FIUS

The client approached Superlimão to develop the design for their new corporate headquarters. The company had grown considerably in recent years, and the previous headquarters was too small for the staff and hadn't been designed with the company's values and pillars in mind. The first thing we were asked was the need for an organized, innovative space, yet still with a solid foundation. Based on these client requests, we developed a design based on the varied uses that demonstrate this path of innovation. The space was divided into client areas and internal areas. The first section, for external clients, houses the reception and meeting rooms. Entering the internal space are the workstations, which operate on a scheduled basis, with no fixed seating. There are also informal collaborative workspaces, consisting of open booths, free-standing tables, sofas, and armchairs. Finally, areas dedicated to focused work, such as directors' offices and phone booths. Staff support points were designed, consisting of a printing island and a coffee and water station, easily accessible to all employees in the work area. The technical areas were minimally calculated, divided into electrical rooms, a data center, an IT room, a pantry, and a DML (Double Room). The slab ends with the rooftop area, which consists of a multipurpose space with flexible furniture and a more casual feel. This space, called FIUS Lab, was a client request. It can be used for larger meetings, lectures, awards ceremonies, and courses. It can also be used as an annex for informal collaborative work, and ultimately, it can be used as an event space. The main influence on the project's development was the creation of paper. The client informed us at the briefing meeting that the office produced a small amount of printed paper, which is one of the main pillars of the company's innovative approach. With this information in hand, we incorporated paper, so prevalent in the imagery of a law firm, into the coverings and structures of the spaces. Since paper wasn't present in printed books and contracts, it would be present in another form, bringing innovation and originality to the project, both pillars of FIUS's corporate strategies. We looked to the origins of paper, which was invented in Japan, for some Japanese references, such as the layout of tatami mats and the use of shou-sugi-ban-style burnt wood. At the same time, we also used some references regarding the materiality of the paper itself, incorporating raw cardboard to develop some aspects of the project. The Finnochio e Ustra brand is predominantly blue, so this color remained present throughout the project's development. However, we considered how to introduce this color in an unusual and less obvious way by using navy blue for the tops of the meeting tables and workstations. This decision led us to counterpoint these dark planes so that the wall, ceiling, and floor coverings would bring as much clarity and luminosity as possible. Paper and cardboard tones were used for these coverings, which unfold into various materials, each fulfilling a specific function in the space, such as recycled PET acoustic panels, painted glass chalkboards, melamine laminate panels, and walls painted in shades of beige and kraft. Raw cardboard was used in the form of tubes to develop the structures of the booths in the collaborative areas and as cladding for the blocks where the phone booths are located. The simple change in the direction of the tube, vertically or horizontally, clearly identifies these blocks for users. In the reception area, an immersion in black was conceived, referencing the Japanese shou-sigu-ban. A large bookcase composed of a layout of closed black panels and some glass openings forms the furniture that serves as a divider between the waiting area and the meeting rooms. From this large monolith emerges the reception desk and all its multiple functions, with storage and support spaces for employees in this area, as well as a coffee stand for clients in the waiting area. The FIUS Lab, on the adjacent rooftop, has more stripped-down finishes, using precast concrete for the floor, which was laid out to create a gray-toned carpet in this area. Reflecting the floor design, a backlit tensioned canvas structure forms the ceiling of this area, bringing plenty of light to the space depending on its use. In the center of the floor design, an irregularly shaped island was placed, which was occupied by accessories to ensure constant support for office events, including beer coolers, a draft beer tap, and a glass-cleaning basin. The rooftop balcony was filled with a wide variety of natural plant species, which form barriers between the spaces, allowing each core to form a small outdoor meeting room with two armchairs and a loveseat. The project's greatest challenge was achieving a subtle yet cohesive integration between the indoor and outdoor spaces (workspace and FIUS Lab). Because the uses of these two spaces are quite distinct, we sought to incorporate elements from the indoor space into the FIUS Lab to ensure this conceptual connection. Therefore, lighter shades of blue were used for the FIUS Lab area, covering the mobile bleachers and painting the walls and roof structure. Furthermore, the entrance to this space, which has direct access from the ground floor of the building for outdoor events, was lined with the same cardboard tubes used in the phone booths and booths, ensuring this connection.