_The Queen’s Flowers Project Case Study *produced while employed at Tsao Design Group
The Queen’s Flowers Headquarter
Overview The Queen’s Flowers is a major cut-flower importer and distributor from Columbia. The newly renovated facility houses large cooled flower storage on the ground floor and the company’s headquarter offices on the second floor. TSAO Design Group assembled a collaborative team of landscape architects, lighting designers, civil , structural and MEP engineers.
Exterior
Context The project site is a 3.6-acre and 160,000 square foot warehouse property in the City of Doral, Florida. This large property is now lushly landscaped with permeable pavers and includes shaded cantilevered parking structures with electric car charger ports.
Concept The design concept for the headquarters was inspired by the Client’s greenhouses in Columbia and typical greenhouse construction materials.
The design & the materiality of the first and the second floor lobbies were influenced by the 1950’s Olivetti showroom in Venice by Carlo Scarpa. Just as in the Olivetti showroom, the first floor lobby features a red glass mosaic tile landing echoing the Client’s red logo The entry staircase houses a custom tensile air plant sculpture.
Process The building entry features a porch-like welcoming space with a stainless steel mesh faรงade, custom planters, a swing and multiple shaded areas to sit and relax.
Entry Exterior
The building entry features a porch-like welcoming space with stainless steel mesh faรงade, custom planters, a swing and multiple shaded areas to sit & relax.
Tensile air plant sculpture concept
The Entry lobby features back-lit polycarbonate walls and a long cantilever wood bench. Honed gray marble and wood benches create a well coming circulation zone. The staircase and glass railings incorporate a slim profile guardrail and hand railing system. The double story entry stair includes a two story tensile stainless steel mesh air plant sculpture with recessed misting system. The tensile sculpture is stretched over the red mosaic platform up to the roof level where is meets a large solar tube for natural lighting
Second floor reception area plan
The second floor lobby and reception features custom upholstered banquettes that wrap around the stair opening. The striped wool fabric selected for the banquettes was inspired by indigenous textiles of Columbia.. The open layout of the second floor reception area creates a town-center type of flexible space that can transform to accommodate floral marketing events or holiday gatherings for this very employee-centered company.
Second Floor reception and flower display space
The flower display room is designed to be a reconfigurable space. The room features suspended slot ceilings with track light fixtures that create a market-like changeable setting.
Conference rooms
Work stations incorporate a recycling station at each pod.
Offices
Employee break room