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Architects: Schwartz Besnosoff Architects
- Year: 2009
Text description provided by the architects. C.P.C, a company engaged in the production and assembly of electronic circuits, has new headquarters situated on the outskirts of the town Yokneam, located at the bottom of Mount Carmel.
Courtesy of Schwartz Besnosoff Architects
The building contains production rooms, working spaces, clean (vacuum) rooms, offices, auditorium, gym rooms and office space available for startup companies to rent. The building was designed by architect Gaby Schwartz in 2006 and was ready for use in 2009.
The external appearance of the building presents clean and simple lines. It is made from aluminum and glass in the shape of a cube, with sides folding inwards.
The inside of the building reveals a central open space, which could serve as a patio or an atrium that functions as a platform with variable topography, for a variety of possibilities, such as holding exhibitions, conferences, or any other social or professional gathering.
The open central space is the heart of all the building's functions: from inside you can watch the production rooms, and the internal crossing and bridges connect the various levels of the factory. From the meeting rooms and dining room you can see the activities that take place in the atrium.
The integrity of the design is reflected in the creation of different levels defining a variety of activity areas and informal seating areas that allow social interaction. The use of the wooden deck, outdoor furniture, vegetation and natural northern daylight inside the atrium reinforces the feeling of a patio.
Compared to the complexity of the interior, the building's exterior is designed as a simple structure, which nevertheless, accommodates the openings needed for the diverse requirements of the building.
The exterior of the shell, constructed from perforated aluminum and glass epitomizes the clean modern feel of the building. The external design is mirrored in the interior walls of the central space, which define the boundaries of the internal 'patio' space. This design ensures the integrity of internal and external spaces. Additionally, the openings promote a sense of openness and visual connection between interior and exterior landscapes.
The style of flooring has been a likened to the distinctive principles and features of "organic building". The style of the building is reminiscent of Japanese architecture, which uses light mobile walls. Indeed, the design philosophy that accompanied the planning is characterized by its use of diagrams as generators of design, flexible planning and open ended systems.