Architects Joanna Muszyńska and Mateusz Waszak of the Muszyńska Waszak Design Studio are the authors of the Halobiur 123 concept in Kórnik. Opposing typical design solutions for warehouse halls combined with office space, they created a user-friendly place, full of greenery, based on universal design ideas.
During the initial identification of the investor's needs and preferences, our attention was drawn to the key role of cooperation between the office part and the production and warehouse part, thanks to which all departments of the company would smoothly carry out their tasks, the architects say.
Two straight lines, intersecting at an angle of 123 degrees,
defined the relationship between the buildings - hence the name of the project Halobiur 123
© Pracownia Projektowa Muszyńska Waszak
The basic design assumption was to create such a functional-spatial layout that would facilitate communication within the company and cooperation between key departments. The technological and industrial processes taking place in the interiors (the company is engaged in the manufacture of chemical products) outlined the key guidelines. The determinant also turned out to be the design of a large-scale space that would realize not only functional and aesthetic assumptions, but also affect the comfort of its users.
interpenetrating buildings
The idea of interpenetrating two blocks (office and production and storage), resulting in partial commonality of separate geometries, became the main point of the composition, around which subsequent elements were shaped. The location of the buildings in relation to the designated building lines, which organize the new and future investments, turned out to be crucial. Two straight lines, intersecting at an angle of 123 degrees, defined the relationship between the buildings - hence the name of the project Halobiur 123.
central staircase, coupling communication between floors,
is topped by a window opening in the roof
© Pracownia Projektowa Muszyńska Waszak
The interpenetration of the buildings is also marked in the front facade, where the geometry of the indentation is the entrance arcade. The combination of the two blocks created a space in the form of a "green wedge," bringing nature into the intimate rest area for employees. The spreading of the buildings' facades also provided access to daylight for the social and office spaces. The central staircase, coupling communication between floors, is topped by a window opening in the roof, which increases the share of diffused light in the interiors.
The office building consists of three floors
© Pracownia Projektowa Muszyńska Waszak
The office building consists of three floors, on which functions such as reception, offices, conference and exhibition rooms, chili out spaces, social spaces, sanitary spaces, and circulation routes are arranged. The office interiors are made up of intimate offices with small teams. The height of the rooms compensates for their small size. On the top floor of the office, in the glazed part, the architects placed an additional conference room, adjacent to the terrace, developed as an intensive green roof. Meanwhile, the production and storage hall has an extensive biologically active area.
The base of the functional-spatial layout became an orthogonal grid, in which the value of 55 cm and its multiples was reflected in the plan, and the elevations. Thermal comfort in the interiors is supported by the considerable thickness of the building's exterior walls and the light colors of the ventilated facade, made of fiber-cement panels. The chosen material does not heat up and does not give off heat to the interior. The strong setback of the windows from the face of the wall also proved important. The resulting recesses, together with the cladding, limit the direct access of sunlight to the office.
The combination of two blocks created a space in the form of a "green wedge"
© Pracownia Projektowa Muszyńska Waszak
the role of greenery in industrial buildings
The role of greenery is invaluable in improving thermal comfort in industrial interiors as well. The facades of the hall were equipped with racks for climbing plants. Plants, climbing on the structure distanced from the facade, absorb solar radiation. In addition, the geometry of the parking space was shaped in an indentation so that vehicles left in front of the headquarters would not distract from the landscape. As a result, the foreground, in the form of a flower meadow, blends seamlessly with the surroundings. The biologically active area , which is mowed once a season, increases species diversity and causes water retention in the ground. Permeable mineral paving was designed around the building. Green roofs retain rainwater in the ground, while its excess is collected in a water reservoir and reused for irrigation.
The implementation of the project, which involves the creation of large-scale industrial facilities, entails a large financial outlay and environmental consequences. We believe that the proposed Halobiur 123 concept containsa universal ideological message and will influence the enrichment of subsequent standard designs of office spaces and production and warehouse halls, the architects conclude.
Halobiur 123, vertical cross-section of the hall
© Pracownia Projektowa Muszyńska Waszak
interview with Joanna Muszyńska
Dobrawa Bies: How does the body of the Halobiur 123 building fit into the local context and surrounding landscape?
Joanna Muszyńska: The designed investment is located in the town of Kórnik, which is located in the central part of the Wielkopolska province. The municipality is of great natural value due to its varied terrain and the presence of numerous glacial lakes. Forest complexes account for as much as 26 percent of the entire municipality. Within the city limits, the most interesting green area is the Arboretum, with an area of 50 hectares, which is one of the largest dendrological parks in Central Europe. The plot on which the investment was located, according to the local zoning plan, was classified as part of the areas of production facilities, warehouses and storage facilities. In its vicinity there are also agricultural land, residential areas and forests. Direct proximity to the S11 national road imposes many restrictions, but is also an advantage. The existing traffic interchange creates a scenic opening into which architecture has been incorporated. The combination of agricultural landscape, industrial landscape, transportation infrastructure and forest ecosystems posed a challenge, but also led us to use a lot of "green solutions." We wanted a large-scale building not to dominate the space. The area of the investment plot allowed us to work towards a balance between architecture and nature.
Halobiur 123 is being built in Kórnik
© Pracownia Projektowa Muszyńska Waszak
Dobrawa: What plants were used in the project and what functions do they perform?
Joanna Muszyńska: The greenery here performs the function of sound insulation. Due to the close proximity of the national road, it was necessary to reduce traffic noise and increased concentration of carbon dioxide. It was also important for us to relate to the surrounding forest complexes, waterfront vegetation and meadow vegetation by introducing naturalistic plantings. The designed plant species are characterized by strong growth and resistance to air pollution. The plants used include: deciduous trees - field maple 'Postelense', ash-leaf maple, common maple, bearded birch, narrow-leafed olive, common beech 'Black Swan'; deciduous shrubs - purple hazel, sea buckthorn, purple willow 'Nana', white snowberry; climbing plants - five-leaf grapevine of the masonry variety; grasses - holly reed 'Carl Foerster', sheep's fescue, knapweed millet. Sedum mats were proposed on extensive green roofs.
The investor was particularly keen on the coupling of office and production-warehouse functions
© Pracownia Projektowa Muszyńska Waszak
Dobrawa: What does the company do? How did its profile influence the project? Did the investor place special requirements on you?
Joanna Muszyńska: The company's business profile is related to the production and storage and sale of chemical products. The investor was particularly keen on the coupling of office and production and storage functions. Achieving maximum efficiency in the transfer of information between the company's various departments was therefore reflected in the functional and spatial layout. The common part of the two buildings is the company's logistics and decision-making center. Visible from the hall, the fourth elevation of the office building, with an additional staircase, improves movement through the facility. A green wedge, cutting in between the two buildings, promotes the integration of employees in a relaxation space.
vertical cross-section of the office part
© Pracownia Projektowa Muszyńska Waszak
Dobrawa: What difficulties did you face, what was the biggest design challenge, and what are you most proud of?
Joanna Muszyńska: The biggest challenge was creating the concept of the hall and office in a way that broke the pattern of such solutions. Constantly asking the question: "what to do so that production and warehouse architecture is not just a necessity, devoid of aesthetic qualities and amenities for the company's employees while respecting the environment," accompanied us in our design work. An undoubted difficulty was to develop a network of dependencies between the company's departments. Based on the list of necessary functions, the number of working people and the estimated total area of the block, prepared by the investor, a functional and spatial layout was designed, which was subject to multiple modifications. We are glad that in the end we managed to achieve a result satisfactory to both parties.
Dobrawa: Thank you for the interview.
