unquote converts japanese warehouse and delivery yard into open office space

in the suburbs of the japanese city sendai, design firm unquote transformed a printing plant into  contemporary shared office space, studio 080. its roadside location along a main road makes it the ideal place to connect information and people alike most shared offices in tokyo that are located in easily accessible areas to create a business community.

all images courtesy of unquote

unquote’s unique approach involves a shared office that moves objects and people, taking advantage of the characteristics of the building and its location. the designers wanted to keep the warehouse and delivery yard’s character and function, and connect them to a modern office space with new businesses. the new office’s users can do everything from launching their business, production and even delivery of goods from this new space.

the operation of the shared office is a logistics company in sendai city and supports operations including overseas expansion for various businesses. the facility aims to expose sendai city to the rest of the world. the designers wanted to convert the warehouse from a space for objects to a space for people, and reused existing elements to accomodate workspace sections.

unquote created a private room for a business office outside the existing wall, and more lounge spaces for co-working inside the wall. in the co-working space, the designers removed the ceiling to create a large space 8m wide and 5m high, 30m deep, that includes a water station, wide windows and smoke exhaust exits.

the designers created bespoke wooden furniture and divided necessary work spaces from other areas. the unit can become larger or smaller depending on the space it has to fit into, and can be easily rearranged and reconfigured like a lego block. they also designed modularized pallets for people in the same way that pallets are used in logistics, referring to the logistics theme. the pallets can become benches, planters, counters, shelves, partitions and have other functions depending on the stacking height and layout, and the type of top plate used.

a single unit was designed measuring 910mm wide, 455mm deep and 388mm high, dimensioned according to the user’s body scale and japanese lumber standards. at the same time, the designers optimized costs by using standard two-by-four lumber and pine bars that are easily found in the market.

the lighting strategy for the office is catered to each section: in the unit work area, a light bar is parallel to the louver, securing the necessary lighting for desk work, while the free space hosts vertical light bars that provide a subtle and comfortable illuminance. the reception area is spotted with lamp shade lighting for a welcoming effect.

as a new program for the facility, the designers planned a rental hall. after the various earthquakes and natural disasters that hit japan, they felt an open, rentable space was essential for the local community. the excessive humidity control which was maintained for the storage of goods was changed to air conditioning and disaster prevention equipment. the old, damaged floor was reinforced and changed to a glossy black surface to create a more modern space.