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Sorrel

Open office floor plan with view outside and rich wood herringbone floor from Coretec

Project details 


Sorrel herringbone

912 mm x 228 mm x 8 mm

Naturals collection


Office in Geneva, Switzerland


© Photography by Buro Bonito, interior by AFC Collection 

Office with wood herringbone Coretec floors in rich tones and wooden storage room
Open office with wood herringbone Coretec floors in rich tones with open floor plan, desks and storage room
Close up carpet and rich wood herringbone floor from Coretec
Inox kitchen in office with rich wood herringbone floor from Coretec
Open office hallway with wood herringbone Coretec floors in rich tones with
Modern reception desk with designer lighting, rich walnut storage room and rich wood herringbone floors
Modern reception desk with designer lighting, rich walnut storage room and rich wood herringbone floors

Whereas most Swiss offices opt for clinical efficiency, AFC Collection presents a warm countermovement. Its new project in Geneva proves that business spaces don’t have to be cold. Nine floors up, with Mont Blanc as a backdrop, they are reintroducing warmth into office architecture.


It feels like tactile refinement in a glass cocoon. As you step out of the lift, you are immediately drawn into the office. The space is completely open, transparent and dominated by glass. Nevertheless, the entire place has a sense of warmth, thanks to a carefully curated blend of materials.

Visual openness as a design principle

The biggest challenge was to keep the panoramic view with no loss of functionality. And the solution is as elegant as it is effective. Glass partitions and strategically placed furnishings create work areas without visual barriers. 


“The view is spectacular, with Mont Blanc on one side and gorgeous countryside with a lake on the other,” says Augustin Bown, the co-founder of AFC Collection. Every design decision we took was focused on keeping that view. For example, the equipment rooms are located next to the central shaft so that nobody feels cut off from the impressive surroundings. The result is an office in continuous dialogue with the Swiss landscape. 

Timeless harmony 

The office demonstrates a mastery of traditional elements in a contemporary context. The choice of fabrics creates subtle coherence. A natural wool was chosen here, by Kvadrat, a Scandinavian fabric manufacturer. It can be found on the static seating in the kitchen, but also as the upholstery for all the chairs.


The herringbone floors by Coretec® are another nod to tradition that nevertheless fit perfectly into the modern context. “The choice of a herringbone pattern was deliberate,” Bown tells us. “It brings classic warmth to an otherwise very contemporary setting.” 


Interestingly, the team was uncertain about using Coretec®’s hybrid floors to begin with. “It was our first experience with this material. I was quite sceptical at first, because I am so sensitive to materials,” Bown admits. The installation of a complex herringbone pattern in such a large space was a challenge. “Ultimately, though, the result speaks for itself. It creates exactly the warm radiance we were looking for, with the practical advantage of easy maintenance and sound dampening.”

Acoustic intelligence 

In surroundings with so much glass and open space, noise could become a problem. But not in this project. The glass partitions are actually made of fibreglass. The Coretec® floors have a sound-dampening core and cork underlay. The designers also opted for plenty of natural wood in the walls, so that sound would be absorbed naturally. 

Eternal challenge 

The careful selection of materials, from the Coretec® herringbone floors to walls in walnut wood, prove that business spaces can create a mood that is both warm and professional. The eternal challenge – that practical choices are not always beautiful – has been well and truly overcome here.