Studio Alexander Fehre transforms small apartment units into a modern administrative office for a building cooperative.

The VdK building cooperative builds and manages affordable housing in Stuttgart and the surrounding area. In recent years, the small office has been located on the ground floor of a residential apartment block from 1954, which was converted into office spaces in the 1990s. Due to the existing layout, the spatial structure and flow were inefficient and proved to no longer be sustainable.

The client had a simple wish: to make the interior beautiful, not necessarily classical, but rather functional and modern. "Our office should mark a new beginning," was the ten-person team's motto. Despite a great deal of freedom in the construction contract, Studio Alexander Fehre’s overall approach was to gently modernize - with exception of the building structure, which was completely gutted after initial considerations Analysing the exposed spatial structure led to adding a drastic gesture: a sweeping corridor running through the winding floor plan, connecting key daily work functions and giving the office an overall more spacious feel. To achieve this, the two former ground-floor apartments were substantially gutted, revealing a 280 m² floor plan with a lot of unexpected potential.

The characteristic features of the original building were preserved and integrated into the new design. The entrance door is now set in pigmented precast concrete elements that protrude onto the pavement and form an inviting gesture with their curves. Whilst placed at an angle to the façade, the elements are orientated at 90° to the new central corridor indoors, and create a visible link between inside and outside. Upon entering, an open reception combines both waiting areas for customers and workspaces for employees. Although the architects did not design an open-plan office, they did create shared offices with workspaces that can be used by everyone. Including an eye-catching blue seating alcove, illuminated by a custom-designed 3D-printed light.

Special attention was paid to the material concept, which offers a blend of deliberately raw construction and flawless materiality. Low-cost materials such as stained ridge plaster were cleverly applied to create high quality surfaces, with a few bold colours to add accents. Peachy pink in the painted ceiling air conditioners and ellipses on the floor, and azure blue throughout the furniture, fabrics and wall coverings of an intimate built-in alcove, making it the perfect spot to withdraw and rest.

Finally, numerous custom-made products, including tables, painted floor and ceiling sections and specially designed LED lights complete the project. The successfully redesigned VdK office is not only aesthetically pleasing, functional and contemporary, but also demonstrates Studio Alexander Fehre's ability to thoughtfully fulfil their clients' wishes and use innovative design to achieve big things even in small spaces.