Located in the top floor of a five-story educational institution that had already undergone several renovations, the office was a fairly new add-on steel structure attached to the concrete skeleton of the building. This provided an almost 360-degree view and exposure to North, South and East that assure sunlight throughout the day. 

The users were not the only agent to be taken into account: cycles and rhythms of the architectural building, its urban surroundings -even the furniture and logistics that the architectural practice needs to operate with- were all factors to work with. Faced with a challenge of prohibition on welding, hanging or attaching any new elements to the existing roof structure and all external walls, the design becomes very effective in satisfying Crossboundaries’ company needs while articulating the roughly 300 m2 space with very few elements, therefore committing to minimum intervention. 

A functional area offers separated meeting rooms, kitchen, storage and rest areas that are included into a former repurposed mezzanine level to maximize organization. These rooms are physically separated with a semi-transparent double layered wall made out of polycarbonate corrugated panels. The only continuous solid wall without windows accommodates a vast shelf that includes the material and reference library, together with a selection of models and Crossboundaries Award display. 

The main space is fluent and continuous, shaped by a lightweight curtain structure that functions as an island and connects the invariable working stations area together with a central multifunctional space. The latter is a leisure area focused on providing different scenarios beyond the regular working day: the loose furniture can be re-arranged and separated acoustically to meet the various requirements of the space over time. And the carpet design follows the curtain rail to further reinforce this zoning concept and hint at the users to explore the flexibility of the space. More than five activities and meetings –both formal and informal- can happen at the same time, providing specific atmosphere for each communication processes. 

This multifunctional space is supported by an inherited color palette from the previous office that had already become the corporate identity of Crossboundaries: a combination of grey and yellow elements and textures bring focus and stimulation to the team. A number of inner vegetation islands were not to be left behind in the moving and they contribute to the layout by adding another color while integrating natural elements inside the office. The plants sit into movable platforms, behaving like attractors around the office, each time in a different position. 

While the pandemic has brought radical transformations to business itself, Crossboundaries believes that the design of office spaces also has the need to undergo a forward-looking approach.