The Room: Redefining the Office Space with Style, Creativity and Space-Savvy Design

Modern workspaces and offices are much different from the mundane and boring series of cubicles that took over the world in the 80’s and 90’s. Today’s innovative offices offer a much more vibrant and creative environment for employees and there is no shortage of features that steal the spotlight here. From the many amazing offices of tech giants like Google across the globe to smaller, startups that offer equally captivating work environment, the best offices are those that combine aesthetics and functionality in a seamless fashion. The Room in Barcelona is not all that different in this respect as this modern workspace designed by Nook architects feels comfortable, spacious and has a smart blend of private and social workzones.

The Room workspace in Barcelona designed to adapt to the needs of the users

The entire office interior has been divided into two large zones with one containing a spacious hall for workshops, meetings and other creative activities that involve large teams and a second section that contains series of workstations along with dining area and a small kitchenette. Spruce wood, glass and dark metallic frames shape much of the office here with white taking over in other spots. With smart connectivity to the outdoors, this is an office where Monday morning blues feel that little bit less taxing. [Photography: Yago Partal]

Large gray pendant, subway tiles and wooden surfaces inside the office
Personal storage units for the home office
Sitting and dining area along with social kitchen for the office
Sliding glass doors and wooden structures shape the interior of the office
Spacious bathroom with lighting that accentuates its best features
Storage nooks and smart shelves make a difference to the office
Wood, gray and white for the modern bathroom

New approaches to work demand flexible rooms that can be adapted to emergent needs. THE ROOM, therefore, proposes a versatile arrangement of spaces that respond to these new realities, transcending the assignment of a specific chamber to a specific use. With a height of 3.50 m, we were able to meet all functional requirements without building up to the ceiling. This not only ensures that the structural framing remains visible from all angles…

Bluish-grays and white shape the interior of the spacious office
Creating a multi-purpose hangout and kitchen for a modern office setting
Finding the right balance between casual elegance and productive design in the office
Framed sliding glass doors connect the interior with the outdoors

Liked the story? Share it with friends.

Similar Posts

  • Lakeside Residence

    Originally built as a modest beachfront cabin in the 1960s and subsequently modified through a series of piecemeal renovations, by the time the client acquired the house its design integrity had long ceased to exist. The forested one-acre property, however, was ideally suited to the creation of a quiet refuge with direct connections to nature. The path from street to house is conceived as a journey where work and public life give way to nature and private reflection. The 60-foot change in elevation from entry drive to water’s edge, was not without challenges. The upper driveway is transformed into a winding forest drive, while the final steps to the house pass through a series of intimate landscapes. A two-story glazed entry provides glimpses through the house to the water from the moment one enters the site. “To preserve the original view experience,” notes Brett Baba, principal architect for the project, “we carved big glass slots through the house both vertically and horizontally so a visitor can see right through to the water as they descend to the house.” Planted roof surfaces help to merge the house with its setting. Inside, the house was taken back to the studs and completely reworked. Previously lacking visual connections to the lake, all major interior spaces were reoriented to the views. “One of the most challenging aspects of this project,” adds Baba, “was the limited buildable area of the site. The homeowner had an ambitious program, so we needed to be creative in finding ways to solve space needs and elevate the quality of the space we had.” The main floor and formal entry, the middle of the house’s three floors, serve as the public zone of the house. Here, spaces including the galley kitchen and breakfast room, and dining and living, which flow one to the other. A small guest room rounds out the main floor. A second floor was added to provide separation for private spaces, and includes the master suite and kids bedrooms. The staircase connecting the floors was conceived as a set of wood slabs (fumed white oak) that appear to float within a wood enclosure. The partial, below-grade basement, was previously closed off from the waterfront. The space now opens directly to the water, enabling activities to flow from inside to outside. The basement provides family-oriented spaces including the family room, gym, wine room, kitchenette, laundry, powder bath and playroom for the children. Family room furnishing are simple, dominated by an L-shaped sofa, and a large television above a fireplace—a “hangout area” for the kids. Baba and Hunziker worked closely with the homeowner on the selection of finishes. “He pushed us to explore the most elegant design that we could,” notes Baba. “He has great taste and was open to very sophisticated finishes and details” Materially rich finishes—such as polished concrete, stone, cerused rift white oak and fumed oak, and blackened steel—balance the otherwise crisp and spare detailing found throughout the house. Everything from door pulls to sink faucet levers were meticulously designed, detailed, and fabricated. Stand out features include the staircase with floating wood slabs, custom bead-blasted nickel hardware, an oversized Japanese soaking tub, and sliding leather paneled pocket doors to master bedroom and bathroom. Concealed doors and integrated handrails reinforce the minimal aesthetic without sacrificing rich materiality. Outside, variously-sized, dark-stained cedar siding provides subtle dimension and shadow effects. Cor-Ten siding wraps selected portions of the exterior to articulate the composition and massing. Integrated sun shades and fins on all west-facing windows marry function with aesthetics, adding visual texture while mitigating direct sun exposure. Graham Baba Architects team
    Brett Baba, design principal
    Francesco Borghesi, project team
    Noreen Shinohara, project team Project team
    Graham Baba Architects (architecture)
    Terry Hunziker Inc. (interiors)
    CPL (civil engineer)
    Carissa Farkas (structural engineer)
    Geotech Consultants (geotechnical engineer)
    Rich Haag and Associates / Anne James Landscape Architect (landscape architecture)
    Brian Hood (lighting design)
    Lockhart | Suver LLC (contractor)
    Fleetwood USA (windows and selected doors)

  • Brilliant Bathroom in Green Brings Vivacious Color into this Modern Office

    Modern offices are no longer spaces where endless stretches of cubicles greet you and the entire design feels just so sterile. Many of them now incorporate recreation areas, play zones and other activity spaces that offer employees a chance to refresh and have a better quality of life. Taking inspiration from this, the AB&D Office […]

    You’re reading Brilliant Bathroom in Green Brings Vivacious Color into this Modern Office, originally posted on Decoist. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Decoist on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.