ReBar

The goal was to create a space that would bring new life to the vacant first floor of a rental office building. The design is a free space in one corner of the floor that could have a “transparent” atmosphere to encourage wide-ranging intellectual discussion in it.

The project’s title, ReBar, derives from “reinforcing bar”, the steel bars or mesh typically used to strengthen reinforced concrete. Ordinarily rebar is not visible on the surface, but here it encloses the space, serving both a functional and design purpose.

The functional role of the rebar is to allow the energy generated by people lecturing and engaging in discussions in the free space to overflow the translucent steel mesh walls through which people can be both seen and heard. Our hope is that this inspires and positively impacts the office workers on the rest of the floor. The mesh walls also let air and light pass through unobstructed.

The design function of the translucent walls is to connect the various parts of the space. Against a calming blue background, the white steel bars comprise a deformed inorganic structure that serves as an interactive partition across which the lively intellectual discussions take place inside can pass.

Organic Design Architecture Studio