Antwerp, Belgium
Drawing from a material palette of concrete, steel, glass, and wood, PUUR interior architects combine industrial materials with conscious solutions based on longevity and sustainability for their new office space Office PUUR.
Optimal circulation, excellent indoor climate, good acoustics, and integration of lush greenery are some of the criteria that were integrated into the new, larger office space of PUUR interior designers.
Based on the “Arsenale,” a reference to the exhibition grounds in Venice, where the Architecture and Art Biennale take place, the concept was to create an atmosphere of wandering around an industrial building and feeling inspired by art and architectural installations.
Office PUUR has recently been awarded a 2022 International Architecture Awards Honorable Mention by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
Throughout the loft, all walls are finished with a rough cement stucco and the ceiling is treated with an acoustic spray plaster made from recycled newspaper scraps.
The massive columns have been stripped to their original raw concrete, which is paired with a gravel-in-sight concrete floor that enhances the perception of depth upon entering the office.
Within the industrial box, all architectural elements are designed as objects and installations, maintaining an open and functional floor plan.
The office plan is defined on one side by a transversal volume that contains three meeting rooms.
The structure consists of untreated steel frames and glass, inspired by the iconic designs of Mies Van der Rohe.
A closed wooden box is placed opposite to counterbalance the steel and glass structure.
Made of European Larch wood, the partition is designed and developed as a system of fixed panels, doors, and glass.
It contains a collection of service functions and a large office with a glass wall facing the design studio.
The design studio occupies a large open area.
Two rows of long work tables double as exhibition tables, which can be used to display material mood boards.
Lush greenery and potted plants give the office space a natural feeling.
Lighting is reduced to the essentials, such as spotlights and custom pendant lights made of uncoated aluminum.
The organic form of the imposing statement ceiling pendant luminaire made of neon tubes refers to the slaughter line in the former function of the building.
All decisions made throughout the design and construction process were supported by the designer’s vision of circular buildings and sustainability.
This can be seen in the choice of one of the most sustainable woods, European Larch, or in the sizing of the meeting rooms, based on the standard size of the plasterboard, thus avoiding any waste.
The metal structures and the stacked concrete blocks can be easily deconstructed and reused elsewhere.
Really by Kvadrat was chosen for the wall covering of the meeting rooms and the original chairs were reupholstered.
The most striking symbol of circular design in the office is perhaps the extra-large dining table or “The Rotor Table,” which was made from building beams recovered during demolition work by the Brussels-based collective Rotor DC.
Furthermore, all building partners were invited to participate in this future-proof vision by asking them to co-design and think about solutions that combine design and longevity.
Project: Office PUUR
Architects: PUUR interior architects
General Contractor: Jansen the Building Company
Client: PUUR interiorarchitects
Photographers: Stijn Bollaert
