MAT office adds a house inside a warehouse in beijing offices

MAT office adds a house inside a warehouse in beijing offices
(above) double-height lobby
all images courtesy of MAT office

‘beaver workshop’ office is an innovative work space tailored for a film and media company designed by local-based architecture practice MAT office. it is located in a business park for creative industries, which was transformed from a concrete factory, in chaoyang district, beijing. the original space was a single-story truss-structured warehouse, containing three spans, with net height 6 meters and ridge height 9 meters. the client expects to double the usable area by adding an interlayer, thus fulfilling the functional requirements of animation, art, screenwriting, directing, producing, and logistics sections.

porous wall

the usable area was expanded by inserting a multi-opening box which occupies more than half of the site containing an atrium and all the inward rooms like independent offices, meeting rooms, rehearsal room, and logistical spaces. the flow outside the structure is left for open workspace. the client wanted to create a flexible, interactive, equal, and fun atmosphere to inspire employees’ creativity. a split-level strategy is applied to arrange the large conference room and the animation rehearsal room so that people from both first and second level can see the activities inside these spaces. the open aree creates unique experiences by the collaboration of five different levels and the multi-opening walls.

house inside warehouse

public areas are vital compositions in this innovative office renovation, and practitioners in creative industries would expect comfortable and relaxing public spaces with life-like experience in this kind of office projects. the atrium connects first and second floor vertically, with lamps and potted plants hanging above a long table, in order to serve a perfect place for presentations, open conferences, brainstorming, and team-building activities. the tea corner, instead of being enclosed in a traditional office space, is enlarged into an island bar, providing a recreation spot and networking platform as well as a space for temporary small meetings. the highlight of the public-use space is the atrium area on the second floor: sunlight flooding in through the skylights, hanging plants running through the whole space from roof to the first floor, workspace for art and directing section outside the multi-opening box. almost every space is making a connection with this central area spatially or visually.

long table and atrium

panorama of atrium space 

1st floor coffee/tea table 

atrium and long table 

2nd floor coffee/tea table

brainstorming area

2nd-floor corridor

plants and lamps in the atrium

axon drawing of the space

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: juliana neira | designboom