Populos

The Populos office was located in the Edifício Módulo Bruxelas in São Paulo and faced the challenge of connecting three basement floors into a highly diverse office program. The architectural design concept arose from the company's own vision of showcasing the use of technology. To achieve this, from the outset, the freedom and premise of creating an office of the "future" were maintained, always focusing on innovation, creation, and especially the virtual. Within the virtual world, the use of mirrors in various shapes and planes throughout the office stands out, playing with spatial perception and creating a sense of distorted reality, a common occurrence in the virtual world. One of the client's main motivations for the project was the use of the private outdoor space on the top floor (basement -3), which should be designed for numerous functions, both for work and relaxation. The treetops and the microclimate created by the garden within the office environment were conducive to creating a spatial structure that would connect the floors and create a versatile environment. The team then sought to develop an internal layout divided into sectors for specific uses, creating spaces of greater and lesser concentration, providing well-being and flexibility in both. At the main entrance (located on the 2nd basement floor), we created a playful arrangement with a cantilevered data analysis room and a diagonal mirror that reflects the illuminated glass box of the data center, a very important feature for the company. This diagonal alignment extends across the floor and creates an illusory division of space with a single color field for the floor, ceiling, walls, and even the furniture. Neon green was chosen, a striking contrast to the brand's black and gray. The workstation area, located on the 3rd basement floor and leading to the garden, is characterized by the different flooring and the ceiling developed with modular pieces from Trilogiq, forming quadrants with acoustic panels and a screen in the same style, dividing the space from the landing area where informal meetings are held. And on the 1st basement floor, we placed more workstations with individual modular tables, an administration area, and another meeting room. The outdoor area is the project's greatest asset. It's possible to see a small portion of what's happening outside through the office entrance, but upon entering the exterior, guests are greeted with a rather unusual environment. The tables and countertops were made with mirrored tops to reflect the treetops and the sky, creating a relationship between reflected and distorted images, bringing the first virtual, the future. In this same space, we have the phone booth built in a guardhouse with internal acoustic treatment, reminiscent of a forest. The garden's aerial space houses the long-awaited spatial structure nestled among the existing trees, The Tree House, which can be used as a meeting room, work area, or decompression area. Made of wood and metal, the House seats up to 7 people and is accessible from both basement level -2 via a walkway reminiscent of a treetop adventure, and from level -1 via a spiral staircase embedded in the building. The project has always sought to develop spaces that reflect new ways of working: spaces that promote new dynamics for knowledge exchange and offer greater flexibility of use.