ESMA
A creative school where you can sit, settle and work almost anywhere.
Learning somewhere other than at a desk.
In an applied-arts school, work does not only happen in the classroom. The circulation areas, the landings and the tall raw-concrete volumes were fitted out to become working spaces in their own right.
Enveloping armchairs, poufs, low benches, side tables: each seat matches a different posture, from working alone to a project review for six.
Colour as a landmark.
The building is mineral and dark by nature. The furniture brings the colour, and it is colour that organises how the spaces read: each zone has its own palette, which lets people find their way without heavy signage.
The pieces were chosen for robustness. In a school, furniture is used hard and moved constantly: it has to survive several intakes of students.
Project summary
Ergonomics and desk comfort
Adjustable seating, height-variable work surfaces, supports for standing postures. We size workstations around the hours actually spent in front of a screen, not around an average standard.
Acoustics and light
Noise and glare are the two most common complaints in open-plan offices. Absorbent panels, screens, booths and desk orientation are dealt with at plan stage, not added afterwards.
Modular furniture
Tables that fold and join together, movable partitions, seating that can be shifted: a floor plate should be able to change configuration in an hour, without technical help.
Integrated technology
Screens, video conferencing, room booking, lighting control: equipment is planned into the furniture and the services, to avoid extension leads and boxes stuck on as an afterthought.
Break and wellbeing spaces
Kitchen areas, lounges, quiet break spaces, outdoor zones where the site allows. These places, more than the desks, are what make people want to come back to the office.
Reuse and durability
Some of the existing furniture can often be reused after refurbishment. We favour French and European manufacturers, repairable pieces and take-back schemes for whatever cannot stay.