On the plot of land in Saurieši there is a plasterboard and cement factory “Knauf” with its production buildings, which was established 30 years ago in the former production area of the Saurieši building materials combine.
The project deals with the solution of a new administration volume of in the context of the existing building of practical classes. The part of the newly constructed administration building is blocked by the southern facade of the existing practical classes building, forming the foreground of the factory with a distinctly linear volume along Daugavas street. Parts of the building block around the existing circular greenery area, where a wide entrance lobby is built. In the center of the lobby there is an inner courtyard where an illuminated company logo is placed, creating a gate motif for the factory as a transparent and sustainable company image.
A landscaped front garden was created for the building, in the front yard of which the existing oak tree was preserved with newly built landscaping elements and moved from the courtyard in 2004, an exposition of gypsum stone grinding millstones found in the factory quarry. On both sides of the forecourt, small trees and bushes have been planted on the micro-relief hills. Between the micro-relief and the building, a work and rest area for the building’s employees and guests has been created in an area protected from the influence of the road and noise.
Above the flat roof of the building, fragments of openwork roof platforms of light metal structures are built, which visually allow to combine the parts be rebuilt and built for the building, creating a representative foreground for the factory. These fragments of roof platforms also serve as sunshades, shading the office spaces located on the south facade of the building, and as umbrellas at the building’s entrance area and the courtyard. Likewise, the cantilevered fragments of the roof platforms create a more human-scale-friendly front room in the green and well-maintained front garden area of the building, which is located on the side of Daugavas Street.
As the building represents the factory of SIA “Knauf”, the materials produced by the Knauf group of companies and the possibilities provided by them were used to the maximum extent in the construction – starting with the enclosing constructions and ending with finish solutions. The exterior walls are plastered with the Knauf facade plastering system in a light tone, because it is associated with the company image of SIA “Knauf” and allows to emphasize the play of shadows created by the openwork roof platforms.
All production functions, administrative and sanitary technical functions necessary for the provision are placed in the administration building, blocking it with the existing building of practical and theoretical classes.
In the newly constructed part of the building, work spaces are located around the perimeter of the building – providing a pleasant working environment with good natural lighting. In the central part of the newly built volume, there is a block of common and auxiliary spaces with a rest and dining area, a kitchen, a wardrobe, bathrooms, technical rooms, conversation and meeting rooms. A wide corridor leads around this block of common and auxiliary spaces, which forms a transit zone between them and the work spaces. In the rebuildable part of the building, a conference room and a block of toilets have been renovated. The rest and dining area of the part of the newly built part, as well as the meeting room of the rebuildable part, are connected directly to the inner courtyard, creating a well-equipped outdoor recreation space for everyone.
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PROJECT TYPE
Public architecture
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TEAM
Architecture and landscaping: Madara Gibze,
Paulis Gibze, Madara Timrota-Lūse,
Katrīna Elizabete Onckule and Alīna Beitane
Greenery: ALPS landscape design workshop
Construction project management and engineering solutions: Būve un Forma -
LOCATION
Saurieši, Ropaži county, Latvia
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TIME
2022. - 2024. y.
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TOTAL AREA
10 042 m² (planned territory)
1 797 m² (planned building)
