Elena Ruzova

advisor

S.G. Stroganov Moscow State Academy of Arts and Industry

Russian

Design of interior and exterior environment more

Decommissioned cargo containers are an excellent base for experimentations in the segment of economical architectural solutions. Designers and architects around the world have long been attracted by modularity, simplicity of design and energy efficiency potential. This trend is incredibly popular, as it becomes a vivid example towards environmental friendliness, allowing the recycling and processing of structures and materials.
The project presents an office interior environment based on sea containers. The author of the project chose a modern high-rise office building in Singapore and placed a multifunctional two-level space on one of the last floors utilizing the volumes of container modules. The conciseness of the solution lies in the simplest combination of modular stackable volumes. At the same time, the space is divided into working and recreational zones. The office environment is traditional in its functional content – reception, office lobby, office center, personal cabinets and meeting area. The recreational zone presents more variability. Here, the author of the project proposes to place a pantry-kitchen, a recreation area with a cafe, a living room and a library. Of particular interest is the playground with the possibility for "climbing" - moving through wooden boxes connected by industrial pipes. This is one of the types of rest from routine office work, however, there are questions about the physical risks of such a design.
The author successfully "juggles" the combinatorics of cubic volumes in space. The simplest form of the cube is used in the geometry of office equipment and furniture, as well as in the structure of office rooms with transparent partitions between work areas. The subordination of all objects of the interior environment to a single geometric shape adds integrity to the entire design solution.
The author does not forget about the barrier-free environment. The space, with its compactness, allows people with disabilities to move freely around it. It is possible to climb to the second level with the help of a platform lift.
Creativity and a sense of humor allowed the author to create a variable space where office workers can switch from work to various leisure activities and quickly move from one level to another. This could be a really fun office!
As improvement of the project, I would suggest painting the outer walls of the containers in a natural brick color. This gives the project a better exterior visual appearance. Here it would be possible to diversify the color scheme. Also, the author did not pay enough attention to the internal graphical navigation, which, of course, impoverishes the design solution.
The project deserves a good rating.