Silver A' Design Award Winner 2025
DA Architects's NN Pharmaceutical Office Design exemplifies the contemporary evolution of workplace environments toward spaces that prioritize human wellbeing alongside functional efficiency, reflecting broader cultural shifts in understanding how physical environments influence cognitive performance, emotional state, and collaborative dynamics. The design demonstrates sophisticated mastery of material palette restraint, employing natural oak timber as a unifying element that brings biophilic warmth while maintaining the clean lines associated with Nordic and contemporary minimalist traditions. The stepped seating arrangement suggests awareness of ancient gathering typologies, the amphitheater and agora, translated through contemporary design sensibilities into a flexible zone for informal meetings, presentations, or contemplative pause. Particularly accomplished is the ceiling treatment, where triangular acoustic baffles create visual interest while serving essential sound management functions, their angular geometry establishing dialogue with the orthogonal timber elements below. The chromatic strategy appears carefully calibrated, with coral, sage, and grey upholstery accents providing sufficient visual variety to animate the space without disrupting the overall sense of calm professionalism appropriate to pharmaceutical contexts. One observes how the designers have integrated biophilic elements through the planted grid shelving, introducing organic life forms that soften the architectural precision while potentially improving air quality and occupant wellbeing. The curved LED element visible in the corridor beyond introduces a contemporary gestural quality that suggests forward-thinking innovation, perhaps referencing the scientific research undertaken within such facilities. The work invites consideration of how contemporary workplace design might continue evolving to support human flourishing, prompting viewers to reflect on the relationship between spatial quality and professional fulfillment.
The project for the new NN office in Sofia aims to transform the working structure of the Bulgarian branch of Dutch pharmaceutical leader by creating a more efficient environment that stimulates collaboration and teamwork. To achieve this, the designers created a contemporary office that provides the necessary spaces for interaction between employees, combined with zones where one can feel comfortable and cozy, like in their own personal space. This ensures a smooth transition to working in open spaces with a flexible approach to utilizing the various zones by each employee.