#büroladencafé

Reconsidering space

With an external rented office space no longer available, furnishing and shopfitting specialist Knoblauch had to fundamentally reconsider its own spatial and organizational structures. New office space had to be made available within the main building while maintaining the shop area and adding a café (which had been on the company’s wish list for quite a while). The floorplan of the ground floor, which accommodates a contemporary furniture store, remained largely unchanged. However, a sliding glass door was installed in one of the walls, establishing direct access to the locksmith’s shop – a visual as much as a symbolical link between the company’s different business segments. To gain space, an intermediate floor was installed above the metal workshop, generating an additional 440 square meters. This new area features a large glass front overlooking the joinery. In addition, a steel construction opens up parts of the glass dome to create a roof garden. The office space thus benefits from light from all four sides as well as from above.

Adaptable workspace solutions

Underneath the polished screed, a floor heating system was installed, which is fed by wood residues from Knoblauch’s own production. All technology (circulation, ventilation, air conditioning and heating) is centrally controlled for optimum energy coordination. Parts of the office walls are planked with Swiss pine, hiding a soundproofing system made of highly efficient acoustic material. Meeting rooms can also be separated by noise-reducing theatre curtains; felted mobile walls and a perforated metal ceiling further contribute to pleasant room acoustics. There are two open meeting rooms, the larger of which can be divided into four smaller areas by moving the curtains accordingly. Three pinewood structures offer a quiet environment for internal meetings or concentrated work. Most of the furniture was designed and manufactured in-house.