My Facility: Anders Nielsen

My journey started from a strong technical foundation and grew into a career where I discovered my passion for optimizing buildings, processes and teams. My first exposure to the industry came in 2012 when I joined Danske Commodities as an FM. Before that, I worked as an electrician, handling installations, access control, building management systems and supervising apprentices. While I enjoyed the technical work, I was increasingly curious about how entire buildings and workplaces were run — not just from a technical perspective, but also operationally and strategically. I knew FM was right for me because it combined everything I loved: solving technical challenges, leading projects, working closely with people and finding ways to improve how things run. I realized I could make a real impact — not just by fixing problems, but proactively shaping the environment where people work. Since then, my career has taken me through roles at AAB Silkeborg, where I managed residential portfolios and implemented FM systems, to Grundfos, where I led teams, drove digital transformations and managed significant facilities of 273,000 square meters. Today, as an FM at VELUX, I’m responsible for multiple sites totaling 80,000 square meters, leading projects, managing budgets and pushing digitalization forward with new IWMS systems. What keeps me passionate about FM is the balance of technical insight, operational leadership and people development. I love identifying opportunities for optimization, setting direction for change, and helping organizations create sustainable, efficient and welcoming environments. That first step into FM showed me where my skills and interests truly belonged — and I’ve never looked back. LKR Innovation House (LKR IH) in Østbirk is a landmark for sustainable architecture and a transformative hub for modern ways of working. Originally constructed in 1995 as a logistics and administrative center, it was Denmark’s largest industrial building built primarily from wood — an experimental venture aimed at using natural materials with minimal environmental impact and maintenance. Nearly 30 years later, the facility retains its pioneering spirit, both as an architectural icon and as the centerpiece of VELUX’s future innovation strategy. LKR Innovation House will be the future center for all main research and development (R&D) activities in VELUX, bringing together more than 500 employees from previously fragmented locations across Denmark under one roof. This creates a vibrant, collaborative innovation community where knowledge sharing and interdisciplinary cooperation thrive. The building’s design actively motivates practical, integrative and experimental product development. Flexible spaces, transparent architecture and a variety of specialized zones — ranging from mini-workshops and collaborative lounges to quiet focus rooms and well-being areas — are designed to support the diverse activities of modern R&D work. What kind of FM challenges do you face with the exterior and interior design and unique architecture? Managing LKR IH requires balancing the preservation of a unique experimental building with the operational demands of a dynamic, modern innovation hub. Some of the key FM challenges and focus areas include: • Timber architecture & maintenance • Untreated CLT interior walls • Flexible space planning • Organic organization & change • Integration of modern FM systems • Fire safety & climate control • Preservation sensitivities Key principles and features shaping our new ways of working include: • Collaborative innovation community • Flexible, transparent workspaces • Neighborhoods • Shared seating & clean desk policy • Lockers & storage selection to fit individual storage needs, supporting flexibility and minimal clutter. • Variety of work settings o Flex rooms for focused work or small group collaboration o Collaborative areas for informal discussions or PC-based tasks o Workstations in neighborhood zones o Focus rooms for complete concentration o Specialized areas like mini-workshops for hands-on development • Amenities supporting well-being & collaboration o A Well-being Room for rest and quiet reflection o A Fitness Room with indoor and outdoor areas o The Collab zone for meetings with guests, students and partners o A vibrant play lounge for relaxation, social connection and creative breaks • Encouraging cross-department collaboration The layout and design create incentives to interact with colleagues outside one’s immediate department, fostering a richer exchange of ideas and perspectives. • Hybrid work considerations The building accommodates hybrid work, with a lower ratio between desks and total employees, reflecting modern, flexible work patterns. Ultimately, LKR Innovation House is more than just an office building. It’s a sustainable architectural icon and a living platform for new ways of working. It embodies our commitment to innovation, sustainability and creating spaces that are good for people and the planet, while enabling our teams to bring daylight, fresh air and better living environments to the world. LKR IH is home to approximately 520 employees who work across a diverse range of functions, from research and development to project management and support roles. Each year, we welcome around 3,000 visitors to the facility. Our visitors include colleagues from other sites, external partners, suppliers, architects, students and professionals from across the entire construction industry. A busy FM day in LKR Innovation House involves managing this dynamic and varied activity. FM teams ensure: In short, FM in LKR IH is all about enabling people to collaborate effectively while maintaining a sustainable, inspiring and welcoming facility for everyone who enters our house. Although LKR IH is unique in many ways, we also share several challenges common across the FM industry. For example: In many ways, we’re like other facilities around the world: managing diverse user needs, juggling sustainability goals, implementing new technologies, and ensuring our spaces remain safe, welcoming and efficient for everyone who enters. In my region in VELUX, facility management is driven by a skilled team of 11 professionals who oversee a significant portfolio of 200,000 square meters across Denmark. This team ensures that our facilities — including offices, production sites and specialized buildings — operate efficiently, sustainably and safely every day. Our FM team functions as an integrated unit, combining local expertise with strategic oversight. A key element of how we operate is that all of our facility operations are delivered through a strategic partner model. This means that services such as cleaning, reception, handyman services, maintenance, catering, waste management and other day-to-day operations are managed and executed by our strategic FM partners, who provide on-site staff at all our locations. This partnership model enables our internal FM team to focus on strategic planning, service quality management, sustainability initiatives and the continuous improvement of the workplace experience. Our FM team is distinguished by their deep expertise, collaborative mindset and strong focus on delivering excellent service through effective partnerships. Ultimately, our FM team is the backbone of our facilities in Denmark. Together with our strategic partners, they make sure that places like LKR Innovation House are not only functional and sustainable but also inspiring environments where innovation thrives. What do you like best about what you do? What I enjoy most about my role is the opportunity to shape the environments where people innovate, connect and thrive. FM at this level isn’t just about buildings — it’s about creating workplaces that empower people and support the company’s bigger purpose. I’m especially proud of how we’ve developed LKR Innovation House — transforming a bold architectural experiment into a modern innovation hub that now brings together more than 500 colleagues under one sustainable, flexible roof. I’m motivated by complexity. I enjoy taking on challenges like evolving operating models, navigating stakeholder expectations, or balancing sustainability with functionality — and then turning those challenges into smart, scalable solutions. It's rewarding when a difficult transition becomes a smooth experience for our users, or when a strategic idea like shared seating or partner-delivered services becomes a reality that people appreciate. What makes the job truly great is seeing how our work directly supports the business: making it easier for teams to collaborate, helping reduce energy consumption and building spaces that people are proud to work in. I thrive in the space between vision and execution — bringing structure to change, translating needs into actions, and building environments that serve both people and performance. That’s where I find energy and impact.

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