DI: What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?
QSA : The design’s major objective was to make sure the work environment was human-focused and supportive. By seeking to break away from plain institutional settings, the project includes warm materials, a user-friendly arrangement of space and great attention to users’ well-being.
DI: What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?
QSA : We wanted to create a pleasant place where people could have a great experience using the service, while also making the service more efficient. We tried to blend both practicality and aesthetics in our design, feeling that every part of the building should help members of the staff feel calmness, understand their surroundings and feel related to others who work there.
DI: What are your future plans for this award winning design?
QSA : Because the design matches what HG Holding looks for, we believe its approach can be used for projects seeking to improve the atmosphere in different sectors. What we have learned in this course will always shape the focus on well-being and use of senses in our future architectural designs.
DI: How long did it take you to design this particular concept?
QSA : It took about six months to move from the first concepts to the final stage of planning every detail. We joined forces with the client during this period to guarantee that every design aspect matched their expectations and how they would use the spaces.
DI: Why did you design this particular concept? Was this design commissioned or did you decide to pursuit an inspiration?
QSA : HG Holding asked Cardinal for a design and we worked closely with them to ensure the facility met their business and cultural needs. We considered it a way to fulfill our main philosophy—designing offices that focus on people and their feelings.
DI: Is your design being produced or used by another company, or do you plan to sell or lease the production rights or do you intent to produce your work yourself?
QSA : The design was made just for HG Holding and is currently being used by the company as their headquarters. The design is not being reproduced or leased, as it was a perfect fit for the client’s characteristics, what they did and where they were situated.
DI: What made you design this particular type of work?
QSA : Our desire to change typical office architecture in settings related to institutions and healthcare pushed us forward. As part of the design, we thought about ways to make a work setting feel more uplifting and human for employees.
DI: Where there any other designs and/or designers that helped the influence the design of your work?
QSA : Cihat Elmas Mimarlık and our studio, Quark Studio Architects, joined efforts to design the project. Bringing our two design teams together made sure we kept the project’s focus on people while also having a design that worked and stayed consistent.
DI: Who is the target customer for his design?
QSA : Private client Dr. Halil Gürsoy, who is also Chairman of the Board at HG Holding, is the target customer for this design. The design was created carefully to match the boss’s vision for a headquarters that demonstrates the company’s values and provides a comfortable and effective place for all who visit or work there.
DI: What sets this design apart from other similar or resembling concepts?
QSA : Unlike most offices, this design centers on making people feel comfortable and respected in a corporate environment. Thanks to its well-chosen materials, structured space and small touches of nature, the interior looks appealing and makes everything more convenient for users.
DI: How did you come up with the name for this design? What does it mean?
QSA : The project name, HG Holding Headquarters, is based on the client firm’s name, HG Holding, since it is the central office of the company. The initials HG are also an abbreviation for Dr. Halil Gürsoy, the Chairman of the Board, making the building personal to the client and its leaders.
DI: Which design tools did you use when you were working on this project?
QSA : In this project, we worked with AutoCAD, Cinema4D, V-Ray, Photoshop and InDesign to meet all our needs.
DI: What is the most unique aspect of your design?
QSA : The special thing about our design is that it emphasizes designing a pleasant environment that feels human-friendly in a corporate office. The use of tactile products, good colors and organizing the spaces well encourages good emotions without getting in the way of how the space works.
DI: Who did you collaborate with for this design? Did you work with people with technical / specialized skills?
QSA : Many specialists joined us to help create this project. For example, we relied on a leading company in mechanical engineering for our ventilation and Ofisline, one of Turkey’s biggest furniture producers, for our office and conference hall items.
DI: What is the role of technology in this particular design?
QSA : Technology is important for improving how the building works and feels to those using it. A smart system for IDs is used to control entrance, advanced ventilation is set up to improve the air quality throughout and a main data center manages all media and communication inside.
DI: Is your design influenced by data or analytical research in any way? What kind of research did you conduct for making this design?
QSA : We did consider research on how people respond to different healthcare and design environments. We examined how the client operates and works in the area to design the space and select materials that improve both function and mood.
DI: What are some of the challenges you faced during the design/realization of your concept?
QSA : How to give a busy corporate and healthcare-focused building an inviting and warm design was something they had to consider carefully. It was also necessary to arrange the different parts of the program at all levels in a way that preserved clear and easy access.
DI: How did you decide to submit your design to an international design competition?
QSA : We entered the design in an international contest to display our care for people and the new ways well-being is applied in company buildings. It was important to the project because it helped us get more recognition and influence other similar projects abroad.
DI: What did you learn or how did you improve yourself during the designing of this work?
QSA : Through the project, we better understood how what we see and hear can directly affect user wellness in such environments. Doing so helped us simultaneously fulfill the practical uses and address the needs of both feelings and senses, making our architectural designs better for people.
DI: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
QSA : A key feature is that this project demonstrates our desire to design architecture that considers both emotion and functionality for its users. We consider this way of thinking crucial for future, eco-friendly design.
