Elena Ratkovic
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Lobby lounge under a stepped, softly lit ceiling, with timber slat walls on the left, a glass stair rising towards a skylight, and café tables among textured round columns.

NodeZen HQ

Headquarters, workplace · Poblenou, Barcelona

Type
Headquarters, workplace
Location
Poblenou, Barcelona
Area
3,000 m²
Status
Academic individual project
Scope
Interior design
Software
AutoCAD, Rhino, D5 Render, Photoshop, InDesign

Concept

A workplace in a windowless university basement, where the structure could not be touched. The company's own logo became the plan: the paths crossing the plaza above are literal nodes, and each department is organised around one. At the centre, a core of meeting rooms — the node for everyone.

The pattern returns underground as ceiling coves and floor inlays. Each department is organised around its own node, a shared piece where that team comes together. The plan's centre holds a core of meeting rooms — the node for everyone.

Above ground, seating is set in three conditions: retreat under the trees, passage along the paths, and lawn left empty for people to use as they like. Daylight is brought down through skylights and the palette is kept neutral, so the architecture recedes and the people using it do not.

Axonometric diagram: the curving paths of the plaza above, projected down onto the Level −1 workspace plan.Level −1 diagram showing structure, glazed partitions and visual axes.

Plans

Plaza and ground floor

Plaza and ground floor plan, NodeZen HQ, scale 1:200.

Legend

1
Main entrance
2
Second entrance
3
Reception
4
Garage

Ground floor shown as existing.

Level −1

Level −1 floor plan, NodeZen HQ, scale 1:200, with section lines A–A′ and B–B′.

Legend

1
Main entrance
2
Creative department
3
Wellness space
4
Gaming room
5
Presentation space
6
Cafeteria
7
Second entrance
8
Executive offices
9
Sales and marketing department
10
Engineering department
11
Meeting rooms

Sections

Section B–B′

Section B–B′: the university building above and the basement workspace, with the main stair rising to the plaza.

Section A–A′

Section A–A′: the building above, the central circulation core, and the basement workspace with cafeteria seating.

Interiors

Cafeteria beneath a row of skylights, with a planted green wall carrying the NodeZen name, a long communal table and pale shell chairs.

Cafeteria

The ground floor above is glazed on all sides, and an opening in its slab drops daylight into the cafeteria. The ceiling lifts from 3.2 m to 5 m to meet it, making this the tallest volume in the plan. The green wall is real planting, placed where the daylight is strong enough to sustain it.

Open-plan engineering department: rows of desks around a central shared table under a curving, lit ceiling cove.

Engineering department

Desks are arranged around the department's shared node. Overhead, the ceiling traces the plaza path above it.

Executive offices beside a timber-clad wall with the NodeZen name, round textured columns, and glazing open to the sky on the right.

Executive offices

Where the garage ramp descends alongside, the wall is no longer underground. Glazing it brings daylight into the executive offices.

Materials and furniture

Central core detail

Central core detail plan, NodeZen HQ, scale 1:100, tagged with materials M1–M2 and furniture F1–F6.

Legend

1
Main entrance
2
Creative department
3
Co-working space
4
Reception
5
Engineering department

Materials

RefImageMaterialFinishLocation
M1Lime plasterLime plasterNatural, mattColumn cladding
M2European walnutEuropean walnutSlatted boards, matt lacquerWall panelling, lounge zone
M3Broadloom carpetBroadloom carpetCustom shape, texturedNodes, lounge zone
M4PlasterboardPlasterboardMatt off-white paintCeiling and coves
  1. Lime plaster

    M1 Lime plaster

    Finish
    Natural, matt
    Location
    Column cladding
  2. European walnut

    M2 European walnut

    Finish
    Slatted boards, matt lacquer
    Location
    Wall panelling, lounge zone
  3. Broadloom carpet

    M3 Broadloom carpet

    Finish
    Custom shape, textured
    Location
    Nodes, lounge zone
  4. Plasterboard

    M4 Plasterboard

    Finish
    Matt off-white paint
    Location
    Ceiling and coves

FF&E

RefImageItemSupplierMaterial / finishQty
F1Eames Fiberglass ArmchairEames Fiberglass ArmchairVitraFibreglass shell, maple base22
F2Noguchi Coffee TableNoguchi Coffee TableVitraHeavy glass, solid walnut2
F3Rico Divan LeftRico Divan LeftFerm LivingBouclé upholstery2
F4Buur Lounge ChairBuur Lounge ChairFerm LivingNordic bouclé2
F5Plywood GroupPlywood GroupVitraPlywood, black walnut2
F6Kiana Desk ChairKiana Desk ChairKoketto HomePolyester upholstery9
  1. Eames Fiberglass Armchair

    F1 Eames Fiberglass Armchair

    Supplier
    Vitra
    Material / finish
    Fibreglass shell, maple base
    Qty
    22
  2. Noguchi Coffee Table

    F2 Noguchi Coffee Table

    Supplier
    Vitra
    Material / finish
    Heavy glass, solid walnut
    Qty
    2
  3. Rico Divan Left

    F3 Rico Divan Left

    Supplier
    Ferm Living
    Material / finish
    Bouclé upholstery
    Qty
    2
  4. Buur Lounge Chair

    F4 Buur Lounge Chair

    Supplier
    Ferm Living
    Material / finish
    Nordic bouclé
    Qty
    2
  5. Plywood Group

    F5 Plywood Group

    Supplier
    Vitra
    Material / finish
    Plywood, black walnut
    Qty
    2
  6. Kiana Desk Chair

    F6 Kiana Desk Chair

    Supplier
    Koketto Home
    Material / finish
    Polyester upholstery
    Qty
    9

Furniture is specified for durability and ergonomics rather than to a budget, and kept within one tonal family so that the pieces read as part of the architecture.

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