design et al are pleased to announce FGMF Arquitectos have been shortlisted for the Office Award at the International Design and Architecture Awards 2015.
The demand for this design was to create a more humanized space for work, going in the opposite direction to the traditional, lifeless cubicles of most offices. The most challenging aspect of the project was the height limit of buildings in the location; just nine meters. To overcome this, the design team found a horizontal solution.
To fulfill the demands of the design brief and challenge the traditions of working spaces, the architects conceptualised a plan which would enable the offices to have, besides their closed areas, generous porched spaces for outdoor meetings and their own private gardens. For this creative resources such as: garden ceilings, large glazed façades, generous spans and unconventional porches were deployed to create an inspiring and inviting space to work. The offices located on the ground floor benefit from double ceiling height, taking advantage of the natural land slope. Thus, the visitor arrives through a mezzanine and can go downstairs to the main working area, where there is the porch and private garden at the rear.
The original building structure is formed from precast concrete and the design team opted to expose these industrial structures within their architecture. Where supporting beams and columns were exposed by the new design, they were painted white to improve their aesthetic appeal and bring a calming tone to the office ambiance. Every floor has access to private gardens and terraces whilst the offices situated on the top floor have metallic stairs leading to a rooftop garden. The building has many living areas, bicycle racks, common changing rooms and a café; this design is entirely at odds with contemporary office spaces, which highly segregate their workers and staff.