Insole Energia Solar

• Architects

Located in Porto Digital technology park in the city of Recife/PE - Brazil, Insole's head office occupies a century-old building with more than 1500 square meters that was revitalized and received a new infrastructure that reverberates the company's dynamic identity.

photo_credit Mobio Arquitetura, Paula Dante — Mobio Arquitetura, Paula Dante

Heritage, history and technology can be seen coexisting in large spaces with open workspaces, decompression areas for employees, balconies and a variety of meeting spaces that encourage creativity, problem solving and innovative ideas.

The new office occupies an historic building from the early 20th century that was restored by the Porto Digital Management Center (NGPD). The interior architecture was designed by Mobio Arquitetura and signage design by Estúdio Triciclo and Gustavo Magno.

The 4-storey eclectic building had been abandoned for decades and was completely restored based on the original project, rescuing the altimetric scale of the facades, the arched openings downstairs and the original ornaments.

Insole is a clean-fintech that works with solar energy diffusion in an innovative way, therefore the occupation of an existent building related to an heritage recovery was a relevant premise when choosing the location.

The building´s occupation project demanded the compatibility of a series of aspects, such as the organization of the different sectors of the company and the creation of communal use spaces in all floors that strengthen the sense of collectivity. The project avoided huge infrastructure interventions in order to emphasize it´s ambiental and constructive aspects, keeping the original ceiling heights when possible, assuming tubulations and visible infrastructure, without hiding ancient aspects. Some vestiges and marks of the centenary building were also highlighted, as a way of recognizing the importance of the memory and materiality of the old, superimposing another contemporary layer of organization and technology.

A careful analysis of each floor was substantial when distributing functions across the building. The mezzanine, for example, has a low height ceiling and huge pre-existing beams, with less natural ventilation. That's why it was chosen receive the meeting rooms and a small multipurpose auditorium. The meeting rooms were divided with aluminum and glass profile partitions taking the original beams as a guide. Vertical blinds were used with rhythmic and graphic alternation of colors to design a gradient inspired by heat maps, a solution that resonates with the visual vocabulary of solar energy and create a privacy filter for the rooms. Each room has a different color to make booking and identification easier by staff and visitors. The multipurpose auditorium was planned as a vibrant and dynamic space for training, courses, presentations and group activities. A versatile layout was proposed with flexible furniture such as movable bleachers, stackable chairs, movable whiteboards and modular poufs.

Different from mezzanine, the second floor has two bigger rooms with high ceilings and big windows, making it a suitable space for the open workstations taking advantage of natural lighting. One of the halls had its brickwork walls peeled off during the previous interrupted renovation. The architects took advantage of it and decided to leave the original mud bricks exposed, highlighted by the white half wall with inlaid line lamp and sconces with indirect light as a way to enhance the constructive nature of the building.

To ensure comfortable acoustic environments, strategies such as carpet flooring and acoustic clouds directed towards the workstations were implemented. A variety of compositions were investigated and applied such as the sets of deflecting triangles and the circular arrangement combined with linear lighting that refers to the sun and to visual representation of an expanding force. Despite being a floor mainly intended for workstations, points of collective use were created such as the meeting capsules for calls or small meetings and the yellow kitchenette, which is completely open and configures an alternative place to gather and chat.

The third and last floor concentrates, right next to another work sector, the largest communal spaces such as the decompression area with games and informal lounges with furniture such as a sofa and bleachers, making it an inviting space to take a break, play or gather spontaneously. A larger kitchen was also added, provided with equipment, meal tables and a cafeteria.Also on the third floor, the balconies shaded by the existing treetops received a subtle intervention of lighting, tables and mobile benches supported on the shortwall. The furniture was designed for moments of decompression, happy hour and rest.

In an agreement with Insole's sustainability premise, the energy consumed by the building comes from the solar farm belonging to the company. In the project, a charging station for electric cars was foreseen to be installed on the sidewalk as an item of urban kindness. The building is located on a cozy street that is closed to cars and prioritized for pedestrians, with nearby businesses that help to enhance the relationship between the building and the public space.