Flow

Authors’ Comment

FLOW

Context
The project involved the design of a floor within an office building owned by Veolia, dedicated to functions supporting the workplace: a large conference room, relaxation areas, informal meeting rooms, a café area, game rooms, and media spaces.

Concept
The theme of the floor is FLOW — a direct reference to the company’s profile. The floor was conceived as a sequence of spaces articulated along sinuous curves, like beads strung together on a necklace. The spaces are not rigidly separated, but flow naturally into one another. Curved floor patterns and sheer curtains subtly define the different areas without interrupting the overall sense of fluidity.

The Journey
From the reception and waiting area, the route naturally leads towards the café, marked by the generous seating platforms positioned in the corner. Visible from the moment of arrival, the amphitheater becomes the focal point of the floor. On the ceiling, organic-shaped acoustic felt elements are arranged like air currents. They guide and structure the circulation paths.

Contrasts
The industrial ceiling creates the necessary contrast with the refined materials: copper, textiles, and wood. This contrast evokes the water cycle: fresh drinking water and wastewater, recirculated and transformed into something useful again. These different forms of water coexist. In the same spirit, an industrial installation in the company’s signature red functions as a drinking water fountain.

Colour Palette
The colour palette emphasizes the company’s signature red colour, derived into shades of brick and orange. Although the combination relies on an unusual tone-on-tone approach, the red accents are brought to the forefront. They also appear in subtle metal details accompanying the other materials, such as the edging of the steps and the curtain tracks.

Earthbound and Airborne
The floor is built around two contrasting registers. The earthy tones of the felt and the handcrafted brick applied to the café bar give the impression of earthbound and grounded. The sinuous pathways and currents of air, on the other hand, lead towards an airy, subtle, and abstract realm.

A Floor for Encounters
Here, colleagues can have a coffee together or take part in a training session on the amphitheater. The large conference room hosts the company’s larger gatherings, while the other spaces accommodate games between colleagues, co-working, formal or informal meetings, or perhaps a quiet break inside the relaxation capsule.
Like water, life on this floor flows naturally through a succession of moments.