In motion

Location

The property is situated between residential buildings and a small railway line. The view stretches far to the south, up the Rhine valley towards Vaduz, flanked by the Liechtenstein Alpine panorama. The new building, called “IC a5”, has a basement and garages on the ground floor, two floors with three flats each and a small penthouse flat. A discreet mixed use is created by the office function of the fourth floor, in which the architect’s office created a pleasant domicile for itself.

Dynamic and organic

Even a glance at the pointedly irregularly configured floor plan lines communicates the formally very specifically developed planning concept, whose design guiding principles were fundamentally defined dynamically and organically. This refers to the topographically defining railway line. A perforated façade was installed in the area of the residential lofts to provide the necessary sound insulation.

Front

Two parameters are primarily responsible for the unique external effect of the architecture: firstly, the mostly brown-toned, sometimes shimmering blue colour of the front. It is made of diagonally and overlapping, hand-flashed sheets of chrome steel. The windows sit, as it were, in a black layer behind it. The real attraction, however, is created by the deconstructivist structure inserted at the south-eastern corner of the building. Chrome-steel coloured and untreated, it rests excitingly loose on only one support.

Four zones

In functional terms, this connects with the glazed office spaces and creates two exciting cantilevered balconies. The top floor of interest here, the office floor, was differentiated into four zones: the guest and client zone, the open staff zone, the individual office zone and the lounge zone.

Panorama and Climate

The main conference room with its panoramic view was given a prominent position. It is almost suspended in front of the building. While the floor was covered with brown terrazzo, the concrete ceilings remained untreated, as did the walls, unless they were covered with a climate-optimising clay plaster. This user- and environmentally-friendly planning principle is also followed by controlled ventilation in the office wing and the photovoltaic system.

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

indra+scherrer architektur: A good workplace allows the employee a certain amount of leeway in the design of his or her immediate surroundings without disturbing the whole. Height-adjustable desks and individually adjustable chairs. Exposure to as much daylight as possible. Artificial light must be used very selectively. Working conditions must be adapted to people and not vice versa. People (workers) are the most important asset for the company. The best results are achieved with the best working conditions, and this happens more effectively when the workplace has an inspiring effect on the workers.

Do you see any comparability in interior design for living and for working?

Definitely, but with minor differences. The workplace, or rather its room design, may have a slight residential character. Movements in the office may be perceived, but not disturbing. The workplace must be designed with warm, soft colours and the surroundings must have good acoustic elements. When designing a workplace, mainly simple colour combinations should be used to create a productive and positive working atmosphere.

Which functional aspects do you consider to be decisive for the future development of workspaces?

Flowing transitions from individual areas, but with demarcations of deliberately planned places of rest and retreat are very important for a good working atmosphere. Each employee should have his or her own “work niche”. However, this must be designed in such a way that the individual workers feel connected to the team despite everything. Workplace design plays a major role on both a physical and psychological level. Workplaces and the working conditions that can be influenced should be appropriate to the activity and conducive to performance.