Globant Iconic Building is located in the downtown area of Tandil, a few blocks from the main square.

For its realization, through the SCA and CAPBA, an International Competition for Preliminary Projects was called. The main requirements of the competition were that the building had to be iconic, sustainable, with a floor area of 500 m2, 2 fire escapes and the greatest possible flexibility.

Three themes were proposed to structure the development of the project:
- The building and the vitalization of urban space
- The workspace as an environment for socialization
- Sustainability as a design premise

The building and the vitalization of urban space

Tandil is a city of mostly low-rise buildings and with the particularity of being surrounded by mountains. The high-rise buildings stand out within the fabric and allow the view of the mountains to be incorporated.

As a consequence of the requirement of the bases of the iconic character that the building should have, we reflected on what this means. Considering that an icon is a representation of an object, it seemed pertinent to us that the building should NOT be just a representation, but it had to be the expression of how Globant works. Passing in front of the Globant building should be an experience where you can see people working, circulating through the stairs, elevators, meeting spaces, greenhouses, spaces that not only respond to the needs of the building, but also vitalize the urban space.

The workspace as an environment for socialization

Special emphasis was placed on researching the workspace, with the understanding that in addition to efficiency, it should generate spaces that encourage meeting and socializing, where working can be a pleasant experience.

The first reflection has to do with how a spatial linkage can be generated in a multilevel vertical building. We propose the generation of diagonal spaces that allow a continuous relationship between the different layers between all levels.

The competition and the regulations establish the need to have 2 fire escapes. As the staircase is an enclosed space, the connection between the different levels is only functional, and the opportunity to generate a dynamic of encounters between the staircase and what happens on the floors it crosses is lost. Consequently, it is proposed to “disassemble” the traditional core, in 2 stair tubes that run along the perimeter of the building, generating a connection between the different spaces that follow one after the other along a diagonal ascending route.

Each staircase tube is structural and defines the isolated space for the fire-protected staircase, and above the staircase roof is the staircase that participates in the spatial dynamics of the building.

It is proposed to generate spaces for casual encounters with the objective of promoting socialization. These occur when one goes to have a coffee, look for an impression, go to the restroom, go to another floor of the building, etc. It seems to us that these spaces are an opportunity to generate a dynamic of encounters, so we located all these spaces on the perimeter of the building, bringing all these meeting-generating spaces to the facade of the building. These programs are complemented with spaces where these encounters can be enhanced: living areas, dining rooms, relaxation and play areas, meeting rooms and the “greenhouses”.

The plant is organized in the form of rings:
1- The core: A space where the data, AC and electrical installations are located.
2- The Open Floor Plan: work areas with desks
3- The programmatic ring: stairways, greenhouses, meeting rooms, bathrooms, kitchenettes, playgrounds and living areas.
4-The Parasols: solar protection system according to orientation and uses.

A metallic structure system with precast slabs was used, in addition to generating an image of a technological building, it allows adding more levels in the future in a clean and fast way and at the same time achieving the least possible impact on the environment. A Plug In system where levels are added according to the company's needs to expand its production capacity. The perimeter enclosure used technical DVH glass, but with the characteristic of being almost transparent, since the solar control is done by the sunshades, which allows a visual link with the urban environment both inside out and outside in.

A Sustainable Technology

El Sol

The geometry of the plan is symmetrical in the 4 directions. This scheme organized according to the urban situation is modified according to the movement of the sun. A system of sunshades is proposed whose configuration varies according to the orientation. On the NW and NE façade are the conservatories, spaces of use that take advantage of the heat of the sun in winter and function as galleries in summer by the opening of a system of glazed panels.

Solar panels for the generation of a high percentage of the energy needed by the building according to regulatory requirements and Leed Platinum.

Water
Rainwater harvesting and subsequent treatment: Used for irrigation and secondary sanitation, resulting in a 45% reduction of potable water needed for a traditional building.

Green Spaces
Through this type of space, we sought to promote a better quality work environment, allowing for additional oxygen generation. In a second stage of the building, the development of a green roof was proposed to mitigate the heat island effect and slow down the effect of rainfall.

Recycling
A waste treatment plant was developed in the basement that receives the pre-sorting of waste from each floor.

Leed Platinum
- Type of certification: LEED-NC v3 for new construction and for subsequent operation.

The original project considers a first floor building plus 7 floors, so, depending on Globant's needs, more floors will be built to accommodate more employees. In a Plug In concept the building can grow as needed.