2014 MCHAP
Hunter Douglas Chile
Mathias Klotz
Santiago, Chile
Sep-07
PRIMARY AUTHOR
Mathis Klotz / Klotz y Asociados Ltda.
CONTRIBUTING AUTHOR
Francisco Reyes / Klotz y Asociados Ltda. (Architect) Baltazar Sánchez / Klotz y Asociados Ltda. (Architect)
CLIENT
Hunter Douglas Chile S.A. Patricio Mardones
PHOTOGRAPHER
Guy Wenborne Roland Halbe
OBJECTIVE
The first job was to improve the appearance of the industrial unit closest to the entrance and to build a cafeteria for staff and offices for executives. Our general proposal was to take charge of the whole complex, starting with the incorporation of green areas, resolving the offices and cafeteria in a new, two-story volume and developing a kinetic cladding that alters its appearance using the energy of the wind. We presented these ideas as our draft project, without imagining that Patricio Mardones, the general manager of the business, would react enthusiastically and personally take charge of developing the prototype for this new product. Since then we have worked together on a series of proposals and products, creating new types of cladding.
CONTEXT
Hunter Douglas is a Dutch company that produces cladding materials for industrial, domestic and commercial architectural projects. For years they intended to move on from the site of their production plant, meaning they only made minimal operating investment in it. However they then decided to stay, and commissioned us to produce a project for new offices together with a master plan for the complex, to be completed over a number of years. The setting is an arid, dirty industrial complex with a lack of planning and very poor spatial qualities for employees, together with some ruinous constructions.
PERFORMANCE
The factory has gradually regenerated its courtyards and gardens, as well as progressively refurbishing each of the facilities, taking the opportunity to incorporate the company’s new products.