ERA CONTOUR HEAD OFFICE, ZOETERMEER |
Saturday 07 Jan 2012
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In 2007, ERA Contour assigned Conxi Architects to develop their new head office in Zoetermeer. The client's wish was to create a sustainable building that displays their dynamic company culture.
In order to shape the corporate culture within the building, ERA Contour worked out an elaborated program of demands, which defined a clear spatial structure.
The building is conceived around a square footprint and a central atrium, the true heart of the volume, which links all floors. The massive volume of the building is broken by split-levels, cuts and leaps.
The playful façade is characterised by vertical lamellas, alternated with closed coloured panels.
The building distinguishes itself by the use of dark colours for the exterior, emphasizing the graphic character of the façade design.
Conix were also appointed for the interior design and the choice of loose furniture.
In order to define the right atmosphere for the interior design, intense debates were held with a team of representatives, consisting of all departments of ERA Contour.
It was agreed upon that an "open" and homelike atmosphere would be created within the office, in order to make each collaborator feel at home and to stimulate ERA Contour's innovative way of co-working.
Functionality was translated into a consistent colorful whole with a house feel.
Each splitlevel has its own colour, which can be found on glass walls, the furnishings of the flex- and telephone spaces, the lighting fixtures, ...
The different project- and brainstorm areas create more intimate corners within the building, while the open and flex-working areas stimulate encounters, interaction and knowledge interchange.
Playing with transparence also defines the interior design. Some views are very transparent when looking at it frontally, while from a different perspective one has more closed views.
Apart from its exceptional architectural and interior concept, the building also scores in terms of sustainability, holding an A+ energy label.
An office building increasingly contributes to the "corporate identity". With its new head office in Zoetermeer, ERA Contour has a building which clearly displays its values and corporate culture. "Co-working" is the keyword, with colleagues as well as with partners and the consumer. This idea of co-working was the point of departure for the design and was continuously kept in mind while realizing this extraordinary project.