
AEtelier, Belgium
Studio Anton Hendrik Denys, with Steen Architecten
Combining the region’s industrial heritage with a wild, green garden, this office building is a refreshing piece of architecture that brings together clever, sharp contemporary design and nature. The project, designed by local designer Studio Anton Hendrik Denys in collaboration with Steen Architecten houses an IT consultancy’s headquarters. The brief outlined the refresh of an existing structure in an industrial zone in central Belgium. The architects obliged, stripping away the original building and transforming it using softly reflective, undulating, silver-coloured aluminium panels. A lush garden complements the architecture through contrast. Photography: Hannelore Veelaert

Work & Co, Copenhagen, Denmark
Aspekt Office
Creating a space where ‘employees can feel at home’ was a top priority in this office interior redesign by Danish multidisciplinary studio Aspekt Office. The space, for digital company Work & Co, is situated in a century-old building in the Danish capital’s historic city centre. The designers brought the interior into the 21st century by working with its bare bones and layering natural materials, sharp, contemporary lines and a Scandinavian sensibility. Features range from communal meeting areas to private booths and a generous, shared kitchen. Oak wood and soft textiles take centre stage to wrap this inviting interior in homely comfort. Photography: Rasmus Dengsø

No 31, Shanghai, China
Neri&Hu
Neri&Hu and Design Republic’s new home is an imaginative, adaptive reuse of an existing commercial building in Shanghai. The famed Chinese architecture and design office is an expert at bringing existing architecture back to life, having done so with its previous locations. Its latest base sits within a small complex of ex-industrial buildings in the bustling Jing’an Temple area. Avoiding major structural alterations, the team reworked proportions and treatments, adding key elements inside and out, such as glass-brick surfaces and a black metal window frame. As a result, the exterior feels sophisticated and updated. Inside, the existing concrete post and beam frame was left intact and exposed, creating a rough, industrial feel. Sleek, modern ‘pods’ were added within where necessary to create different types of space, such as meeting areas. Photography: Hao Chen, Fangfang Tian

22 Handyside Street, London, UK
Coffey Architects
The latest addition at London’s King’s Cross area is an angular office building by Coffey Architects. The structure sits at 22 Handyside Street and is a luminous and generous 36,000 sq ft building; yet its cleverly composed form and broken-down volumes and façade articulation make it feel boutique. These elements were designed to follow the movement of the sun throughout the day. The eco-conscious office design now aims for BREEAM Outstanding certification. The three-storey building is a lightweight concrete and steel composition featuring large windows. The façade also includes surfaces of embossed and perforated anodised aluminium panels that create a translucent effect, adding colour and texture. Photography: Tim Soar

Maruhon, Fukuoka, Japan
Takenori Katori / Katori archi+design associates
Maruhon, a Japanese manufacturer of natural wood for interiors, has just unveiled its latest office and showroom, designed by architect Takenori Katori and his Tokyo-based team. The project, located in a verdant part of the city of Fukuoka, makes the most of its client’s expertise to create a fascinating timber structure that elegantly showcases what wood construction can achieve. Inside, working with skilled, experienced carpenters, the architect composed a striking, double-height library displaying over 400 sample boards. A two-storey atrium at the building’s heart helps the users orientate themselves and leads to the various parts of the boutique, 70 sq m structure. The exterior is clad in Japanese cedar planks that have been stained with natural plant dyes. The sensitive design recieved full certification from the Forest Stewardship Council. Photography: Loop Photo Creative /Hiroshi Mizusaki,goto photo office/Akito Goto

The Panagram, London, UK
Buckley Gray Yeoman
A glazed front leads to an unexpected colourful reception area in this renovation of a tired 1980s office interior in London’s Clerkenwell. Designed by architects Buckley Gray Yeoman, The Panagram is a workspace interior that was conceived to offer a twist to conventional office design. Here, graphic tile grids and brightly painted architectural elements (such as the primary yellow column in the entrance foyer) meet colourful lifts and curtains, terrazzo, bespoke quirky wooden details and lots of planting. Different zones within the building (for instance, private versus communal, co-working versus quiet areas) are clearly marked by differences in colour or material. There is even a highly customised wooden staircase with a tree growing out of it. Photography: Jack Hobhouse