Side view of the Concrete Collage Office. Photo by Witsawarut Kekinna.

Offices

Concrete Collage Office: A Minimalist Space Designed for Efficiency

Collage Design Studio combines different elements into a unified and meaningful design, reflecting their commitment to adapting to the surroundings and expressing the structure's true form.

August 9, 2024

Elle Yap

Building Within Constraints

For the Concrete Collage Office, the firm envisioned a practical three-storey building within a small 82-square-meter plot of land. Efficiency of design was a must to make the most of the space while reducing costs.

Close-up look at the concrete block walls of the building. Photo by Witsawarut Kekinna.

The company’s intent was to use the building to showcase the “purity of concrete,” using repurposed unpolished concrete blocks from the city of Ayutthaya. This reflects their architectural principles while allowing them to stay within budget.

A look at the Concrete Collage Office's exterior from the ground. Photo by Witsawarut Kekinna. — A look at the Concrete Collage Office’s exterior from the ground. Photo by Witsawarut Kekinna.

“Through experimental architecture, we explore new possibilities of materials, using them innovatively. This design approach culminates in a building that epitomizes the purity of concrete, articulating a language of material honesty and simplicity,” they wrote.

Side exterior view of Concrete Collage Office from the ground floor. Photo by Witsawarut Kekinna.

While the brutalist-esque style dominates its exterior look, the architects made sure to build around a tamarind tree in the small compound to keep a link to nature in the structure. Because of this, the building ends up being L-shaped, with a narrow staircase connecting the two parts of the building to each other.

Efficient, Harmonious Structure

The office has conference rooms on the ground floor and third floor, the main office space in the second, a coworking space on the top floor. The first two floors also have a kitchen and pantry, with toilets on and all three floors.

The building’s interior design utilizes the same unpolished look as the outside. The walls and ceiling, made of raw, unpolished concrete, highlight the industrial aesthetic. Black flooring contrasts with the concrete walls, enhancing the sleek and contemporary look of the space.

The concrete shelving system throughout the space serves as a key architectural feature in line with the firm’s overall vision.

Connecting the floors is the stairwell with large floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing ample natural light to flood the space. They reveal lush green trees, creating a harmonious blend of nature and architecture.

Beyond that, balconies were also built into the design of the second and third floors. The architects built the two balconies next to the office and coworking spaces, ensuring that employees got their daily fill of sunlight in their day-to-day work.

Small Touches in Office Space

Windows and glass proliferate throughout the rest of the building. These allow for natural lighting to enter the office spaces, and provide generous views of the outside. Meanwhile, the use of sliding glass doors allows for an open coworking atmosphere between employees.

An office space area with couches and a table. Photo by Witsawarut Kekinna.

The main office space combines industrial elements with modern design to create a functional and aesthetically pleasing environment, ideal for creative work and presentations. Large warm-toned concrete blocks serve as work areas that also help soften the predominantly grey interior. Black Barcelona sofas further reinforce its modern look. Built-in shelving units line the walls, offering ample storage. Fixtures suspended from the ceiling provide task and ambient lighting.

The tamarind tree next to the window of the building. Photo by Witsawarut Kekinna.

The Concrete Collage Office demonstrates how creativity comes with limitations. Even with a limited budget and the necessity of changes in its construction, the architecture firms were still able to stick with their vision and create a practical office space that still fell within their vision of the project.

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