The offices of agency NBJ Architects take seat in the heart of the historic center of Montpellier, near the Prefecture. The building in which the project is established is an 18th Town Building classified Historic Monument. The operation of rehabilitation and transformation of a program of residences into offices able to accommodate a structured architectural office was directed mainly towards the interior of the building.
Creation of a harmonious and dynamic workspace.
One of the main issues of the project was to create an accommodating and dynamic workplace while preserving and developing the exceptional patrimonial character of the site. Thus, a particular attention was brought to the typology of the offices so that a visual coherence is preserved into the whole building. Each office has its own space but remains of connection with the unit of the project by the means of an architectural work of high quality.
The agency opens on a crossing and generous space of reception. It is the catalyst of the other functions since it serves each entity inherent in an architectural office. It serves two broad open offices in row on the one hand, a majestic meeting room, a space of restoration as well as a large mezzanine. This one accommodates a library, a model studio like one second meeting room. Lastly, two broad and luminous offices, always in row supplement the unit.
In addition, each office has broad openings towards outside, toward the courtyard or the street, so that each workspace can profit from an intense and natural luminosity throughout the day.
A materiality bringing coherence and refinement
The sober and elegant materials take part in the balance of the unit thus underlining the simplicity of volumes and the smoothness of furniture. On the ground of the first floor the stones of origins have been preserved. They are harmonized perfectly with the clear elements brought by the new project.
A floor covering where undulations evoking of the level lines shapes recovers the whole of the mezzanine. It gives depth to each space.
In addition, the whole of the storage and filing spaces inherent in an architectural office are integrated on all the height of the partition walls in order to optimize and to make readable each space.