Arhi.ru: Denis, what is corporate interior today?
D.K.: Well, a corporate interior is an interior is designed for comfortable and efficient work illustrating at the same time interests and values of a company. Our chief work is companies and corporations offices and headquarters design. Also we often design interiors of shopping malls, commercial medical centers, public spaces of mixed-used and commercial buildings. Most common task can be described in two words: a company moves to a new office and is looking for an architect who can make an interior design project.
Arhi.ru: So, the first stage of interior design is conversation with the client, finding out the reason of moving. What then?
D.K.: Then we make the document we call “project-task”. It is a detailed list of company employees and departments, required types of workplaces and public areas, types of business communications. On the basis of our experience we created a few forms to make it easier for a client to do the “project-task”. Plus we get involved in office needs analysis, remind of the check-rooms and cook rooms, find out which departments need to be closer to each other. If we are commissioned by a small company it is quite simple work, but when a corporation wants a design, making the project-task takes much time and requires more approvals. Then we develop the architectural concept of the future office. Actually, it is just a draft – planning concept with placement of furniture and partition-walls. But it is also the basis of the entire future work. Comfort and successful work of the office depends on quality of the draft. At this stage we lay such basis things as the already mentioned communication among various units, location of the client zone, availability of all necessary service rooms, etc. We are deeply convinced this stage requires a closest attention and we give it most of the time. Together with the client we examine the architectural concept 10 or even 20 times before the both sides see it is a perfect office. The next stage is design project showing how the future office will look. Sure, it is almost impossible to understand exactly how the client sees their future interior. To make it easier, we start from discussing the existing projects, ours, or of our colleges or even foreign. During such design-session (4-5 usually) we analyze the client's preferences and expectations, outline the further development of the project. This allows us gradually create the interior design concept, and when we come to the last design session with the finished project, it looks like we pieced together.