Issue 16
 

The term "design-build" hardly conjures images of architecture as art form -- especially when applied to office environments. But that wasn't the case for the offices of Forum Studio, the architectural arm of St. Louis-based design-build company Clayco. Their sweet spot lies in producing inventive, original workplaces, and the chance to craft their own interiors meant an extraordinary degree of creative freedom.

"Previously the building was... very cloistered, with lots of corridors and closed private offices," says Forum Studio principal and senior designer Mike Benz. The new design breaks the box-and-cubicle form of traditional offices with a layout both functional and imaginative. "Now there's openness and a sculptural quality," says Benz. "Your eye wants to wander, and the palette of materials reflects a more creative environment." An example: the evocative folded, illuminated "cloud" structures constructed from Techstyle acoustical panels (pictured), which add radiance and formal intrigue. More >

Denmark: Deloitte & Touche
Architect: 3XNielsen

USA: Seagate Technology
Architect: Pope Architects

China: GDCB
Architect: Gerkan, Marg & Part.

Holland: Veldhoen & Romeijn
Architect: Roos & Ros


Hunter Douglas Contract | 2 Park Way & Route 17 South | Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 USA