Hasta La Ideas

Workspaces are gathered in islands of red, blue, orange or green throughout this office in Delft by Dutch interior architects i29.

Combiwerk Delft is a “social workplace” company that helps to reintegrate people with physical or mental difficulties into the workforce, so i29 tried to reflect this purpose in the design.

The designers found that the workers were very attached to their surroundings and routines, so they recruited another social workplace company to restore 250 different second-hand chairs so that each worker could choose their own.

Social involvement was the main theme, the designers explained. “We aimed for empowerment by creating a serious and distinguished interior,” they said. “Not a nondescript backwater building, but something sparkling, colourful and unique. We hope that this will contribute to a sense of pride in the users.”

The building’s grey exterior is continued through the walls, floors and ceilings of the interior and then broken up with islands of colour.

Each island has desks, chairs, shelves and cabinets in various tones of the same hue.

Other projects by i29 we’ve featured recently include a pop-up furniture shop where every item is painted grey and an advertising office where the walls, furniture and lights are covered in felt.

We’ve featured lots of other colourful workspaces, including an office for a Russian internet company with pixellated patterns on the walls and a Lego office that has a slide as well as stairs.

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Photography is by i29 except where stated.

Here’s some extra information from the designers:

Social 01

Combiwerk Delft is a Social Workplace (SW) company and offers custom work to people who, due to a physical, psychological or mental limitation, are not able to find a regular job. Besides these limitations, the possibilities and talents are especially looked at. A lot has changed and the emphasis lately has been shifted more to reintegration into the regular work force. The job centre (career square) has become much more important with respect to workplaces. Training is offered and tests are done in the kitchen of the company restaurant, the cleaning service and the office. Assembling, sorting and packing are done at the workplaces. Green and environmental services are also an important branch of the social workplace.

The ambitious attitude of the company is striking. There is a strong, positive culture. The new construction was intended to clearly reflect this. Despite the limited resources and a clear wish for a sober approach, the building and decoration had to radiate quality. It had to convey attention and involvement, in order to stimulate a sense of pride in its users. An environment that supports that valuable work is being done here, with special people.

Secret garden

The building was designed by VMX Architects and has a total surface area of 8500 square metres. For the interior, which includes 4000 square metres of office space, a company restaurant, the career square, entrance ways and a lobby, i29 interior architects was consulted. The central space is a large atrium where the restaurant, the career square and the reception are situated. The building itself is a completely closed, grey monolithic shape. The same grey can also be found in the walls, floors and ceilings of the interior. When you come in, you are surprised by colourful islands, which are placed freely in the space and which only show themselves after you enter the premises. In an almost fairytale-like way, the building contains a secret garden full of colour and vitality, which is, of course, a wonderful reference to the contrast between external appearances and inner richness.

Colourful islands

People are often pigeon-holed or end up that way unintentionally. Such a ‘box’ is only a part of the story and often there are many nuances. This was the foundation for the design theme to i29. Everyone at Combiwerk is unique and special, nuanced and varied. We have translated this theme into the interior in an abstract way. The custom-designed furniture contains many ‘boxes’ where every user (so to speak) can tell his own story. In various colour nuances and variation possibilities, together with the carpets, they form colourful islands in an otherwise grey world. Most the users have a psychological or mental limitation, to a smaller or larger degree, and are therefore often very attached to their surroundings and routines (this was shown in interviews we conducted). We were going to create a completely new environment for people who generally are not fond of change. That is why an important point of departure in the design was that, in tandem with all the new things, old and authentic elements also had to return. This led us to the collection of over 250 different second-hand wooden chairs that were restored and re-used. Not only can everyone pick their favourite chair, they are also a nice analogy for the variety of the unique people occupying the space.

Above: photograph is by Ronald Tilleman

Social involvement

A social workplace must be social; that was the starting point for all the parties involved. Social involvement was therefore the main theme in the design and realisation on various levels. At the level of the design, we aimed for empowerment by creating a serious and distinguished interior. Not a nondescript backwater building, but something sparkling, colourful and unique. We hope that this will contribute to a sense of pride in the users. In terms of sustainability, where possible, we aimed for recycling and re-use. All the wooden chairs in the atrium were bought second-hand and restored by another SW-company, just like all the furniture for the 4000 m2 office space, including desks, chairs, cabinets and filing drawers. A new colourful top layer was applied to the re-used furniture so that they are as good as new and also fit beautifully into the colour spectrum in combination with the carpets.

Client: Combiwerk Delft
Size: 8500 m2
Interior architect: i29 l interior architects
Architect: VMX Architects

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Walls, ceilings, furniture and lighting are covered in grey felt at this advertising office in Amsterdam by Dutch interior architects i29.

Felt was selected for its sound-absorbing properties and to integrate the different surfaces and existing structural elements with one gesture.

It also served to cover the scars where parts of the building had been demolished or altered.

Designed for Tribal DDB Amsterdam, the offices accommodate 80 members of staff.

See more interiors by i29 here.

Here are some more details from i29:

Tribal DDB office

Tribal DDB Amsterdam is a highly ranked digital marketing agency and part of DDB international, worldwide one of the largest advertising offices. i29 interior architects designed their new offices for about 80 people.

With Tribal DDB our goal was to create an environment where creative interaction is supported and to achieve as much workplaces as possible in a new structure with flexible desks and a large open space. All of this while maintaining a work environment that stimulates long office hours and concentrated work. As Tribal DDB is part of an international network a clear identity was required, which also fits the parent company DDB. The design had to reflect an identity that is friendly and playful but also professional and serious. The contradictions within these questions, asked for choices that allow great flexibility in the design.

Situated in a building where some structural parts could not be changed it was a challenge to integrate these elements in the design and become an addition to the whole. i29 searched for solutions to various problems which could be addressed by one grand gesture. At first a material which could be an alternative to the ceiling system, but also to cover and integrate structural parts like a big round staircase. Besides that, acoustics became a very important item, as the open spaces for stimulating creative interaction and optimal usage of space was required.

This led us to the use of fabrics. It is playful, and can make a powerful image on a conceptual level, it is perfect for absorbing sound and therefore it creates privacy in open spaces. And we could use it to cover scars of demolition in an effective way. There is probably no other material which can be used on floors, ceiling, walls and to create pieces of furniture and lampshades than felt. It’s also durable, acoustic, fireproof and environment friendly. Which doesn’t mean it was easy to make all of these items in one material!

i29 always looks for choices that answer to multiple questions at the same time. They tell a conceptual story about the company, the space and the users of the space. They deal with specific practical and functional issues and they have to have some autonomous quality as well. These ‘levels’ are intertwined; one leads you to the other. If you see how smart it serves it purpose practically it leads you to the company. If you see the powerful image that is non-depended, it leads you to the functionality, and round it goes.

At i29 we believe that simplicity builds character. Compare it to a human being; strong individuals always have one or few characteristics that stand out. We all know how hard it is to stay focused on the one thing that is most important to you. The same way it is with a design. The result of being very selective is that you have to push the one choice to the limit. It also provides a field of tension, and gives energy to a space without fail into chaos. But more importantly it leaves you with a charismatic environment.

Client: Tribal DDB Amsterdam
Design: i29 l interior architects
Size: 650 m2

Constructor: Slavenburg
Interior build: Zwartwoud
Materials: white epoxy flooring, felt, hpl, steel
Furniture: lighting & furniture objects custom made

See also:

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Power Office by i29	No Picnic by Elding Oscarson	OneSize by Origins Architects