Shenzhen Investment Office ◦ China ◦ 2019

SHENZHEN, PR CHINA
4,000 SF OFFICE & LEISURE
COMPLETED Q2 2019
Programming ◦ Design ◦ Project Management
with Jeffrey Lam (Archix.co) & Joyce Kwok Wing To

This project is a workspace for a brand new team of stock traders and analysts, comprising of 4,000 SF of a single floor in a Shenzhen super-tall skyscraper.

This project was about subverting accepted notions of ‘luxury’ and instead creating a sense of subtle refinement. We avoided a common understanding of ‘luxurious’ materials, looking instead to the use of unique visual effects and a playful variety of enclosure to explore a different sense of privilege.

For the office area, the client had one simple client request: “no doors.” To avoid creating a completely open office, we obliged by striking a balance between openness and enclosure, with the basic architectural unit of the ‘L-shaped partition’ employed to create extraordinary, nested spaces and moments of visual privacy—all while enabling the vocal collaboration that is so crucial for a small team.

Because of the small size of the company and the client-focused nature of the work, we also privileged the common amenity spaces—focusing particularly on the importance of developing an active team culture as a precursor for success. A number of zones for relaxation and other non-work activities make up a large portion of this workplace, supporting the relatively location-sensitive nature of the work itself (due to computer hardware requirements/constraints).

The varied sizes, heights and locations of the partitions allow many degrees of territorial and visual privacy. Textures, perspectives and one’s sense of enclosure all shift as one moves around the surprising and atmospheric space. Glazed panels, within each partition, with a custom-filtered dichroic film produce further novelty in colour and reflectivity—and an overall air of space-age comfort.

Finally, growth and adaptations of the young business were considered in the office area. Custom designed square tables enable a variety of team seating and workstation arrangements, and building systems were provided for two possible future enclosed offices, with some of the L-shaped partitions partially inscribing their outlines.