Coblonal Interior Design Studio has been in charge of the interior design project and construction of the new Simsa offices and headquarters in the 22@ district in the Poblenou district of Barcelona.
Simsa is the leading company in modular software for furniture design after more than 35 years of activity and offering its products and services in more than 30 countries around the world. With a team of more than 40 people, its old facilities in Barcelona had become too small.
Once they found a new location with enough space, they had Coblonal develop the project and carry out its construction.
The result is state-of-the-art facilities that combine functionality and comfort. These offer the ideal conditions for the internal processes and interactions of the different teams, as well as with their customers and collaborators.
Plan
Distribution and organization
The distribution of offices is closely linked to a deep understanding of their processes and interactions between different teams, as well as their corporate culture.
The fervor of open spaces finds its limits when the activity of one team is incompatible with the activity of another. It is at this point that it is essential to design the distribution of spaces based on specific needs and imagine in detail what we want to happen in and between each of them. Of course, real practices end up transforming the spaces designed into others. The important thing is to provide the essentials and leave room for mutual adaptation.
Our proposal was based on locating a rectangular central piece where we can find the main meeting and interaction spaces. They are separated by partitions and glass doors and iron structures as well as a living area strategically located to be the first impact. and reception point from the entrance from the street.
Gallery
Tour
On the main façade, we find, as it cannot be otherwise, the reception where the work of our blacksmiths stands out, both in the display furniture and in the lightbox. We can also find the different offices of the management team, sales, administration, and marketing.
On the other side of the facility, we find two large workspaces divided by a glass separator that insulates both parts while maintaining a broad perception of the space. The two largest groups, customer service, and research and development maintain internal dynamics in which open space is convenient. However, the former makes communication with clients their main activity, while the latter is characterized by a more focused work in front of the computer and interaction with different colleagues, but not with the outside. A large office with kitchen, dining room, and rest area, as well as services that follow the aesthetics of the set with matte black as the protagonist.
Materials and Style
How could it be otherwise, being a software company for furniture design, the different spaces have generous storage with cabinets where wood is the protagonist in contrast to the black iron of the handles and the structure of the glass dividers, as well as with the stone-gray porcelain pavement in the format of large pieces. The oil-painted ceiling gives depth to the whole and masks the characteristic imperfections of the concrete.
Divisions and transparent sliding doors in the iron structure have been essential to recreate an open and not overly solid set despite the predominance of dark colors. Despite the divisions, the whole space is transparent and promotes accessibility and interaction between the different people who make up the company.
The presence of plants, different living areas, and finishes that we could find in any residential home end up recreating a set of organic, modern, and elegant spaces in coherence with the image of the company. They are now delighted to come to work and receive visits from clients and collaborators.
Credits
Photographs by Sandra Rojo.
Media
