The project for the new offices for the AHK Colombo-German Chamber –located in a well-known area of ​​the city of Bogotá– focused on enhancing the space of the current headquarters, as a result of different modifications that underused and compartmentalized the space, resulting in a hierarchical environment with few collaborative areas.

The main objective was to create a space more open to urban visuals and with a greater number of areas for collaboration both for the internal client and for the affiliated companies, which will give them the possibility of accessing all the services and corporate infrastructure under a Coworking model.

The architectural project was divided into two phases to facilitate the logistical challenge of construction while the company maintained its commercial activity. In phase 1, the construction of the areas that would house the internal corporate infrastructure, that is, the private spaces of AHK, was carried out. In this area, the workstations of all the employees were organized in islands within an open office in which hierarchies were completely eliminated and additional complementary spaces were generated such as printing points, Meeting Rooms, Booths for 4 people, Individual phone booths and spaces for collaboration and innovation.

In phase 2 the most public project was developed: the areas dedicated to Coworking and the areas shared between employees and affiliates such as the cafeteria –designed under the concept of Work-Café– and the auditorium, designed as a flexible space for conferences or trainings. In this phase, meeting spaces for videoconferences and private offices for clients of affiliated companies were included.

The tour of the project begins in the most public area of ​​the Coworking and ends in the private area of ​​AHK. In this way, the spatial organization is structured while facilitating access control within an organization that is very dynamic and constantly interacts with external users.

On the other hand, thanks to the branding experience –which starts from an urban style, closely related to the Berlin subway– it was possible to capture an identity and a stronger character in the space. Both the typography and the colors and the textures used are directly linked to the architectural and stylistic atmosphere of the transport system of the German capital. And this concept also extends to all graphics; from the names of the spaces to the billboards applied, the entire intervention is an interpretation of the aesthetics and architecture of the Berlin metro network.

The result was a modern office space, which offers different possibilities for interaction and communication and which not only facilitates internal dynamics; it also favors fluid contact with customers and affiliates. In short, a positive catalyst when it comes to strengthening Colombo – German relations.

Area: 494 m2

Duration: 287 days

Country: Colombia

Project: Turnkey

Year: 2020

Activity: Foreign Representations

PM: Carolina Espitia, Andrés Álvarez.

Designer: Robert Nieto.