F+V Office | Agraz Arquitectos S.C.

Text by Ana Guerrerosantos

For many years we have held a mistaken relationship with the environment and we are now faced with the consequences. Therefore, as a generation, we have now understood that the pattern of behavior must be modified. Our cities have grown excessively, the distances we have to cover, day after day, absorb a considerable part of our time, thereby affecting significantly our quality of life. Recycling appears to be the safest way to obtain a better benefit from the available resources, and the re-use of existent spaces is undoubtedly a sensible manner of controlling urban growth; taking advantage of already made infrastructures, clearly exemplifies the best way to seize resources.

Due to all this, an insurance company decided to share its space with a construction firm, establishing together inside a mall with an excellent location. This strategic co-existence produces considerable benefits for both parties in an effort to reduce costs, taking advantage of all resources; in exchange, both companies obtain a considerable reduction in their overhead expenses, an increase in available infrastructure and a highly productive corporate image.

The key of the project lies in the re-assignment of the premises for the operation of this strategic alliance, whereby the ground floor is assigned to the insurance company for the better and closer attention of clients. The major problem to be solved in this case is how to adequately distribute the natural light for both companies: the isolation of offices is solved using glass sheets and grinded fringes, allowing the flow of light without impairing privacy. With respect to areas requiring less privacy, screens at lower heights are the choice, providing semi-private spaces with light and air in equal circumstances for all working spaces, using a minimum of partitions for a better spatial benefit.

The ground floor is made of a reception area, secretarial and messenger space, three semi-private offices and three private offices, two toilets, and coffee area, warehouse and storage space with vertical circulation. The upper floor houses the management of both companies in a private area with respective toilets, common reception area, a semi-private office and a meeting room. The careful selection of materials that reflect efficiency, a good image and low maintenance, as well as furniture of outstanding presentation and ergonomics, together with a few pieces especially designed for the project, pretend to amalgamate these two companies in a 270 square meter surface divided in two stories. It is an unquestionable reality that people spend more time in an office than at any other place;  enjoying good working conditions will undoubtedly make reality more pleasant, making possible the fact of “work” costing less work.

DATASHEET

Location: Guadalajara Jalisco, Mexico

Project: 2007

Construction: 2007 (Refurbishment)

Authors: Agraz Arquitectos S.C. & Ricardo Agraz, Sara Tamez

Collaborators:

Alberto Tacher

Jessica Magaña

Efraín Aguirre

General Contractor: Carlos Sainz

Woodwork: Manuel Valle.

Lighting: Sergio Talancon Crail.

Bathrooms: Ramses Galindo.

Stone: Lucke.

Paint: Coral.

Photography: Mito Covarrubias

Land area: 135m2

Builded area: 270m2