An agricultural business has different requirements than a typical corporation centered in an urban setting. This can present a unique set of challenges to designers when they envision an alignment of operations and staff in headquarters that support a range of functions.
When Impepinable Studio was tapped to design a hub for seed processing company Agrosemillas, the team embraced certain constraints and looked to the landscape and elements of manufacturing for inspiration. “The site sits in an industrial environment, so rather than introducing a foreign language, we wanted to work with what was already there—materials, scale, and atmosphere,” says Gabriela Barrera, co-founder of Impepinable Studio.
Located in El Peral, Spain, the complex includes more than 48,000-square feet of new production and storage facilities, built with the help of local craftsmen who were responsible for metalwork, carpentry, and plumbing, which shaped the zones that were made to withstand the dust-heavy surroundings.
Four reused shipping containers rest on a concrete plinth shared with the adjacent warehouses. Skylights bring soft glow into the interior, while the north-facing orientation of the open planes ensures a steady flow of illumination. The green and yellow brand colors of Agrosemillas pop against the gray facade punctuated by circular portals. These windows are protected by manually-operated shutters that act almost like basic levers, which create an open or closed feel as required.
Three bands organize the plan in a grid style. The first is dedicated to open workspaces, another to service areas, and the third section holds meeting rooms and laboratory facilities. Entrances are separated according to logistical flows to maximize efficiency. Oak cladding and furniture offer a warm complement to steel frames. Roof surfaces incorporate strips for experimental crops, which physically link research, fabrication, and architecture within a single framework.
This busy center houses its own infrastructure that transcends typology. “It was less about designing an office and more about rethinking what a workplace in this context could be. That mindset gave us the freedom to explore a playful approach,” Barrera notes. “The project is spatially rich while remaining extremely simple and ordered.”
To see this and other works by the firm, visit impepinable.studio.
Photography courtesy of DEL RIO BANI.
