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Established in 1900 as suppliers of special raw materials, Midegasa is a family-run business with a heritage and history that span five generations. It was Kanpo Arquitectos’ job to tap into this spirit and project it into the future with its renovation of the firm’s headquarters. Occupying 6320 sq.ft. (587m²) in Asteasu, northern Spain, the building required complete renovation.
Because of their U-shaped layout inside a box-like building, the original rooms had no natural light. They also had inadequate thermal insulation, making them extremely cold in winter and extremely hot in summer.
The project aimed to create livelier, brighter spaces. Two large skylights were therefore installed at the ends of the U and a third at the entrance. Connected by a linear pathway that encapsulates the spirit of the renovation, on the one hand, and the company’s long history, on the other, the skylights have become the three key elements of the building’s design.
Access to the street-level offices is via a small meeting room designed for brief client visits and meetings. From here, stairs and an elevator, both of which have been renovated, provide access upstairs. On this level, there is a vending machine for visitors, while a display wall has been built for the firm’s various products. This doubles as a divider between a work area and a meeting space. This last space is under one of the skylights and surrounded by another five other meeting rooms with different capacities and characteristics to suit different needs. Bathrooms and the company records room are also in this area.
On the right side of the building there is an open plan office, whose workstations are next to the windows so they have ample natural light. The back of the building has two more offices and an internal garden designed as both a meeting room and breakout space, where staff can relax in contact with greenery. This garden also helps bring natural light inside the building, including in winter. This space also has two booths for video conferencing and phone calls.
A company’s headquarters is clearly central to its operations. For this reason, the building has been designed with different areas for eating, meeting, or having a coffee. Color is a central element of the project. The dominant shade is green, both because it’s the color of Midegasa’s corporate branding and because it recalls the color of the warehousing, which forms the dominant element of the surrounding landscape. This was also behind the choice of light ash for the custom-designed furniture. Other colors, such as yellow and terracotta, were introduced in the details of the furniture and lighting, but without detracting from green’s starring role.
Location: Asteasu, Gipuzkoa, Spain
Architects: Kanpo Arquitectos
Developer: Midegasa
Completion: 2023
Area: 587m2
Photography by Erlantz Biderbost, courtesy of Kanpo Arquitectos
