Circuit boards made of light
Open and closed – this is how one could describe the new CML headquarters in Karlsruhe. Covering an area of 4.750 square metres, the headquarters of CML Europe GmbH, which is active worldwide in the manufacture of printed circuit boards and the development of sourcing solutions for the automotive industry, presents itself as a contemporary working environment. With a mixture of flexible coworking spaces and free-standing meeting boxes, the Karlsruhe office of BAU4 Architekten has succeeded in creating a hybrid of communicative zones and intimate areas of retreat, which is congenially supported by the lighting concept from Artemide.
The office spaces are organised around a two-storey atrium: While the coworking spaces were distributed horizontally in the building as an open landscape, the employees can use the set boxes as meeting rooms, for concentrated work or to make phone calls. Despite their seclusion, their large glass surfaces offer a visual exchange with the office landscape, creating a connection between inside and outside. However, it is not only the successful interplay of communicative zones and relaxed quiet areas that ensures well-being in the workplace at the CML headquarters: the choice of the right lighting also makes a decisive contribution to the pleasant and inspiring atmosphere. In concrete terms, this means a mixture of daylight and artificial light, the latter having been integrated by the Artemide lighting designers into a holistic concept that is precisely adapted to the various areas of the building. Various luminaires from Artemide were used, which, with their mixture of successful design and innovative technology, additionally promote the productive workflow.
These include, above all, the "Alphabet of Light" designed by BIG – a modular system of basic geometric modules that can be combined to form letters, numbers and symbols. At the CML headquarters, it visualises the tracks of a printed circuit board, whose graphic pattern above the coworking areas reflects CML's corporate design. Their enormous luminous efficacy not only creates a pleasant atmosphere, but – in line with the client's wishes – makes additional workplace lighting superfluous. Added to this are the "Tagora 970" pendant luminaires for the conference room, whose grey aluminium body blends perfectly with the visible concrete ceilings and ventilation pipes. As a contrast, the circular "A.24 Circular" pendant luminaires on the ceiling of the atrium bring a playful note to the building in combination with the round acoustic panels. All Artemide luminaires are characterised by their low power consumption, which enables energy-saving use despite high luminosity. This means that they not only fit perfectly into the design and functional concept, but are also part of the sustainability concept, which is additionally implemented in the building through a photovoltaic system, geothermal heating and a heat recovery system. (ar)
