CAFU Research Center
The research and production building in Sharjah Technology Park for the fuel delivery company CAFU has been designed as an intertwined space that comprises offices, research, and production facilities along with a public gallery that acts as a showroom and a gathering place. The program is interpreted by creating a direct visual and spatial relationship with the production and the showroom.
The rectangular structure is covered by an intelligent canopy with sunshades that help reduce the energy consumption. The concept adopts the theme of a colonnade that continues all along the façade.
The three storey building commands a central axis upon entrance and is envisioned as a laboratory of the future, the building had to take into consideration flexibility for shared and temporary workspaces and fluid transitions between areas for experimentation and regular workspaces.
A library is located in the gallery volume, while a common stair connects the three upper laboratory floors to this gallery&showroom level with a flexible office level on the top floor. All offices are placed around courtyards that reach to a roof garden which is treated as an outdoor art gallery, recreation space enabling the use of outdoors in the dna of the culture through the cooled down space via the green and the automated shades. Ozge led Eaa design team.
watch.
the offices & workshop
The Workshop is the place of innovation. Instead of a traditional approach of keeping the production private, this space opens itself to the main spine and with its transparent enclosure and it transforms into an attraction point for the visitors and the innovators at different levels.
Project designed at EAA. Ozge Ertoptamis, Team Leader-in-Charge of design