Anima Design’s new headquarters is designed by Dröm Living and is conceived to explain by itself what this Barcelona design agency does, and how it does it.
The process of transforming a dark and underutilised space into a spacious office with plenty of light and home automation technology.
The 550 m2 space is located in the Les Corts neighbourhood of Barcelona and has street-level access. The tour begins with an area for parking light and/or electric vehicles belonging to the designers who work at Ànima.
An office designed in different volumes. The element that connects the entrance area with the main room becomes a rectangle framed by a wall clad in wooden slats that reaches the ceiling and an exposed brick wall. A wide gallery – showroom where some of their designs are exhibited.
The lighting, which is adjustable and controlled via an app, gives a warm character to the space and highlights the elements displayed along the passage area.
Beyond this gallery-showroom, a 7-metre-high open-plan space opens up, featuring soundproofed skylights that bathe the main area in natural light, complementing the technical lighting project, thanks to triangular mesh side panels, a special request from Ànima to give the space a much more organic feeling of large windows.
Work zones are organised with the latest software technologies and a creative corner with a tempered glass magnetic whiteboard for creative sessions. An orange spiral staircase suggests the exit to the upper terrace.
A 1976 Volkswagen van presides over the entrance to this space, converted into an original, soundproofed 5.0 meeting room for video conferences inside. This element creates a high contrast between high technology and such durable vintage products.
In the centre, presiding over the premises, we find a centuries-old macro bonsai, baptised Hatori due to its Japanese origin, planted in front of a wooden grandstand, with capacity for 60 people and featuring 4K projection and a latest-generation Dolby Surround system. At the top of the grandstand area, a “terrace” zone has been created, crowned by a classic Rovena motorcycle (a legendary Catalan brand in the 60s), next to an area with Toledo tables and chairs and a panel of natural moss from which the company logo emerges.
The new headquarter also features two private meeting rooms, equipped with dreamglass, which turns opaque “by magic” at the push of a button. High technology for very welcoming spaces.
The space is 100% home automation controlled in an eco mode that ensures unused areas do not consume unnecessary energy.
Finally, a soundproofed workshop allows for prototyping and manufacturing without disturbance. It is equipped with the latest technology in 3D printing by optical projection and materials such as carbon fibre, as well as a pressure water cutter that allows prototyping in materials that the laser cannot use due to sustainability reasons.
The space is sustainable in the choice of materials and efficient in the installed systems, designed to reduce environmental impact to the maximum in a place where products are designed precisely with the reduction of the designs’ impact on the environment in mind.
The distribution of its areas allows for both team and individual work, group meetings, disconnecting, and better getting to know team members, as well as connecting with suppliers and clients privately, without interrupting the rhythms and work needs of each project.
