ESTUDIO QO arte \ arquitectura

B.G.: Tell me about the dramaturgy of space, how do visitors experience the site as they approach and enter the buildings? It seems to me that function interweaves with the layering of the different work areas.

A.G.L.: Let me give you a breakdown of how the different components of the masterplan relate to each other. The modular volume of the offices is revealed as one progresses from the park entrance toward the lot. In front of the offices, there is a semi-covered parking area followed by pedestrian access for employees, suppliers, and clients. To enter, one must go through a gallery defined by an empty module of the structural grid that makes up the building. The ground floor concentrates customer service and other activities of the company’s employees. From the reception area, a double-height collective workspace is accessible, designed for the administrative and accounting sector. The upper floor houses three offices intended for company managers, offering a privileged view of the industrial park, and is equipped with a meeting room and a waiting room overlooking the double-height collective workspace.

G.B.: Perhaps I can add a comment about the space narrational qualities of our design, which we spent a long time considering, given the scarcity of other contemporary designs within the industrial park. It was in some ways a kind of response to the tabula rasa context of the flatlands of the Pampas, it’s worth noting that Rosario is in a bioregion called Pampa Húmeda (Wet Flatlands), characterized by a very homogenous topography. This is a very industrialized region, many buildings in the industrial park are only there to produce and manufacture, and therefore the architecture simply responds to the non-human need for fabrication, leading to a series of blank and faceless warehouse-like volumes. The goal for us was to bring a different scale and humanity for the people that work at Quimeco, and for the owners who wanted to bring light, nature, warmth, and ultimately see the value of great design and architecture as a tool to build pride, to develop an identity and create a healthy and positive environment for the company.

B.G.: In your interior design approach, especially concerning finishes, was there a philosophy that guided you or a particular driving design force?

G.B.: Our approach to interior design focuses on both practicality and precision, always aiming for flexible, well-lit, and well-ventilated spaces. The fact that the buildings were completed during the pandemic further enhanced the value of this approach. We wanted to create a working environment that was about more than just functionality and operational ease, but that gave us a chance to talk about handcraft and the design of intelligent systems that mean the building could alter and adapt should a different function emerge in its future. Each piece of furniture was conceived not just as an object but as an integral component of a larger spatial puzzle, interlocking volumes that create a sense of harmony. This meticulous attention to detail is present in every corner of the project, this is something we have repeated quite often during our dialogue: both studios share a common ethos of obsession and sincere love and passion for the attention to details of fabrication, this you can see from the offices design to the reception desks and meeting areas, and it is a main characteristic of our thinking process and our professional practice.

The choice of finishes was informed by a desire to articulate a visual language that resonates with the brand’s identity yet challenges conventional norms. The inclusion of the company’s distinctive green is more than a branding exercise; it is a deliberate gesture that interacts dynamically with the soft hues of wood and the granular texture of granite mosaic floors. This palette acts as a catalyst, enhancing the spatial ambiance, and fostering an atmosphere that is at once vibrant and contemplative—a testament to the potential of design to transform the mundane into the extraordinary.