Frame 05-06

Sponsored by Pedrali

WORK

Co-Working Space of the Year

IMPACT HUB PIAMONTE

BY JOSEMARÍA DE CHURTICHAGA

from Barcelona are woven into the ceilings,

along with 3,000 kg of esparto rope from

the Spanish province of Jaén.

The co-working category comprises

a number of tiers, from more expensive

options that provide luxury peripheral

services – such as spas and private cin-

emas – to basic offerings for workers with

limited capital. The latter is where Piamonte

lives, and, as such, it’s a standout contender

within a subsector that offers little more

than vintage-style tables. ‘This wasn’t a

formulaic approach to the category,’ said

Kati Barklund, senior manager of workplace

strategy at Tenant & Partner. ‘If I was starting

out and had only a few euros to spend on my

side project, I would definitely work here.’

Not all nominees took daylight into

account. As shopping malls abandon their

decreasingly competitive retail operations

to become in-demand co-working locales,

natural light plays a major role in the wellbe-

ing of users. Other nominees focused mainly

on spaces for more established tenants

or straitjacketed the layouts – ‘flexibility

should be with the people’, said Sevil Peach.

But De Churtichaga’s project managed to

check every box and then some, by adding a

touch of materiality even while constricted

by budget and existing construction. Which

is why, the jury determined, this co-working

space just works. – RM

chqs.net

PEOPLE'S VOTE

UFO Space by Mov.In Arquitetos

MADRID – ‘When you can work with a low

budget and the existing conditions, and

make it work... that makes people think,’

reasoned Andy Heath, WeWork’s head of

design for Europe, Israel and Australia, dur-

ing jury discussions for Co-Working Space

of the Year. At Impact Hub Piamonte, the

low budget was a straightforward matter,

but a narrow, deep and impersonal admin-

istrative building represented the existing

conditions. The architect in charge, Josema-

ría de Churtichaga, viewed the limitations

as dogmatic challenges: the project became

an exaltation of local materials and high-

quality execution, allowing many items

to be recycled and given a new life within

the walls of the space – walls that feature

gresite tiles made from recycled bottles at a

factory in Santander. Leftover plastic hoses

Josémaría de Churtichaga’s transformation of a

tricky space into a canvas for the celebration of

local materials sent Impact Hub Piamonte to the

top of the co-working category.

Da

nie

l^ T

or
re
llo

107