after visiting them, asked us to adapt this approach to their own premises. Simultaneously, I was working in Copenhagen on highly architectural projects—opera houses, public facilities—where the concept of a place's soul and culture was central. YAD Space was born from this intersection of architecture, use, and identity. Since its inception, the agency has grown exclusively through referrals.

Today, nearly 90% of our projects involve offices, primarily in Paris, but also in other regions – Lyon, Bordeaux, Grenoble, Biarritz, Angoulême – and internationally, including a business club project in Cape Town, South Africa. We also work in the hotel and restaurant sector, bringing design elements from the hospitality, retail, and restaurant industries into workspaces.

How do you respond to evolving business practices and new ways of working?

The central issue in recent years has been emptiness. Whether in La Défense or Paris, many office floors are now only 30-60% occupied, even during the week. Working in oversized and partially empty spaces is uncomfortable, sometimes even anxiety-inducing. Our role is to address this reality while strengthening the sense of belonging. What we have been doing for over twelve years—creating spaces with a strong identity, a clear DNA, both in aesthetics and functionality—is even more relevant today. Spaces that people want to come to, where they feel good, almost like in a sanctuary.

Each project is custom-designed, anticipating the evolution of teams and work methods.

“Working in oversized and partially empty spaces is uncomfortable, sometimes even anxiety-inducing.”

Why do shared spaces play such a central role in your projects?

From the outset, our approach has been based on the diversity of space types and comfort levels. People don't work the same way when they come for two hours as they do for a whole day. Some users prefer informal, almost domestic spaces – sofas, large shared tables, open kitchens – while others seek very quiet and private areas, which we internally call "hideouts." These are small spaces with two to five workstations, offering excellent acoustics, beautiful natural light, and a real sense of quality. These spaces are intentionally positioned along daily traffic flows. We aim to move away from the traditional "reception-workstation-meeting room-exit" model. Moving through these spaces becomes natural and fosters informal encounters and social connections, which are essential for well-being at work today.

"We aim to move away from the traditional 'reception-workstation-meeting room-exit' model."

The Enedis project often comes up in your discussions. Why is it so representative of your approach?

It concerns the Enedis headquarters in Puteaux, in the recently completed Altiplano building. The project covers approximately 10,000 m² spread over several levels. The building already has a significant advantage: it is not a high-rise building, which offers greater regulatory flexibility and a more human-centered perception of the spaces. Initially, a highly optimized space plan had been developed by another firm, following a logic typical of La Défense, which is very rational and very dense. The problem was the complete absence of buffer zones, breathing space, and communal areas. We first focused on the signage, and then the project evolved into a true architectural project. By reworking the densities and occupancy rates, one thing became clear: the floor plates were already significantly underutilized. A bold decision was then made with Enedis, something never easy in a company of this size: to dedicate an entire floor to common areas. The top floor, approximately 2,000 m², was thus transformed into a coworking space. It has become the most open, spacious area, offering the best view. Today, it's a vibrant place, inviting people to meet up and spend time there.

Can you tell us about other flagship projects?

At Ubisoft in Bordeaux, we worked on approximately 3,000 m² in the Bastide-Niel district, within a converted former industrial hall. We designed the common areas, gyms, meeting rooms, as well as the terraces and rooftops. Ubisoft operates very much as a community, centered around game releases and internal events. We envisioned large central kitchens, tiered seating, cabins, and prominent display areas. The local interior design firm was chosen for its ability to source materials within an 80 km radius, with handcrafted finishes and a genuine patina. In a different style, the Praemia project in Saint-Ouen, in the former Samsung headquarters, explored a neo-retro aesthetic inspired by the 1970s.

We also recently completed the Héméra coworking space in Biarritz, in a historic Palladian villa, where a large central bar serves as a focal point and gathering place.

“We prefer the concept of versatility, for spaces capable of accommodating multiple uses without major renovations.”

What is your approach to furniture and custom design?

Custom design is a cornerstone of our work. Many clients talk about flexibility, which often translates into empty open-plan spaces or mobile furniture poorly suited to actual use. We prefer the concept of versatility, for spaces capable of accommodating multiple uses without major renovations.

On the Enedis project, we took this approach to the next level by working with its museum to recover historical elements – insulators, old cables, work clothes, technical objects, and even a collection of small blue cars. These elements were integrated like a mini-museum, telling the story and defining characteristics of the company. The large, custom-designed coworking table illustrates this approach: its concrete top evokes the poles of the power grid, while an integrated light strip references the diversity of cables, professions, and profiles. These are details, but they play a key role in the way people make the space their own.

"The next ten years will be marked by a focus on mental and physical health."

How do you integrate environmental considerations and reuse?

On the Enedis project, approximately 70% of the furniture was reused, refinished, or upcycled, in collaboration with ARP Astrance, our furniture project management consultant. We also use many recycled materials, notably acoustic panels made from recycled PET. A striking example is the use of old Enedis work overalls, recycled by FabBRICK into acoustic bricks. You can sometimes still see buttons, labels, or traces of life on them. These materials have a history and respond to a growing need for more human-like materials in the age of digital technology and artificial intelligence.

How do you define the office of tomorrow?

The next ten years will be marked by mental and physical well-being. It won't be a spectacular revolution, but a gradual transition towards greater comfort, light, acoustic quality, and materials. The amount of space per person is decreasing; that's a fact. Our role is to offset this evolution by making every space more pleasant, more humane, and more equitable.

Photo credits: YAD Space

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