Office Off

A new office building was developed for the facade firm "FOB – face of building" in Burgenland
Though normally a place dedicated to “work”, from the beginning the concept of quality of life and leisure culture took a major part in the planning.  The traditional aspect of “going to work” therefore has received minor consideration.

Integrated meeting points, attached living and relax areas, as well as a gym, a fire pond converted into a swimming pool, common areas outside and a climbing wall in the 3 floor high entrance hall try to embed the task “work” in a living environment – OFFICE OFF!

From the material point of view a compressed climate envelope was integrated in a spatial grid structure, departing from the boundaries of the property as a plane piece of land. If we understand and use the grid structure as a spatial possibility of a functional expansion, the shell is a kind of membrane lying in between, that is broken again and again, without leaving the outlined area. At the blurred borders of the shell, similar to cracks, as well as through purposefully arranged cubes light filters into the enclosed interior.

It was very important to embed the building in an equilibrated ecological relation with its inhabitants.

The site as a landscape…..

…….becomes a skin!

The whole construction of the building was realized with wood.  
The horizontal axis measure for the beam and support construction was erected on a 5×5 m grid with an internal disc-shaped core made of solid wood panels.  For the first time the elevator shaft is lying  in the core of wood.

The visible support and beam construction defines the basic grid of the building extension and can be used as mounting aid for façade prototypes, climbing scaffold and if necessary as supporting structure for sun sails in front of big glazing.

The energetic and technical concept is aimed to achieve energetic independence, as far as possible and sensible.
A log-wood heating system is supplied by the farmers of the surroundings  and 2 times a week refilled by the employees. In the summer months the building is regulated by night cooling. The forest slope behind the building delivers fresh air to the building whenever needed; this effect can be optimally exploited. 

During the day CO2 values are measured all over the time, and if required the room air is changed and the staircases are ventilated by parallel hinged windows. Further the system is monitored by a weather station. 85% of the roofs are covered with photovoltaic panels. 
The swimming pool is heated by the excess heat from the cooling system and on the other hand the server is cooled with the water of the fire pond.

Rain water is collected in a shaft and if required can be introduced into the pipes.  

Already during the planning phase the employees of the company were included in the conception and possible additional values of a “worklandscape” were explained to them.  This was considered also in the already mentioned additional leisure functions and can be seen as most important work philosophy of the company FOB.

A gym was financed by the employees. Eventual rents for the studios are going to cover the construction costs in the foreseeable future.

Already existing company cars, if changed, will be replaced by E-cars. Employees that live in the surroundings of 10 km will get bikes.

The remaining area of 5000m2 green space will be used to create a vegetable garden including the keeping of animals (donkeys, sheep, chickens, geese…) realization is foreseen in 2015. The farming will be done after consultation also by the employees,   in consequence they have access to the harvest, the necessary effort will be 2 -3 hours a week for every employee.