S32 in Flekkefjord: A shared office space with fjord views

Business in Flekkefjord

Separate jobs. Shared lunch, meeting rooms and fjord views.

At S32 in Flekkefjord, the businesses share more than just an address. Shared meeting rooms, lunch tables and communal areas facing the fjord give both small and larger companies a working environment that extends beyond their own office walls. That is exactly how co-owners Geir Jerstad and Jahn Ove H. Tønnessen want it.

Around half past eleven, many of those working at S32 gather for a shared lunch. Bread and spreads are bought collectively, and around the table people meet who have different employers, fields and tasks.

Some have an entire department in the building. Others have just one office. At the lunch table, they are all part of the same community.

For Geir Jerstad and Jahn Ove H. Tønnessen, these everyday encounters are a key part of the idea behind S32: the businesses should have good conditions for doing their own work, while also gaining something from sharing a building with others.

I look forward to going to work every day. Meeting people matters.
Geir Jerstad, managing director and board chair, Varnes Chartering AS

Jerstad is managing director and board chair of the shipbroking and chartering company Varnes Chartering AS. Tønnessen works as a construction engineer at Pilar. Both are co-owners of S32 and have their own daily workplace in the building.

S32 by the numbers

15–16businesses in the building

800m²square metres

40–45office workstations

4mill. NOKinvested in upgrades

15–16 businesses share meeting rooms and fjord views

Around 15–16 businesses are based in the commercial building in Flekkefjord town centre. Sweco and Pilar have their own departments, while other companies rent smaller spaces.

Altogether, the building covers around 800 square metres and has room for between 40 and 45 office workstations. But the value of an office space is also about what exists beyond the office itself.

Three meeting rooms and a conference room give the businesses space to bring together clients, colleagues and partners. Shared lunch rooms and seating areas provide room for breaks and informal conversations.

Large parts of the side facing the fjord have also been set aside as communal areas. Several of the offices have great views too, but the closeness to the sea is meant to be something everyone in the building can enjoy.

For a small business, this means access to facilities and meeting spaces that would otherwise require much larger premises.

To menn står i et møterom med stor skjerm, blått veggpanel og glassdører ut mot fellesarealet på S32. — Three meeting rooms and a conference room are among the facilities shared by the businesses at S32.Photo: Tor Sindre Tjomlid

Opening up between the businesses

The idea that S32 should function as a community has also guided the renovation of the building.

Previously, the companies and offices were more separated. Now the space has been opened up, more glass has been installed, and emphasis has been placed on connecting floors and departments more closely.

Around four million kroner has been invested in the upgrade. The work has also included energy measures and reuse, including sanding of existing floors.

Jerstad and Tønnessen want it to be easy for people to meet across the different businesses. A chat by the coffee machine can make it easier to knock on a door later. Once people know each other, they also know more about the expertise available around them.

The businesses buy services from each other and meet on local projects. For the owners, this is one of the advantages of gathering several professional environments in one place.

Lyst fellesareal på S32 med store vinduer mot fjorden og åpne forbindelser mellom etasjene. — Large parts of the side facing the sea have been set aside as communal areas, and open connections between floors tie the building together.Photo: Tor Sindre Tjomlid

Reasonable rent and short notice period

It should also be easy to become part of the building.

At S32, you can rent an office at a reasonable price, with access to shared meeting rooms, a lunch room and communal areas. With a three-month notice period, the owners want to lower the threshold for moving in. The premises are easy to put to use, and the spaces can be adapted as the businesses' needs change.

Jerstad and Tønnessen talk about people who have moved home to Flekkefjord while keeping their job with an employer in Stavanger, with an office in the building.

This way, you can have your workplace in Flekkefjord even if your employer is based elsewhere. Here you'll find meeting rooms, a shared lunch community, and people to share the workday with.

Andre Sætre Solheim: A bigger environment than the company alone

One person who really values this is Andre Sætre Solheim. He works at Pilar and has his daily workplace at S32.

Andre Sætre Solheim ved skrivebordet sitt på S32, med utsikt mot hustak og fjell gjennom vinduet. — Photo: Tor Sindre Tjomlid

"
It feels much bigger than just six employees when you have an office in this building.
Andre Sætre Solheimstructural engineer, Pilar

Solheim is a structural engineer. He highlights the value of having several fields of expertise gathered around him. Even though the businesses don't always work on the same tasks, it's useful to be able to discuss things with others.

The social aspect also matters a great deal. Through lunches and shared activities, he gets to know far more people than just his closest colleagues.

At S32 they have organised things like padel and squash, a pizza-making evening, a trip to Hidra and a shared Christmas party. Solheim usually joins in.

Brought his profession to Flekkefjord

Solheim moved from Bergen to Flekkefjord in 2021. His wife is from the town, and family ties along with a wish for a smaller community helped draw them south. They now live in Rauli.

I really enjoy living in Flekkefjord. Most activities are just a short distance away.
Andre Sætre Solheim

At Pilar, he works on, among other things, designing steel and concrete structures and calculating load-bearing systems for homes and commercial buildings. Assignments come from the local area as well as elsewhere in Rogaland and Agder.

The move allowed him to continue working largely within the same field he had in Bergen. Interesting projects and colleagues who challenge him provide room for further growth.

At the same time, he has found a working life where both the professional environment and the social community extend beyond his own company.

Flere ansatte fra ulike bedrifter samlet rundt lunsjbord utendørs på brygga ved S32. — Shared lunches and a shared staircase: at S32, people from different companies meet both over food and in everyday life.

En gruppe ansatte fra flere bedrifter samlet i trappen på S32, under et stort takvindu. — Shared lunches and a shared staircase: at S32, people from different companies meet both over food and in everyday life.

A building people want to be part of

For Jerstad and Tønnessen, a good working environment doesn't happen on its own. They want tenants who see the value of the community and want to contribute.

Many of the shareholders have their own offices in the building. This keeps them closely connected to both the atmosphere and the practical needs of everyday life. Jerstad is happy to pitch in with all sorts of tasks and jokingly refers to himself as the building's "Narvestad".

The owners also want to involve businesses in neighbouring buildings in shared activities. Along the waterfront, several commercial players sit side by side — a row they jokingly compare to "Barcode" in Oslo.

The S32 initiative is privately run and operates without public funding. The ambition is to create an attractive workplace where businesses can grow and people thrive.

The meeting rooms, the shared lunches and the areas facing the fjord are part of that. Still, for Jerstad, it's the people that make him look forward to coming in.

Great view. The finest offices in town, but the people and the atmosphere still matter most.
Geir Jerstad

Oversiktsbilde av næringsbygg tett i tett langs sjøfronten i Flekkefjord sentrum, speilet i vannet. — Flekkefjord's answer to 'Barcode'? With a wink, the owners compare the row of commercial buildings along the waterfront to the well-known building row in Oslo.Photo: Tor Sindre Tjomlid

Questions and answers

Around 15–16 businesses are based in the S32 commercial building in Flekkefjord town centre, including Sweco and Pilar.

The building covers around 800 square metres and has room for between 40 and 45 office workstations.

You can rent an office at a reasonable price, with access to shared meeting rooms, a lunch room and communal areas.

The notice period is three months, which the owners believe lowers the threshold for moving in.

Around four million kroner has been invested in the upgrade, which has also included energy measures and reuse.