Excerpt: Kaji by HW Studio revamps the abandoned wood-drying ovens of the Señal furniture factory into an introspective architectural studio. The design joins a technical work area, centered around a large communal “altar” table for models and plans, with a more introspective theoretical space lit zenithally by a skylight. Together, the spaces balance collaboration and meditation as essential tools in the creative process.
Project Description
[Text as submitted by architect] HW Studio’s office is located where just recently were the wood-drying ovens of Señal furniture factory owned by Don Shoemaker, one of the most important Mexican furniture designers of the 20th century. When the factory closed, the ovens remained abandoned, and we thought it was a good idea to occupy and revamp them to set up our studio inside.
The space was divided into two areas, which we joined through a wide transition connecting the technical work area to the conceptual workspace. The technical work area is dominated by an overwhelming element that we like to call “the altar” — a large table on which we work models, plans, materials, concepts, and basically everything that has to do with our architectural endeavor.
The altar hosts the workspaces of the newest team members. Their chairs are oriented towards the building’s only window so that our staff encounter more lively and entertaining environments and situations to break their routine. The window opens to a patio that we filled with Mexican ash-trees and jacarandas.
Next comes the theoretical work area. This is a very particular space since it closes completely to the outside. It is illuminated and ventilated in a zenithal way, giving it a sacred quality… almost like a church. It has quite an introspective nature, and we were captivated by it because meditation is a very important tool that we use in our creative process. Moreover, the light that constantly enters through the skylight reminds us of Luís Barragán’s phrase: “We must see God, not the neighbors”.
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