Turning the workspace inside out

By Neehar Mishra

Photography: Courtesy NLA

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With a unique design that stresses on a seamless integration of the external and internal environment, the ‘Offices with Terraces’ designed by Nicolas Laisné Associés are sure to improve the quality of life at the workplace…

With the professional environment graduating towards a more informal, collaborative and practical approach to work, offices that facilitate the same through more open spaces, minimal clutter and better approachability and flexibility have become the need of the future.

 

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In a bid to do justice to this vision, while also taking cognizance of other key factors like sustainability, commitment to the environment and efficient and aesthetic use of space, architects Nicolas Laisné and Dimitri Roussel have designed Offices with Terraces in the Nice Méridia urban technopole in France.

Slated to be completed in 2018, the building, with 6,400-sq. m. of office space and 600-sq. m. of shopping space on the ground floor, is a marked departure from the traditional silo-like boxy office designs.

 

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Instead, the design blends the internal and external environments, creating a synergy between the two to create an informal, amiable workspace. For instance, the passages have been moved to the façade, completely open to the public garden space, with the staircases affording panoramic views of the greenery around. In fact, the façade on each side is adapted in a manner that provides necessary protection from the sunlight, thus providing ample natural light, ventilation and an improved indoor climate.

 

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The construction is not only ideal for the Mediterranean climate but also conforms to green building standards, using the Smart Grids approach for electrical distribution and adhering to environmental recommendations laid down by the EPA. The stark-white, glassy exterior will be covered in plants, thus changing appearance and colour in tune with the changing seasons.

 

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Centred around posts and beams, the platforms afford a lot of free space that has potential to serve as individual offices, partitions or modular workstations, making it a ideal choice for any kind of workplace.

 

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With growing emphasis on eco-friendly, natural and minimalist spaces, the project sets a new benchmark for bio-climatic offices without any compromise on functionality and aesthetic value.