Doosan Bobcat

A high-quality space concept, good quality air and greenery  

In the competition Art of Space Awards the category Healthy environment and sustainability was won by Doosan Bobcat for its headquarters in Dobříš. The jury particularly commended the layout concept and good quality air. “The offices were well regulated with respect to CO₂ concentration and air humidity, which is not always seen as standard,” said Simona Kalvoda, Executive Director of the Czech Green Building Council, who has overall responsibility for the Healthy Environment and Sustainability category, and who evaluated the interior environments of the entries. The jury highlighted the intensity of greenery incorporated into the office concept.

Simona Kalvoda
Executive Director, Czech Green Building Council

The demand for a healthy interior environment will remain high. We believe that lessons from the Covid pandemic will lead to the expansion of healthy interior environments across all sectors of commercial property.

How did it start?

When four years ago the decision was taken to move the EMEA region headquarters of Doosan Bobcat from Brussels to the town of Dobříš near Prague, where Bobcat has a production plant with an innovation and training centre, we had already delivered several successful smaller projects for them. Because we had supplied furnishings and services to Dobříš, and the client had been happy with our work, they invited us to take part in a multi-round tender for the interiors of their new HQ for two hundred employees.

As is usually the case, a simple brief covers a complex process. The client had high requirements for its workplace environment, and the decision-making process involved twelve representatives from the individual departments. The final negotiations were also attended by representatives from the construction.

We successfully passed through all the rounds of the tender until finally we were appointed general contractor for interiors.

3,370m2
OFFICE SPACE
200
EMPLOYEES
3
YEAR PROJECT DURATION

The interior was created around our own furniture ranges. Height-adjustable desks in bench format were supplied with cabinets, pedestals and seating from our partner firm, RIM.

Advantages that we hear more often from clients are the local production of furniture and the use of reusable energy resources. We can fully comply with these requirements so clients don’t have to compromise.

Gabions, pulleys, excavator shovel, or a scarecrow in the meeting room?

You will find many non-standard items in the Doosan offices. The kitchenettes, laminated demarcation of large capacity offices, washbasins and tables in the shape of excavator shovels, stucco designs with a motif linked to the work of Bobcat excavators. For examples, the meeting room named “Roads” is decorated with stucco in the form of a cross-section of an asphalt road, including gravel layers. This is accompanied by thematic design elements – a road sign, road markings and traffic cone.

Another original feature are the plant walls, which divide space in the large-capacity offices. The partitions comprise flower boxes and acoustic panels.

Ing. Matěj Kosík
Architect and executive director of architectural firm, Červený klobouk

Generously sized industrial offices that present the world of construction machinery. An unexpected interior solution provides surprises for both visitors and employees alike. The monumentality of the interior is underlined by the materials used, and the meeting rooms thematically arranged according to the environments in which the Bobcat machinery operates. An employee can therefore select an interior depending on his/her current mood.

The entire process of creating the interior from the start of the tender to occupation of the completed project took almost three years and we went step-by-step through the whole process with the client. As always, to achieve success it is necessary for all parties, the client, architect and us as supplier of the interior solution, to mutually understand and communicate with each other. If all participants are able to listen to each other the result will be good and there is even the chance of an award.

We were lucky to have Červený klobouk led by architect Matěj Kosík as our partner. Having the architect and design engineer working together proved to be key. It helped the ideas make the transition from paper to reality and enrich the working days of the Doosan employees.

To be continued

Jan Procházka
Sales manager

Great thanks belong to the client for their trust and the opportunity to participate in this beautiful project. There are others too for whom this project was more than just “work” and who put their heart and soul into it, such as architect Matěj Kosík and his team from Červený Klobouk. Also deserving of thanks are former project manager Petr Faldus, our colleague Zuzka Michalcová, and others who worked on the project. Further projects are being discussed and we hope to continue working for this client.

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