Oficinas Vía 40 Express 2020 - Yemail Arquitectura

Project Details

Via 40 Express Offices 2020

DESCRIPTION

"Vía 40 is part of a multinational company that holds concessions for several roads in Colombia. Before the pandemic, it occupied a large headquarters in Bogotá where 300 people worked. In response to the “new reality,” the company decided to implement a decentralized model: with some employees moving to a hub in Chinauta and a hybrid rotation system; its new city offices now accommodate groups of sixty people for set periods. Furthermore, management knew they could not return to an unwelcoming environment; they needed to offer functionality, health, space, and comfort to enable their employees to work in a new way. The result is fewer people occupying more space and enjoying better conditions.

The strategy of Yemail Architecture involved demolishing non-structural partition walls and removing the low, generic drywall ceilings. Eliminating anything that fragmented the space or obstructed views of the windows, as well as the flow of light and air. The opened-up area, which was painted green to create a unified look, has five offices arranged around a massive structure: a wooden ceiling feature spanning some 15 meters, which, beyond concealing ventilation ducts and wiring, this element supports lighting fixtures that generate a warm atmosphere and provide eye-friendly illumination, while also creating varied moods and textures. An open-plan workspace with desks sits beneath this suspended lattice structure. Transparency is the guiding principle here: there are no walls to block the light; instead, glass panels distribute it throughout the space. A black graphic silhouette tracing the path of a roadway, an allusion to the street itself, is printed on a large back wall, extending across the space to further reflect the company’s identity. In this context, the graphic design plays an essential role, transcending mere signage to become an integral architectural element.

Wood is key in this whole project, not only in the different types of ceilings, but also in a functional unit that conceals the print room, archives, and coffee station, where its intense yellow throws a wink of whimsy to people returning to work. Returning now feels different: the once claustrophobic space has been opened up to create a welcoming, warm, and healthy environment that remains productive thanks to its flexibility."

Zandra Quintero Ovalle on Habitar

DETAILS

Use

Offices

Type

Rehabilitation

Area

520 m²

Location

Bogotá D. C. – Colombia

Meters above the sea level

2625

Average annual temperature

13.1 °C

Year

2020

Client

Via 40 Express

Design and construction

Yemail Architecture

Structural design

Yemail Architecture

Project team

Antonio Yemail + José Cáceres + Martín Jiménez

Photo Credits

Alejandro Arango

Categories: 3.1 Offices, Production