Efaflex Door Systems

The firm EFAFLEX manufactures high end, sectional garage doors. For its new facility, a flat site south of Baden that is visible from the busy highway B 17 was selected. Located in an industrial zone, currently only a small number of parcels in the immediate vicinity have been built up and so although the building now sits in the middle of the field, it can be expected that the neighbouring sites will eventually be occupied by other industrial buildings. This led the architects to propose that the office be placed above ground level. Elevating the offices required additional structural means, but it is nonetheless a significant improvement spatially and creates a buffered entry area that protects those entering the offices and delivering the doors from inclement weather. Because the site is nondescript, the design for the building was based on the development of the programme which required offices for sales and administration and a hall for storing and pre-assembling the doors prior to delivery. Easy access for delivery (through a transparent EFAFLEX door) and neutral lighting (clerestory lighting along the long sides) are requirements for the production hall. With the hall at ground level, the office zone evolves from the spacious covered entry via a foyer with a view towards the southwest. The meeting space is located up a single-flight, transverse stair open to the floor above. Skylights above the stairs and break room direct daylight into the center of the office zone. The office spaces on the upper floor are amply glazed on three sides with electrically-operated sunscreen louvers between the glass panes that are facing southeast and southwest. The goings-on in the hall and the production area can be viewed from the offices through a window.