Green zoning

Not just for plant lovers

Probably not only true plant lovers will be attracted to this working world of the HAKRO textile company in Schrozberg, Hohenlohe. Even the interior shots encourage you to imagine the slightly earthy, damp scent or touching the leaves as you walk past.

And this corresponds to the designers’ design idea: the replacement of the usual business or showroom atmosphere in favour of a completely new feel-good ambience. This “Greenterior” is intended to reflect the company’s ethics, both in the sense of a motif and through the materials used, which attaches great importance to sustainability and care in the area of production conditions.

The facts

But let the figures speak for themselves: On the top floor of one of the existing buildings on the company’s logistics site, 597 square metres were newly planned as a “showroom”, multifunctionally usable for 50 employees and their customer contacts.

Green, green and green again

1,600 plants sit in black, space-dividing steel shelving systems made of 257 square grid modules – arranged as “lush jungle plantings” or as “sculptural succulents in handcrafted clay pots”. They are illuminated by 90 spherical lights placed between them. The patinated floor and the white metal ceiling with exposed installations support the industrial loft-like aesthetic. The interplay with an adjoining roof terrace and a showroom for product presentations made up of white curtains all around the sides creates a wide variety of zones.

The physical well-being

The green walls, which also accompany the catering facilities with show kitchen and “Harry’s Bar” and the “Garden Lounge” with a bistro and seating area in one corner of the large open space, are particularly striking. The central functions, however, are taken over by six islands, each assigned to a green wall. They offer characteristic and screened-off places for meetings and presentations at tables and in casual furnishings that make contact with customers and business partners personal and identity-forming.

Summary

The special functional quality of this floor lies in the flexibility and configurability of the development concept. It allows it to be used for customer events and meetings, but also for further training and larger events.

Do you see any comparability in spatial design for living and for working? How does this show in your project?

Theresia Saalbach: Individual and identity-creating spaces live not only from the functional aspects but also from their visual and haptic quality. Space, light and materiality form the everyday environment of the user – whether in private or in working life – and influence both psyche and physical well-being. In the HAKRO showroom, grids equipped with plants and light form the genius loci of the room and create their own atmosphere and ground resonance. The flexible room structure thrives on differentiated areas that, in combination with the carefully selected interior, all develop their own ambience.

Which functional aspects are the most important for you in the future development of the Workspaces?

In B2B areas with a lot of customer contact and product presentation, the adaptability of the space plays a major role in addition to the stay factors. In addition, the room concept and the choice of materials should always reflect the values and philosophy of the company. In the showroom, the grids with their lush planting and the space-creating curtain installation of the actual showroom fulfill several of these requirements at once.

Which material-related aspects are the most important for you in the future development of the workspaces?

Both the visual and tactile appeal of the materials used play a key role, especially in interior design. In addition to aesthetic aspects, the sustainability of the materials also plays a role. In the showroom, primarily natural materials were used. It is precisely the natural variations in colour and surface structure of honestly used, “real” materials that create a lively room atmosphere.