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These offices are the corporate headquarters for a young company, iCrete, which is developing new technology for concrete. Felderman Keatinge + Associates (FKA) objective was to design a Think Tank that would encourage interaction and reflect the innovative green products that they are developing.
FKA's challenge was to design a space that was a showroom for product, but also functioned as a working office. By juxtaposing sculptural and refined architectural elements against the exposed mechanical system and raw concrete flooring, FKA were able to create a space that expresses the "quality and raw" nature of their products.
FKA created an open, fluid and minimalist space that became a blank slate for interaction of employees and fostering innovative thinking. Upon entering the space, the visitor is brought directly into the centre of the "hub", interacting and immediately becoming a part of the group. Rather than a traditional reception desk and waiting area, a long work surface was designed to provide layout space for the company's products and function as a conference table.
Custom designed workstations were fabricated that responded to the employee's needs and ability to interact with one another. This approach proved to be both cost-effective and an intelligent response to a specific design challenge.
Throughout the process, FKA supported the client's vision. A key challenge of any project is to always be insightful to the design vision, while maintaining a resourceful and imaginative eye on the budget.