Selgas Cano Architecture Office by Iwan Baan
30
Apr 2009
By Nico Saieh — Filed under: Architectural Photography , Offices , Selected , Iwan Baan, Selgas Cano, Spain
Once again, Iwan Baan amaze us with this great project between the woods by Spanish practice Selgas Cano: Their own architecture office.
You can see the complete photoset after the break.
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222 comments »
I’m sorry but that building is horrible!!!!!!!!!!
It makes you feel like a rat in a test tube.
Better luck next time.
elbeto
OMG I am so with you!!!!!
Better than the boxes I work in and very different..I guess I like it. Yes a sort of fishbowl but at least the scenery , is great , for most days,,,in a bad storm how does it rate???
This is, the place where I would like to work.
Great job!!
Amazing place, i love the low impact into the landscape, like a modern cave.
very, very inspiring!
Sure is a nice thin profile… would love to see a more detailed section and a site plan if it’s they release it.
I love how some architecture offices really push the boundaries in terms of workplace design, even if it is a littel experimental.
Another project of this nature would be Renzo Piano’s building workshop. Lovely structural glass details that maximised views and layout flexibility but heat gain was quite high.
This is a nice project in terms of the exposure to the change of season, but It reminds me somewhat of being on a Train.
Amazing! Like it very much.
I love the way it’s sunken into and opened up to the landscape like that, but I find the interior finishes to the offices sort of cold and sterile looking.
Clean and sleek but personally, I will probably freak out from time to time due to chlostophobia. It will be hilarious if this building floods. That’s a mega-disaster.
clausterphobia
sorry but I hated it… I have nothing rational to say but I just can’t think of working on such a place… but the nature is great…
Since this building seems depend on the natural beauty, it should show how it looks in other seasons too.. Such as winter should be nice
I’d pay to be the janitor there.
Very, very nice, I like it a lot. Good luck, proceed with next ones!
nice place
Outstanding photographs of a genuinely innovative project does make a potent combination.
Honestly, I cannot say that I understand the claustrophobia comments. One wonders where everyone is working these days so that spaces open to the sky inspire these feelings. Perhaps there some confusion between agoraphobia and claustrophobia?
My only question regards the curved glass. Is that glass or plex.? One shudders to think what plexiglass would look like after a season of exposure to the elements.
Terry Glenn Phipps
Incredible space, so simple and full of light, I really loved the materials that they used in the design, I do believe for sure, that the truthfull architecture is the one without the typical architectural boundaries (as the complicated sections or programmatical layouts).
cheers for this beautiful idea
nice place, bad building
terrible terrible… just looking at these pictures is making me hate architecture and architects. good lord, at least let them have windows that open. this building is everything that is wrong with contemporary design- how we detail our buildings have consequences. this is little more than the realization of a half baked idea. baan does a nice job of trying to make it look like a good building, cheers to him.
honestly, what would happen if somebody farted in there?
It’s a good example for an enormous gap between longing of a human being to the nature and his fear of it. Air conditioned interior with artificial lighting in the middle of the ocean of fresh air and natural light. In such a beautiful setting a tent would be much better…
The ceiling’s too low for me. I feel a little suffocated just by looking at it. Great interiors though :)
wow! so inventive! I dont really like the design, but a very cool concept. all of that light must be murder on those brilliant new iMac screens
Every time one looks towards the windows he or she has to suffer glaring high-gloss yellow and lime green in half his or her view? That’s absurd, and to color-sensitive types, offensive. And it runs quite counter to the idea of imbebdding the room in nature.
Reminds me of a job where a single selfish person rudely chose deep magenta for 50% of the wall and floor tiles, all the light fixtures and table tops, for a two hundred person cafeteria. It ruined the room and people were immediately disappointed, but the money was spent. Hundreds of people over the past fifteen years, and probably another fifteen or more, suffer it.
The artistic, creative aspect of architecture is not equivalent to painting or sculpture; nobody has to buy your painting, but everyone required to use your room has to experience it; the architect owes the inhabitants of his or her creation some consideration.
CPTL… well, the final users of this office designed it, so i guess it´s not a disappointment for them.
love the setting, but imagine working there day in and day out. It feels so tight and compressed.
When will people learn? no building survives in isolation. What is the context of this building?
Beautifully executed–though, where’s the can? I assume there are further facilities which aren’t featured, and that this is simply the workroom/flagship area for the office. However, what I find funny is the disregard of human interplay of people constantly having to walk past one another down what’s effectively a repurposed hallway. A tube of hard edges is going to drive staff up the wall with the reverberating conversations and footsteps. Not to mention that defined workspaces are inherently more productive because people cannot help but monitor one another’s activities; inciting resentment or other unrest. And what’s the ventilation? -One person passes-gas and it’s all over. I hate to say it, but it’s going to be claimed as a store-house or rec-room in a couple of years.
Did I miss the part about these being concept art? Because they are obviously (badly) composited fakes.
I don’t know what the company does, but I want to work there.. Hire me
nice design
horrible… prometia en algunas fotos pero no cumplio, y como alguien dijo en un comentario: lo primero que siento cuando lo veo, es claustrofobia.
A lot of comments. Design which unlocks a lot of discussions is good.
I say WOW!
The office is simply awesome. I’d just love to work there.
With such an awesome setting outside the office, I just hope the interior-exterior relationship does not stop just visually. Natural ventilation here might be brilliant, however I might be totally wrong if the climate of the place is a bit too harsh at times…
I really like it when people start discussing and adding value to this conversations.
Excellent project.
Amazing space!
This is not architecture
Could you tell us a reason to say that? we all love to critisice the others, but without any motive?.. that’s bad!
you could for example have started saying: architecture FOR ME is… and “this is not architecture” BECAUSE…
To some previous comments
- the context of the buildnig is easily visible – trees, bushes etc.. NATURE.
- this is architecture – see the definition of word ARCHITECTURE.
- if somebody farted there – there is openable section at the end of the building for vent – put the glasses on.
- “the architect owes the inhabitants of his or her creation some consideration” – I assume that you think that the architect was not talking to inhabitants, just did whatever he wanted – probably yuo are NOT AN ARCHITECT and do not know how the process looks like.
I suppose architects have wildly different needs from programmers, since I can’t imagine concentrating in that setting. Having said that, I like how it looks.
very cool pictures indeed but unfortunately another unsustainable building which with its oversized single glazed skin must get everyone go home after 3pm in winter or have gas bills through the roof.
The ceiling is definitely too low and there must be some ventilation issues.
Good try.
David
Looks like it would be a nice place to spend the occasional afternoon, but the whole futuristic clean white looks kind of out of place in the woods. I wonder if this is a park or if it actually is “out in the woods. It looks very nice but when I imagine myself in there it might not actually be so good. I would guess it is probably rented and used occasionally, not on a daily basis. Thus, while not practical for everyday use it would be nice maybe once a month to get out of the cubicle and sit in the woods and work. Also, “Nice try”? It’s obviously not a “try” because it actually got built. Oh, and do those cables at the ends suspend it above the ground or what?
I would’nt mind working there. It’s nice and it definitely stands out in that kind of environment.
great interior sight of the nature~
i like it ,but what if i wanna open the window .the elevation seems not free for operation.
a quite utopia project. cute, utopia is always cute.
amazing…also do well with surrounding, wanted studio like that ~~
Ok, so you’ve just wrapped up a great idea on the lap top while enjoying the flicker of sunshine grace the fine furnishings and suddenly Mr. bird flies by and leaves his mark right above your table. Oh well, ma be the client will be more kind. Cheers !
Love it. Very nice! Under gray skies and a thunderstorm, I wonder what the mood would be like: seeing the lightning flash, the darkness and the splitter splatter of rain on the glass. Under summer sun, things would heat up a bit and how about the snow fall but if it’s solar powered, then, and only then, will it be worth its’ weight in gold. Of course, someone could survive in a place like that, away from the man-made human/pig/avian/pig flu. I love the design and the intelligent planning that went into crafting such a place.
Looks like a great place to grow vegetables in winter. That is if you can afford to heat the place. It could mabe make money as a seasonal greenhouse and sauna too.
Cool spac, I guess the tight looking ceiling makes you feel part of the outside, only thing is that bright color, not sure if I’d like it in a couple of months…
Very cool and minimal impact to the environment – love it!
is there no toilett? =P
It’s hard to describe this. Its an aesthetically pleasing structure, but is seemingly devoid ov any variation at all- quite monotonous in fact.
Theres no way I think I could work there on a daily basis, perhaps if there was an earthquake and the main office was destroyed, this would make an adequate temporary office. (at a push)
Oh, I just realised, it’s the Apple iOffice.(architecture version)
claustrophobia … dictionaries are at your fingertips
There is no material response to its surroundings. Simply putting a plexiglass tube in the middle of the forest is a poor stylistic accomplishment. There have been far better constructions that have married the idea of the construction to the environment. This looks like some sort of alien pod dropped haphazardly from the sky into the forest. The fact that you can see the environment from your desk isn’t particularly a moving achievement in architecture. The building does more to isolate the user from the environment than anything else. Le Corbusier v Frank Lloyd Wright…FLR wins. This construction is poisonous.
my first impression: LOVED IT!
2nd thought: still loved it, but I wonder what’s going to happen during the winter. is it well insulated? during the summer? it’d be great if we can see the plans and is this the whole office? is this an addition to an existing office?
or did i fall in love with it because of the surrounding effect, the trees the leaves?
where are the drafting tables???
it seems wrong to not have a drafting table in architecure office.
Being amongst all that woodland is going to work wonders for your productivity and creative output!
Want!
Looks ok but these modern buildings have practical appeal build into them but having everything white outside is not practical at all it would need constant cleaning especially since trees are hanging over it. Also I dont like the shape it could have been more creative and as other people have said it reminds you of a rat in a cage. I can see that place looking so grimy with pidgeon poop all over it in a year lol.
I prefer working in an old building
who dropped the macbook in the woods?
Though the building looks very chic, it appears very sterile and inflexible. Completely cut off from nature physically and in such a beautiful natural setting is a shame.
You’d probably enjoy visiting it, but working there would be very depressing.
I’d feel claustrophobic if I had to stay there for more than an hour.
Pretty but alien.
I love it but if that office was here in the Rockies, you would be buried 5 months out of the year! You’d really have cabin fever.
Natural and good
Claustrophobia = ceilings too low.
Nature through endless windows is beautiful. Office not cozy. I dislike modernism. Furniture uncomfortable. Lighting too boring.
A nice rough stone and glass with high ceilings and coziness would work as well for the nature, better in fact. This is interesting as an image, but in real life I think it is a bit ET.
They can’t move around either. their desks look like prisons. Its not nice.
elbeto, just for the record you know nothing about great work
Where’s the potty? Or do you use the woods?
Awesome!Unbelievable.
Outstanding!!!Amazing!!! Totaly Global Warming free…
the space looks like the train’s space :) i like it ! but the celling is low, isn’t it?
the space looks like the train’s space ;) i like it but the celling is low, isn’t it?
Looks cool at first sight, but I personally wouldn’t want to work in a plastic tube like this all day long to be honest.
While the photos from outside look really nice, the interiour pictures create an uncomfortable feeling somehow. However, seeing a forest or pure nature while looking out of the office window can be very inspirational sometimes.
I like it very much, even though many of you write it`s like a rat cage… Good idea. I wish I could work in a place like this one ;)
IMHO, this type of architecture converts humans into objects.
I would like a building like this for my studio. Love it.
One comment, would architects please give a little consideration to wheelchair accessibility please…
Looks like it’s an amazing place to work. Looks like artists working there (from the big screen Macs). I always chuckle inside at the amazingly inspiring design studios I’ve visited, mixed with the pretentious cooler-than-thou attitude of most artists. Seems so paridoxical. Don’t get me wrong, I’m an “artist” myself, but my farts actually stink.
This building is like marmite – you either love it or you hate it. I love it, apart from one small point…
Bird Poop!!
great field, horrible building
I like it live + work +natural
بسیار زیبا از کار کردن در این فضا
I’m a HUGE fan of natural light for interior work spaces. I love it. All florescent bulbs must be pounded into dust!!
simple and beauty!
ساده و زیبا!
cool
I actually kind of like it. I would like to live in a tube in the woods. It’s so unlike a house that it would feel kind of, uhm… kind of novel, like being in a tent in the rain. XD Like HAHA, I’m outside but I’m IMPERVIOUS. (especially with the ends open) The way the inside is painted COULD be gross, but I think I would grow fond of it. If the desks were not there, it could also be good for running and sliding. Better as a house than an office, because as an office it would just be a temptation to run outside.
Amazing architecture, I want to work there!
My impression is that the great human creativity has no limits
thanks Great job.
Well, that seems nice but it shows too, how cruel we are to the nature for our selfishness. Such a vast office in the middle of a forest ? Ever thought How many trees have been cut and how many animals and insects have been killed till you sit in a such beautiful office ? ? ?
i understand the attempt at integration with the landscape, or maybe being a jewel in embedded in the earth, and in that way it is a nice object – a greenhouse for designers in a way.
where i think it fails is in the ceiling height of the space. maybe it is a personal preference, but i feel most creative in a tall space, rather than a low one. here i’m sure the goal was to engage the eye-level view across the ground line outside.
if the metaphor is a cave type space to retreat from the elements, this seems more like a burrow, and less like the more inspiring cavernous space that i would enjoy as an ambitious designer. my thoughts need space to float around…
I guess no one who uses a wheelchair will *ever* work or visit here. Stairs as only entry-is the failing of this trendy design.
Felt like a hamster cage to me, too, claustrophobic.
You’re architects: no excuse for no universal design access.
Wow! Nice concept but practically its bit weird!
Where I send my resume?? I really want to work in a place like this….
stress-lesssssss
this is completely amazing! i would be so content going to work here everyday!
i want one of these in my backyard.
Holy Moses! That’s one crazy office. Really interesting but wonder if it may be a bit much once the novelty has warn off!
awssssssmmmmmmmmmmm concept,…guys,..now this is called cool work space,..grate job!! Love to have such work space.
I LOVE IT!!!
Contrast between nature and plastic appearance of that office make me looking for finding relation of that to its surroundings its plan is so ordinary and the entrance is interesting.
thường thôi !
I like the integration with the landscape, but it seems to be so claustrophobic!
grosssssssssssssoo
great glass……….
so coollllllllllllllll
http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/julyforest/article?mid=60&prev=76&next=48
this is our office
everytime we need fresh air
we go outside…enjoy the nature
welcome to visit us
Amazing.
magic..i like it
Love it. It’s like Fountainhead…those without vision have no taste. BEAUTIFUL!
Love the concept, but what’s the with IKEA styling? Coulding you integrate the stlye with the suroundings? Yuk.
Concepts great though.
Too much thought and energy put into the “hip” look, leaving very little room for working with the “genius loci” that at first glimpse seemed to have been the foremost objective.
fantastic!
perfecto!
EXACTLY how I would do it….just put my bed at the back.
Looks gre=atly fuctionable.. however reminds me of a cacoon in the forest that fallen and sucken into the ground a little. The working enviroment maybe chosen better back to back?
Would be an exciting place to work.
Only if building had windows that wind could blow
Love it. Wonder where the bathroom is located.
Very nice concept, a serious place for architectural designer who don’t want to be disturb. Keep going
To me its like being in a Clean White Shoe box, thrown in the forest and to be told to work, NO THANKS
I like it very much, even though many of you write it`s like a rat cage… Good idea. I wish I could work in a place like this one
Looks gre=atly fuctionable.. however reminds me of a cacoon in the forest that fallen and sucken into the ground a little. The working enviroment maybe chosen better back to back?
Would be an exciting place to work
I would like to point that here we have so much things to say because who created this post didn’t have enough documents to present the project. (And I’m not blaming this person, it’s just a fact). Maybe some plans or a pair of words from the architect would have shouted loads of mouths here.
PD: I apologize if I made any mistake, I’m not english.
it seems to be designed by a Swatch Team…..it is a space where the inspiration must take place, so…….TERRIBLE…..pls i hope that not even one arquitect worked in here….
Amazing, wud love to work here
I wanted to reblog some of this on the ESI Interiors blog.
Could I use one or two of the pictures, or do I need to go direct to Iwan Baan for permission?
I’m not an architect but I find it a very striking space. Maybe a bit claustrophobic, but hard to know without stepping inside. Also perhaps incongruous with it’s surroundings?
Can I work with you? Great space!
With all the plastic, curves, bright colors and cheap looking furniture it seemed more like a re-purposed pre-school than an office. I found myself trying to read the spines of the books to see if they had any Dr. Seuss…
Even with the wide expanse of glass offering the continuous view of nature I would feel like a captured animal. The relatively low ceiling and long tube shape is not a welcome atmosphere.
The interior design is not working in conjunction with the view outside. A natural exterior should be mirrored with a natural style interior. The view outside is obviously a major consideration in the buildings location and construction. However, inside the building it is all man made plastics, sharp angled furniture and cold, over the top colours. They simply don’t work together. It lacks harmony.
My vote is no. A bad building design in addition to an even worse interior design. I certainly would NOT want to work in such a place.
1) I think that invisible architecture is going to be the main stream of the future.
2) I always thought that the use of natural elements (brick, stone, wood, grass roofs) was the key to achieve a low impact landscape approach. I was wrong! This project teaches us that high tech construction articulated in small volumes can integrate itself successfully into natural environment. This is very important because allows the introduction of technological innovative construction procedures (such as the use of prefabricated elements) for the benefit of its functional and building economy.
I would be in heaven working in this building due to all the natural light and seeing nature all day. I guess it could get a bit claustrophobic if I had to sit by the wall all day, but I think it’s different and very cool with the yellow and green.
It just makes me feel “glad” that someone is doing something this exciting. [Were, that it was the majority of us...]. Cudos! My only contrary comment is relative to cost: How many of us can afford this/what we would prefer?
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