The new office is designed to operate more effectively in its 5,000 square metre existing building by taking care of the needs of the customer. The refurbished building allows undisrupted movement by providing more places to operate.
In order to make the space more user-friendly, a considerable amount of desk sharing has been introduced as well as a range of informal social and working spaces, including a cafe setting. Dedicated spaces have been made as flexible as possible. Meeting rooms and dining spaces are also specifically chosen to be reconfigured as single spaces or a number of discrete environments.
Spreading vibrancy and a positive atmosphere, flooring and partitions have been designed with bright colours. To provide a dynamic feel to the spaces, the design has used asymmetric ceiling treatments and proper positioning of lighting. Apart from that large murals have been used in the spaces, which highlight the chemistry that sits behind BASF products.
The exterior of the building features a chequerboard effect of bright primary coloured Trespa panels in BASF Pantone colours to create the feel of a special place. It is applied to the north wing of the building. The curtain walling has been stepped out from the facades on glass fins to give a floating effect. It also features high-performance glazing to limit the solar gain.
Apart from that the refurbishment includes the use of water-saving devices in the bathrooms, recycling of grey water for toilet flushing and for use in the air conditioning system, and the addition of insulation to the original frame of the building.
To minimise the cost, relatively standard materials have been used while expensive finishes are used in only limited areas like the use of marble on floors on the ground floor. This lends a luxurious impression to visitors.
Reaching the Gold standard, the refurbished headquarters has satisfied the US LEED standard for sustainability. At the same, the project has also received appreciation in the 2012 American Property Awards.
