Work submitted for the competition
"Best Interior Diploma 2020/2022".
The diploma project presents a unique space created for remote work in a close proximity to where you live. It responds to the growing demand and dynamically changing possibilities of the work form. Despite the many existing similar premises, this author's concept stands out for its gentler approach to the user, giving him the opportunity to use the "office" without leaving the building where he resides.
hot desk work zone
© Marta Kalucka
The main idea of the project is to adapt one of the premises to allow a person working remotely to distinguish between a work-life environment and a private life, without having to move to the city center for this purpose. The selected premises is located in a luxury apartment building (formerly the Lenora haberdashery factory with a warehouse and office function, and later converted to residential purposes) at 3 Walnut Street in the Polesie district of Lodz.
The coworking space is located in a block of flats in Lodz
© Marta Kalucka
In terms of communication, the block is well located, but the problem turns out to be the constantly congested access streets. This makes getting to the center (about 6 kilometers to the vicinity of Piotrkowska Street) and returning involve spending up to a couple of hours in traffic jams every day.
first floor plan of the coworking space
© Marta Kałucka
The aspect of daylight is extremely important, which is why the project focused on ensuring that every part of the premises has sufficient daylight, enhanced by panoramic windows on the eastern side. The project demolished partition walls and relied on relative divisions (curtains) or in the form of smaller acoustically separated rooms made of glass walls.
kitchenette
© Marta Kalucka
On the first floor there is an intimate conference room for six - eight people, a kitchenette and a small rest area, from which the main exit to a wide balcony was planned. Vis-à-vis this social area extends a hot desk work area, which, due to its dynamic use, integrates very well with the main open area.
second floor space
© Marta Kalucka
On the second floor, more zoning was designed, but without permanent divisions. There was placed a comfortable room with lounge furniture symbolically separated by soundproof curtains, located under the window, overlooking the park. Right next to it, various sized desks, a cubicle and individual telephone hoods were planned to ensure acoustic intimacy while talking on the phone.
meeting space
© Marta Kalucka
On the first floor of the premises there is a two-person space with a small table, discreetly separated from the rest of the office and appropriately soundproofed, and a meeting room for three to four people, located in the furthest part from the rest, with the widest view of the floor below.
floor plan of the coworking space
© Marta Kalucka
In the interior, I designed the space to be pleasing to the eye and to match the high level of finish of the entire residential building. I based the design on the art déco style, but specifying the most subtle shapes from this style, which are visible on the high wall in the main room. The dominant colors in the interior are grays (mainly the original concrete finish or epoxy resin color on the floor) and light and dark woods. The element that breaks the mild shades is the vivid yellow color used in various parts of the premises. It brightens up the interior, adds energy, optimism and confidence, and even improves memory.
On the walls the author used acoustic panels made of expanded cork
© Marta Kalucka
On one of the walls, I proposed panels with sound-absorbing properties, made of expanded cork in dark brown, valued for its insulating properties (thermally and acoustically) and echo and even vibration leveling features.
Another sound-absorbing material used is a wool fabric made of pet plastic, appearing in such furnishings as lamp covers, separators separating desks and lining the walls at workstations. A similar technique was chosen for the curtain system, which is designed to relatively divide the room and dampen sound, increasing the comfort of those using this small space.
coworking space, top view
© Marta Kalucka
When designing the coworking space, I was keen to create a place that meets the needs of people who have decided to work remotely. I know from my own experience and observations that in Poland, remote work and freelance work are becoming increasingly popular, but there is still a lack of solutions to keep up with the dynamic changes in the market. In this case, users can be very different people, so the space should be flexible and diverse.
Marta KAŁUCKA
Illustrations: © Author
