Located in the outskirts of Yokneam, Israel, the concrete frame and aluminium & glass panel headquarters for CPC serves as an office and production plant for electronic circuits.  The building is shaped by formal and informal spaces allowing for a variety of activities to take place. Its cube form is shaped by two wings connected by a service core forming a U shape which is filled by an atrium entrance space.  The atrium provides a social space for events, informal meetings and consists of a series of undulating surfaces that adapt to the existing topography of the site encouraging the use of the space as a ‘patio’ with outdoor furniture, vegetation and a wooden deck surface.  Phase II takes advantage of the strategic location of the core and will use it for vertical circulation and the atrium as an entrance.  The new phase will act as a third wing, connecting to the existing building and providing space for CPC production allowing the existing production space to be leased out to start-up companies.

 

Only the top floor was meant to be hired out to other companies, but given the demand for start-up space CPC has rented out the top two floors and has moved the dining space from the 3^rd floor to the basement.  The wall separating office spaces and the corridor can change transparency levels to reflect the level of privacy needed by the internal use.  Walls dividing the open office spaces can be easily shifted, added or removed using a panelled system. The ceiling and window units are modular which allow for the lighting to be moved around easily and window units to be replaced easily (e.g. non-operable to operable).  Since the building has been occupied in 2009 it has adapted to several changes already.  For example, with the closing of the production line, the ground floor space with a 6m high ceiling has been considered to be changed to a gallery allowing the gallery level to be rented out to another start-up company.

 

Images courtesy of Vladimir Melamed, Uzi Porat