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Architects: DQV Architects
- Area: 630 m²
- Year: 2023
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Photographs:Valor Studio
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Manufacturers: Caesar, Daikin, Hafele, INAX, Sofacompany, TOT furniture, Tien LightArt, Vickini, Zero Furniture
Located in the dynamic Thu Duc city area with many development opportunities. This project aims to create a flexible space enabling the business to evolve, still focused on the quality of life of their employees. The initial status is 2 lots of townhouses that have been designed and partially built. Each one has a footprint of 7 x 15 meters and six levels.
Design requirements are based on two main factors - Firstly, this is not just a simple space for sharing but also a combination of both communal and private areas: these consist of flexible shared workspaces, as well as individual office rooms. Secondly, the layout has to be flexible so that the owner can easily rearrange the office layout to accommodate changing business objectives or quickly scale up and down to fit teams of different sizes. Therefore, we suggest setting aside half of the floor area as public space for meetings and activities, offering more attractive and interactive spaces, making this building different compared with standard office buildings. The first and third floors are used as enclosed office spaces. The ground floor, 2nd floor, and 4th floor are designed as open working areas and common spaces. By allocating the open spaces between closed office spaces, we want to reduce the feeling of stuffiness for workers when moving along the vertical axis of the building.
Space Distribution - The ground floor is defined by an arrangement of long tables, coffee counters, and reception counters within the interior of the space, which defines a series of interstitial lounge spaces throughout the open space. The exposed concrete pillars also create a sense of division between different areas of the space. On the other hand, the open shared space is designed as a giant multifunctional space that can accommodate functions like workshops, educational activities, and events. The space is filled with colorful furniture that contrasts with the white walls and the gray floor.
On the 1st floor, the main meeting room occupies the center of the building while the enclosed office rooms are distributed around the perimeter, allowing natural light to flood all the corners of the space and forcing them to travel the space in a circular way, thus fostering the collaborative and dynamic character of all coworking needs to. Adjacent office rooms can be combined into a larger room by removing the partition in the middle without affecting other components in the office. This creates an opportunity for companies to expand the space used as they grow.
The space on the 3rd floor is designed to include medium-sized working rooms, without meeting rooms. The partitions between the offices can also be disassembled to create a large space on the whole floor. The purpose of limiting the material palette is to accentuate the project’s function, defined as primarily a workspace, and avoid the trap of over-emphasizing leisure features and other distracting elements. This way, the design allows users to enjoy and relax while highly focusing on their work. In contrast to the closed office spaces on the 1st and 3rd floors, the 2nd floor space is completely open. The workspaces are divided by a group of desks. These desks can be flexibly rotated to change the number of people working in the group. The different orientations of the desk layout can deregulate the way of use, and the void space between them allows employees to redefine. The inserted locker box among working desks allows everyone to detach from their computers and have a quick discussion at any time. A large sofa set is placed in the space approaching the balcony. This open zone is a relaxing space and a place for coworkers and partners to collaborate and discuss work more comfortably and naturally. A mirror block of WC surrounded by planters' box illuminating the space, creating elegant and discreet scenography.
Three main spaces delimit the 4th-floor space; the front terrace is the place to organize parties and events, while the rear terrace is used for people to exercise. The middle area is the pantry and the small meeting room. The design of the terrace uses soft curves that contrast with the flat glass partitions inside. It has a white louver roof that allows natural light to enter the space. The white walls create a contrast with the green plants that add a touch of nature and freshness. The light-colored tile floor gives a sense of spaciousness and cleanliness. The terrace space is designed to be a comfortable and inviting place for people to socialize, relax, and enjoy. For regular office buildings, the exercise space is usually a gym with air conditioning. In this building, at the rear terrace, people can participate in wellness activities such as yoga, meditation, dance classes, etc., with natural light, fresh air, and plants.
Materials - Due to the project’s low cost, we chose to leave most of the surfaces unfinished, preserve the original unfinished floor and ceiling, and then remove the stucco to reveal the raw concrete of the central cores. The interior is furnished with colorful furniture and artwork to create a flexible, informal working environment that promotes creativity, knowledge, and interaction.
