Color Cuts

Design fabi architekten bda
Location Landau an der Isar, Germany
An inspired building concept with colourful accents definitely gives this project the right to call itself a "Best Workspace".

How does a painting company – albeit one that is already known regionally – manage to be included in the Bavarian Chamber of Architects’ Architectural Tour Programme? It invests in an inspired building concept. Everyone knows about the power of iconic images – and so the quite unique photographs of the new building that the Rebl company had built in Landau a. d. Isar immediately made their way into the press. The office building, which can now be used as the company’s business card, is called “Color Cuts”, referring to its spectacular front.

The initial form is the highly economical, two-storey box building with a flat roof, which was constructed in solid brick. After a content-related and visual examination of the company’s activities, the architects decided on a linguistic change to the building’s appearance. The company’s activities and attitude were to be communicated to the outside world and be intuitively comprehensible.

Colour as a theme

The basic theme of the design was the illusionistic, light-borne aspect of colour, which manifests itself visually and physically in the effect of the blurring of boundaries and forms. The architectural trick now consisted of cutting into the building in three places – twice in the front and once on the right narrow side – in diagonal lines in a square shape. These incisions were then fully glazed and covered with foils whose motifs are intended to convey “cheerfulness, joy and relaxation”. Their bright colourfulness stands in signal contrast to the restrained anthracite-grey rendered façade.

Sustainability

To achieve the performance of an energy-efficient house 55, heat is generated by means of an air-source heat pump, and a photovoltaic system produces the building’s own electricity. Inside, there is space for several individual and two-person offices, meeting rooms, storage, a secretary’s office with reception desk, and a block with toilets and technology. The two-storey entrance hall with open staircase, gallery and tree is located in the centre. Some rooms as well as the entrance are coloured when daylight streams in and also when the colourful cut glass is backlit electrically, reflecting the passion and competence of the painting company.

"In addition to its use, the new office building is intended to be representative of the painter's craft.
It should present itself to the outside as the view from the gallery of the office floor down into one of the winding courtyards. Business card of the company."
— Stephan Fabi, Nina Fabi, Peter Krackler

What do you consider to be the supporting qualities of a good workplace?

fabi architekten: A good atmosphere with a high feel-good factor and comfort. Influencing factors are good light, comfortable seating, backgrounds with acoustic effects, etc.. In addition, a natural feeling of space through special material properties of the surfaces with haptic, sensual experiences, such as wood, textiles, stone, clay, etc. In the COLOR CUTS project, a tree was implanted directly in the centre of the building to convey a sensual experience of nature. This effect is additionally reinforced with coloured foils on the large glass façades, which also show nature motifs. This breaks up the sterile modernity of the building’s front. Some walls are covered with different spatula techniques or materials to create a warm and varied spatial impression, away from any monotonous office atmosphere.

Which functional aspects are decisive for you in the future development of the workspaces?

Due to advancing digitalisation and home offices, individual workspaces within offices will become smaller and more flexible, perhaps even only needed temporarily. Interaction and communication spaces will have to be designed to be even more valuable, qualitative and attractive. The office will become a place of culture, a meeting place, a place of exchange. At the same time, there must be more areas of retreat to also hold video conferences and to create zones of rest and recreation. In the COLOR CUTS project, the central, two-storey access area is designed with a high quality of stay to invite exchange and communication. A kitchen with a “pass-through bar” is directly connected to the central hall to meet and converse under the interior tree.

What material-related aspects are decisive for you in the future development of the workspaces?

As in the textile industry, for example, materials from recycled materials should be recycled into office furniture in order to contribute to the idea of sustainability. In addition, office furniture should be equipped with additional digital functions, such as inductive charging for tablets, mobile phones, etc. They should also be multifunctional. They should also be multifunctional. At the same time, a qualitative and high-quality feel must be maintained in order to ensure a high feel-good factor and a good room atmosphere. In the COLOR CUTS project, the main communication area is equipped with interactive displays to enable central, efficient and fast communication.

Details
ClientFranz Rebl Malereibetrieb
CityLandau an der Isar
CountryGermany
Architectsfabi architekten bda
CompletionDecember 2016
SectorConstruction industry
Project typeNew Buliding
Gross floor area m2246
Number of employees-
Solutions
Lighting-
Flooring-
Acoustics-
Workspace Furniture-
Conference Furniture-
Lounge Furniture-
Greenery-
Technology-
Gastronomy-

Floor Plans

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