A design that answers to the needs of a youthful, lively and ever-changing working environment of a popular software developer in China - that was about to double in size.
AND Lab and the client understands that the most important and valuable asset to any company are their employees, hence we proposed an open-planned and transparent office that promotes communication between people and fulfills the users’ daily emotional and productivity needs to face the challenging tasks, day by day. We also respected the fact that no two human beings are the same: given that most staff here are in their energetic twenties, this difference can not be any more obvious.
The concept of “Ma”, a type of spatial quality that exists in between elements have been inserted into this project by way of defining blurred boundaries set by configuring different levels of transparencies when moving from one space to another. This varying level of permeability creates diversity in an otherwise long and linear office space. We also created a discussion space with a café-setting in between two departments to buffer the work environment complimented with a casual scent of coffee.
It is through these careful insertions of “Ma” that we could dissolve barriers and differences in this software developing company, empowering them with the spatial tools necessary for an ever expanding market of cyberspace.
On the technical aspect, we worked closely with the glass partitioning system company to develop and to custom made the extrusion profile so as to be able to accommodate LED strip at the bottom of the glass partition wall.
This is an APP developer company. More than 80% of the staffs are post-90s generation after one-child policy was introduced in China. This generation has more of a sense of individuality. So the working place is surrounded with drawable walls, using materials such as back-painted glass, blackboard and bake painted MDF board on which marker or dustless chalk can draw.
Especially the long continuous wall on south running through the office is made up of slidable back-painted glass panels, which only only partition out a long storage shelving space from the office but also offer a continuous surface for the staff to express and exchange their ideas. The staffs are also offered plenty of choices when it comes to discussion or meeting, from formal meeting rooms to informal coffee corners.
So we design the infrastructure to support their work and to nurture the atmosphere. The content of the discussion and their idea left on the wall create a democratic and lively working environment.
Winter lasts about 4-5 months in Beijing. During winter, trees and bushes appear to be bare and without leaves. The city appears quite grey and dull without green in winter. Summer is quite short, it only lasts about 2 months before entering autumn. So we thought it will make the working environment livelier throughout the year with green on the interior.
The overall base colours of the finished materials are white, matt silver and black as we believe what should be the focus is the idea that left on the walls and that is ever-changing.
This project is within Galaxy SOHO, a building designed by ZahaHadid. Full height curtain wall running through the whole perimeter of the building brings in not only sunlight but also the vibrancy of Beijing CBD into the interior. To further embrace the initial intention of ZahaHadid and to reduce the load on artificial lightings, we even use glass partition between offices instead of solid wall. The different levels of transparency refers to the overlaying effect of the movements behind transparent glasses, translucent glasses across the office.
Transparency and lightness embrace each other. To further make the transparent glass partition that already appears weightless much lighter, we install the LED strips at the bottom. It also create a High-Tech atmosphere that goes parallel to the image of an IT company.
The reception area is made up of solid wall to provide privacy for the sensitive content on the screens from outsiders and it is away from the facade. Hence, it is a bit dark. In order to make a bright reception, we decided to sculpt the space with light and the colour of light, which is white.
The wall and ceiling are both finished in high polished plaster. The floor is finished with Forbo’s linoleum flooring. They are LED strips embedded into the plaster and then covered by acrylic.
The meeting rooms can be joined into a single meeting room.
There are two other interesting parts:
- The movable partition are finished in back-painted glass, both side of the partition can be drawn.
- The other side of the wall is actually a huge full height lightbox, they are finished in glass with 3M white film behind and fluorescent lights installed behind the glass. When the lights behind the glass on, it can serve as a vertical lightbox.
