Office Project: Office space planning and branding, public gallery and restaurant (3rd Yr Final Project.)
Brief
Digital Webform are an intellectual web based product group that emerged in the late 90s and consolidated their international reputation in Japan and Paris in the milenium. They have now taken an interest in England, specifically Liverpool Rope Walks as a location for the expansion of their activities. The ethos of the companies expansion is that it will bring new opportunities of collaboration for young designers of the area to meet and train with DWs innovative, experienced workers, acting as a transient facility which will then grow to another major city in 10-year intervals. Their market is completely web based and web driven. Concepts, Ideas and problems are received from interested parties over the web, these are then considered by a group of thinkers and interest is sought over the web for groups of people who have similar interests or problems. if the market for a concept or for the solution to a particular problem is considered viable then the company will undertake the project. The company also sells a number of products from other high-end advanced design companies including Alessi, Porsche and Sony. The main three staff groups required for the above consists of:
1) A think tank, made up of diverse creative thinkers; the social, informal body that require vast information resources for inspiration in order to conceptualize ideas.
2) Product Developers, the technical body, these then deal with prototyping and testing the products, using latest technologies to bring ideas to life.
3) Promotions & Sales, the money making machine, formal, organized, highly efficient, experienced staff deal with high-profile clients and build brand image.
The framework of the existing Liverpool building that will become the new sister company is based on the GSW headquarters, Berlin. The structure is medium rise, long and narrow single zone, supported by a frame structure, and steel columns encased in concrete. The construction is composed of simple exposed 150mm thick concrete slab and the floors are beam and block. The main feature of the construction is the double skin environmental design, with double skin to the west facade and a thermal flue to the east providing thermal buffers; an airplane-wing-like aerodynamically streamlined wind roof form assists by driving wind across the top of the flue, causing pressure difference which forces the air out, and fresh air in at the bottom. At ground level a semi-public facility with cafe/restaurant facilities will allow customers and staff to meet and work nodally. Space not required by the company will be rented out to other creative businesses for increased revenue and site value.
Vision
My approach to the design is to provide a fun/interactive building, with use of bespoke digital media and brightly infused colours that signify a timeless-company brand. Branding is continued through the space via logos, themed forms, colour, material selection and nodal, interactive atmosphere. Using the developers intentions for an office which is an “interactive node‟ for the chance “real‟ encounter, the design influences and the advertised brand will be based on the theme of nodes. The definition of a node is a connecting point at which several lines come together. In computer science the term means a computer that is hooked up to a computer network, and therefore is connected to a web (symbolizing DW, or the www and therefore their customers). As a visual diagram the node can be seen as a connecting pattern that forms a star flake shape, examples of node systems can be seen in the human brain connectivity, muscles for movement, micro-chips, emergent architecture wire-frame construction art and inter-galactic relationships. The style of node form I want to incorporate into the branding consists of: multiple connection points that are representative of information and DW as a source/facility and networking engine to connect designers, these will be shaped in generally an octagon/triangle shape in the landscaping; linear connecting points or energy rays which link/web the image together and reach out to new nodes, this is representative of the digital (through air) connections being made between staff, public and other companies, and the nodal working environment. The overall form should be linked to suggest solidity/reliability and have a directional orientation i.e. horizontal, or top right to suggest the power and energy of the company. I have taken inspiration from the products and branding of the companies that the developer stated, in terms of materials i.e. coloured heat-formed acrylic panels, stainless steel wire sheets and meshes, specialist ceramic composites, colour preferences, processes, crafting, new and established technology, form and specified finishes. I have also looked at nodal and “club‟ (Duffy) focused work environments.
Click on an image to view larger...
Digital Webform are an intellectual web based product group that emerged in the late 90s and consolidated their international reputation in Japan and Paris in the milenium. They have now taken an interest in England, specifically Liverpool Rope Walks as a location for the expansion of their activities. The ethos of the companies expansion is that it will bring new opportunities of collaboration for young designers of the area to meet and train with DWs innovative, experienced workers, acting as a transient facility which will then grow to another major city in 10-year intervals. Their market is completely web based and web driven. Concepts, Ideas and problems are received from interested parties over the web, these are then considered by a group of thinkers and interest is sought over the web for groups of people who have similar interests or problems. if the market for a concept or for the solution to a particular problem is considered viable then the company will undertake the project. The company also sells a number of products from other high-end advanced design companies including Alessi, Porsche and Sony. The main three staff groups required for the above consists of:
1) A think tank, made up of diverse creative thinkers; the social, informal body that require vast information resources for inspiration in order to conceptualize ideas.
2) Product Developers, the technical body, these then deal with prototyping and testing the products, using latest technologies to bring ideas to life.
3) Promotions & Sales, the money making machine, formal, organized, highly efficient, experienced staff deal with high-profile clients and build brand image.
The framework of the existing Liverpool building that will become the new sister company is based on the GSW headquarters, Berlin. The structure is medium rise, long and narrow single zone, supported by a frame structure, and steel columns encased in concrete. The construction is composed of simple exposed 150mm thick concrete slab and the floors are beam and block. The main feature of the construction is the double skin environmental design, with double skin to the west facade and a thermal flue to the east providing thermal buffers; an airplane-wing-like aerodynamically streamlined wind roof form assists by driving wind across the top of the flue, causing pressure difference which forces the air out, and fresh air in at the bottom. At ground level a semi-public facility with cafe/restaurant facilities will allow customers and staff to meet and work nodally. Space not required by the company will be rented out to other creative businesses for increased revenue and site value.
Vision
My approach to the design is to provide a fun/interactive building, with use of bespoke digital media and brightly infused colours that signify a timeless-company brand. Branding is continued through the space via logos, themed forms, colour, material selection and nodal, interactive atmosphere. Using the developers intentions for an office which is an “interactive node‟ for the chance “real‟ encounter, the design influences and the advertised brand will be based on the theme of nodes. The definition of a node is a connecting point at which several lines come together. In computer science the term means a computer that is hooked up to a computer network, and therefore is connected to a web (symbolizing DW, or the www and therefore their customers). As a visual diagram the node can be seen as a connecting pattern that forms a star flake shape, examples of node systems can be seen in the human brain connectivity, muscles for movement, micro-chips, emergent architecture wire-frame construction art and inter-galactic relationships. The style of node form I want to incorporate into the branding consists of: multiple connection points that are representative of information and DW as a source/facility and networking engine to connect designers, these will be shaped in generally an octagon/triangle shape in the landscaping; linear connecting points or energy rays which link/web the image together and reach out to new nodes, this is representative of the digital (through air) connections being made between staff, public and other companies, and the nodal working environment. The overall form should be linked to suggest solidity/reliability and have a directional orientation i.e. horizontal, or top right to suggest the power and energy of the company. I have taken inspiration from the products and branding of the companies that the developer stated, in terms of materials i.e. coloured heat-formed acrylic panels, stainless steel wire sheets and meshes, specialist ceramic composites, colour preferences, processes, crafting, new and established technology, form and specified finishes. I have also looked at nodal and “club‟ (Duffy) focused work environments.
Click on an image to view larger...