Scherpontwerp
Graphic design office Scherpontwerp and publisher De Boekenmakers have grown out of their office and rent an office space in the centre of Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
Concept: a clear space. How? By making the space that what it actually wants to be. Central Park in New York is a good example of a clear space.
The open space of the city is defined by a rectangle where buildings are not allowed. Most of the quality is in the open space and is emphasized by the edges of the rectangle. The city recognizes the quality of the open space and makes the edges more dense. For Scherpontwerp we transform this urban concept to the interior.
How do we do that? By making the space that what it actually wants to be.
Transformations of space
How do we transform this dull, fuzzy space to a nice, balanced office space?
We define the maximum rectangular space in the office, the rest is filled with piled up cardboard. The functions which are needed, like working spaces, desks, meeting spaces and cupboards are cut out the cardboard. In the open space a long low table of piled up cardboard is placed. The result is a balanced, functional office space.
Transformation of urban concept to interior concept
The borders of the open space of the interior are treated as facades round a park or square. Just like the buildings around Central Park define the park, the interior facades define the open space.
The buildings around the park are filled with urban functions; the interior facades are filled with interior functions
Cardboard
With the choice of honeycomb cardboard as working material, all the pieces of the puzzle of the design brief came together. The budget was 30% of what we needed to make the concept in conventional materials. The client rents the space for 5 years, so a more permanent material was not needed. The client works with paper, makes a living out of paper, and now also works in paper. The quality of the material is fit for this task; it’s strong, relatively cheap, very light, easy to work with, low transport costs, available in different kinds of thickness and finish, and it is recyclable.
Simplicity
The central open space is a square in the office. The walls act as interior facades by their position and nature of the perforations. The simplicity of the concept results in a tranquil and surprising atmosphere.
Layered, Perforations
The perforations in the walls add depth, functionality and airiness in the office.
By piling up the cardboard and gluing it together, the strength of the material is used to its maximum. The layered structure is emphasized by the serrated perforations in the walls. The difference in the thickness of the layers creates a lively image where the cardboard looks like sediment.
Usability
By filling the edges of the office space with cardboard, all functions can be cooperated in the edges. In this edges there are: 6 desks, a canteen, a meeting space, a library, 312 m1 length of shelves, a wardrobe, printer and computer spaces, 4 walk-in closets and a lounge area. The texture of the cardboard acts as a silencer which makes it very quiet at the desks. The central table is a multifunctional element that serves as a table with 4 desks, cupboard space and presentation table.
