This project consisted on the development for a textile industry layout, merged at the site with strong commercial functions. This meant the whole productive systems had to be studied, with improvements being proposed and implemented, and simultaneously, provide solutions for a whole new commercial approach that was required. This resulted in a very heavilly personalized workspaces, meeting rooms and reception areas, in a building dominated with very intense and defined functions that although demanding very specific architecture solutions, the spaces themselves have to be extremelly independent/technicall but co-dependant at the same time. One key element to the whole project is the workflow and its definition. The workflow funcioned as as premisse for the architectural layout and it was essential to fullfill its demandings (otherwise the project would result in fairlure). The layout works according to different production steps, in an industrial production line, with succeeding steps and connections with subconstracted firms. In this proccess was essential to assure distribution, control and production management capabilities. The architects made clear choices pointing to clear overall visibility, loose, independent and flexible spaces, willing to change if demanded, based on modularity (refence to serial production systems). The building itself consists of a basic industrial volume, framed by it´s commercial sectors in front, which present themselves to the visitors. Whilst the shape is pure, it can be related to code bars, as an analogy to industrial and serial production (the code bar was a challenge proposed by the client as a premisse to the whole concept, and the architects decided to go along with it). The whole interior of the building was designed to show it´s structural systems, not hiding the structure, neither the natural order of overlaping materials, therefore demonstrating how all comes together to physically create the spaces to work at.
This project was exhibited at the XIII Bienial of Architecture of Buenos Aires in October 2011 and presented on a dissertation by architect João Pedrosa Rodrigues, under the theme “FORMAT A:// ARCHITECTURE TOWARDS A NEW ECONOMY”, October 15th 2011, at the same event.
