THE FLEXIBLE OFFICE. SIAM | Esther Vicario Azcona

The brief for the refurbishment of a large part of SIAM's offices was clear from the outset: they needed to convert their compartmentalised offices into a flexible space to accommodate more workers and be reconfigurable over time.

For this purpose, we opted for modular, dry construction systems that would allow for a change in the layout of both the furniture and the offices without the need for future building work.

A raised access floor was chosen, which allowed us to place and relocate the work furniture in the desired position, as it has the advantage of being able to conceal cables and move them as required. To ensure that the raised access floor didn't cause disturbing footfall sound and static electricity problems, a floor with a calcium sulphate core and a Moma Arena ceramic finish was selected.

As with the floor, Knauf modular and reconfigurable 60x60 plasterboard ceilings with perforations to improve the acoustics of the offices were chosen. The modular ceiling system allowed us to reconfigure both the office lighting and the air-conditioning system if required in the future, without having to carry out any building work.

The owners also expressed the need to isolate the four commercial units acoustically, but not visually. For this purpose, four separate offices were created with Dinor Neo partitions glazed from floor to ceiling with two laminated panes of glass without vertical mullions. Acoustic panels were made in both the false ceiling and the raised floor to coincide with the partitions. These acoustic panels, together with the double-glazed partitions and the intermediate air chamber, ensure that conversations inside the offices are not audible.

One of the main challenges of the project was to create a pleasant office environment for the employees, so work was focused in several directions:

- On the one hand, the acoustics of the offices were significant in achieving a good working environment. Acoustic ceilings, sound-absorbing panels on each desk and between the workstations, together with the acoustic insulation of the offices accomplished this task.

- On the other hand, the place had to be cozy, which is why oak wood in a natural tone was chosen as the main material for the furniture. The warmth of wood creates a warm atmosphere and provides a counterpoint to the ceramic flooring. For office colours, we opted for various shades of green from the same palette. Green is the corporate colour of the company. Green connects it visually with the park where it is located.

- Finally, the offices are equipped with a cassette air-conditioning system with individual climate control for each bench. And a dual-flow air renewal system with heat recovery that keeps the indoor air clean and significantly reduces energy loss through ventilation.

This project was planned and implemented between spring and summer 2022.