AI Group Office

This interior designer office space welcomes clients into a clean, almost antiseptic marble lobby providing a sense of excellence, stability, trust and comfort and graduating to a warm, welcoming environment of the office space above. The incandescent glow of the two-floor central library dominating the line of sight across both floors. Clean lines throughout establish the theme of this space with a focus on functionality and dedication to creativity, precision, and competence. The office space was inspired by the connection between entrepreneurial spirit and attitude, elegance and functionality. Classic symmetry from the marble floors through the lobby and hallways to the warm modern lighting, brass and iron fixtures pronounce openness and creativity. Creativity is emphasized in the open design spanning two floors featuring a glassed-in library central to a balance between the surrounding lounges and meeting rooms. Blending sophisticated marble, slate, wood and glass, the office reflects the openness of ideas and focus with straight lines of sight and classic hard wood railings and work surfaces. Meeting rooms feature bold white marble tables, while lounge areas vary from minimal furniture to retro high-end installations and art. The access pathways padded with low-pile carpet to dampen acoustics. One presentation space features a high-end home theatre and comfortable leather-upholstered sofas and chairs. The entire project is a three-floor office space includes a 454m2 3rd floor comprising multiple large, medium, and small office/meeting spaces, lobby, and restrooms; a 608m2 4th floor with same; and 5th floor with 274m2. The three-floor office space accommodates 122 employees. The warm welcoming ambient and soft white lighting welcomes guest and clients into a shared space establishing a balance between employee spaces and client meeting spaces. Overt attention to detail creates a clear division of spaces, while fully integrating each element. The central library and floating staircase spanning two floors draws the eye up and establishes a unity between the floors. In staff’s room, Song Dynasty poet Su Shi is chosen a representative work and commissioned a large installation comprising 77 stones each with one character from the poem etched into the smooth surface and displayed in the main lounge. This work transforming the abstract to the concrete is analogous to the objectives of the design house in representing the actual realization of its clients’ project conceptions. One main challenge was attaining the alignment of the marble striations and creating the precise checker-board flooring bridging the lobby entrance and upper office floors. Each element, from the wood-panel walls to workspace work surfaces, the floating staircase, glass, tiles, even carpet all align precisely. Coordination of the building construction timing, vs the office interior work also presented a challenge with final work completed on a two-year timeline. Seamless perfection and alignment from lobby, upper floor workspaces, meeting rooms, and through to lounges provides a blank slate for the focus of this office space on creativity. Elegant yet understated furnishing, plain, yet exquisitely sourced materials and a focus on detail conveys the message of clarity, dedication, and timelessness.